Platini plays down worth of TV exposé

UEFA president Michel Platini has insisted the BBC Panorama programme screened last night should not affect England's 2018 World Cup bid.

England 2018 leaders reacted with fury to the investigation into FIFA and branded the programme "an embarrassment".

Panorama accused three FIFA executive committee members of taking bribes, and alleged that FIFA vice-president Jack Warner attempted to supply ticket touts.

Platini's remarks to reporters in Zurich after the programme contained both reassurance and warnings for England. "I don't think this (programme] will have an effect, no - but I think what may affect the decision is the atmosphere going back a long time," he said.

The three accused by Panorama of taking bribes were African confederation president Issa Hayatou, Brazil's Ricardo Terra Teixeira and Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay.

Warner is the subject of accusations that he "ordered (2010 World Cup] tickets costing 84,240 US dollars from the FIFA ticket office but the deal subsequently fell through".

The four men are all part of the 22-man committee who will vote on the 2018 and 2022 hosts on Thursday.

The Panorama programme has been criticised over the timing of the screening as the allegations have nothing to do with World Cup votes and all relate to payments made between 21 and 11 years ago by the collapsed company ISL, which had been awarded the marketing rights to successive World Cups by FIFA.