Sepp Blatter promises probe into 'very negative' World Cup vote claims

FIFA president Sepp Blatter promised an "in-depth investigation" into allegations by a Sunday newspaper that two Fifa executive committee members offered to sell their votes in World Cup bidding, calling the claims "very negative".

Blatter wrote in an open letter to his colleagues on Fifa's executive committee that the allegation in the Sunday Times is a "very unpleasant situation" for football's governing body.

"The information in the article has created a very negative impact on Fifa and on the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups," Blatter said.

He said the investigation will be conducted by Fifa's independent ethics panel working with secretary general Jerome Valcke. He asked executive colleagues not to comment publicly on the subject, but made no mention if the 24-man committee's 2 December vote to choose the 2018 and 2022 hosts could be delayed for Fifa to conduct its probe.

Chuck Blazer, the American member of Fifa's executive committee, said he did not think the 2 December vote would need to be postponed.

"We should deal with it within the timeframe established," Blazer said. "We want to keep the issues separate and it's important we conclude the World Cup decision. There is no reason why we shouldn't. The investigation can be done right away."

The Sunday Times filmed Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii of Tahiti asking for money to fund projects. The reporters were posing as lobbyists for a consortium of American companies who wanted to help bring the World Cup back to the United States by winning December's vote. No money changed hands.

Adamu and Temarii, who could not be reached for comment, are on the committee which votes on the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Zurich in December's secret vote.

"Fifa and the Fifa ethics committee have closely monitored the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cups and will continue to do so," world football's governing body said in a statement. "Fifa has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter, and is awaiting to receive this material. In any case, Fifa will immediately analyze the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will Fifa be able to decide on any potential next steps."

Bidding alongside the US for 2022 are Australia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar.There are four European entrants in the 2018 race: England and Russia as well as joint bids by Belgium-Holland and Spain-Portugal.

Adamu was filmed telling reporters in London that he wanted $800,000 to build four artificial football pitches in his home country of Nigeria.

Adamu told the reporters he wanted the money paid to him personally, saying: "Certainly if you are to invest that, that means you also want the vote."

When the deal was sealed in Cairo last month, the US was still bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but it announced on Friday it was withdrawing from the contest for the earlier edition.

Adamu had offered a "guarantee" that he would vote for the Americans in the 2018 vote, but said they would be his second preference in '22.

"I've already given my word to some other bid," he was heard saying on the newspaper's website.