Great damage has been done to FIFA: Anger as Blatter avoids

[Sir X]

Great damage has been done to FIFA: Anger as Blatter avoids questions over allegations

By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER

Last updated at 7:57 PM on 30th May 2011

• Comments (0)
• Add to My Stories
• Share

Defiant: FIFA president Sepp Blatter has revealed that no further proceedings will be made into allegations against the EXCO members

Sepp Blatter has remained defiant in the face of fresh allegations, claiming that the recent claims of Lord Triesman and a Sunday newspaper do not require any further proceedings.

Speaking to a packed press hall, the head of FIFA spoke slowly and purposefully as he delivered the news that few had expected.

Blatter said: 'I regret what has happened. In the days and weeks, great damage to the image of FIFA. There is disappointment for the football fans. I am speaking to the football fans.

'The ethics have returned their decision. I have no right to comment on it. But there have been one or two points of which I want to inform you.

'The EXCO was very pleased to receive the report of the FA regarding the allegations made by Lord David Triesman against four FIFA committee members.

'We were happy that we can confirm that there are no elements that would even prompt any proceedings, but for the sake of transparency, but we have agreed that a comprehensive summary of these would be published. The summary can be read on FIFA.com.

'Furthermore we were happy also that we haven’t received any evidence from the Sunday Times or from any announced whistle blower with regards allegations against two other EXCO members.

‘Therefore the same - what shall we do? Nothing. The World Cup 2022 is not touched, nor is the World Cup 2018.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has confirmed that an email he sent suggesting the 2022 World Cup was 'bought' was genuine - but insisted he was referring to Qatar using their 'financial strength' to lobbylegitimately for votes.

The email to Jack Warner was made public by the banned FIFA vice-president in a blistering attack by the Trinidadian on the world governing body yesterday.

Allegation: Former FA chairman Lord Triesman made allegations about FIFA members who asked for favours in exchange for World Cup votes

It referred to Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Qatari who had announced he was standing against Sepp Blatter for FIFA president.

Valcke wrote: 'For MBH, I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB [Blatter]. Or he thought you can buy FIFA as they bought the WC.'

In a statement released today, Valcke stated: 'Mr Warner has published an email which I sent to him. I'd like to clarify that I may use in an email - a 'lighter' way of expression by nature - a much less formal tone than in any form of correspondence.

'Having said that, when I refer to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in that email, what I wanted to say is that the winning bid used their financial strength to lobby for support.

Breaking rank: Jack Warner threw his hat into the ring yesterday by revealing an email that appeared to suggest Qatar 2022 hot bought World Cup votes

'They were a candidate with a very important budget and have used it to heavily promote their bid all around the world in a very efficient manner.

'I have at no time made, or was intending to make, any reference to any purchase of votes or similar unethical behaviour.

'I would also like to clarify that there is, as I said yesterday, no investigation open at FIFA regarding the 2022 FIFA World Cup host election.'

Qatar 2022 responded by saying 'Mr Valcke's statement [to Warner] was clearly taken out of context but again Qatar's name has been dragged through the mud for absolutely no reason.

'We would like to reaffirm we won the World Cup bid with the best campaign and without breaching FIFA rules.'

Qualifying statement: FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said the Warner email was misinterpreted

Meanwhile, Warner issued a statement welcoming the fact that FIFA had cleared him of claims by Lord Triesman that he had asked for cash or favours in return for supporting England's 2018 World Cup bid.

The statement said: 'Today, I regained some hope in the power of truth and transparency. The report of the independent investigator on the allegations of Lord Triesman has proven once again that whenever the truth is told, people will always be able to have their names exonerated.

'It must have pained Mr Blatter and Mr Valcke to read this report. But the fact which cannot be changed is as Valcke declared 'all four are completely clean'.

'It is because of this complete cleanness why Sir Dave Richards, who is no friend of mine, can say truthfully that he has never heard me ask for money or ask for funds to be channelled through me.'

Financial muscle: Victory for Qatar in the World Cup 2022 vote has been a constant source of anger since last year

FIFA's concerns deepened with the announcement from two major sponsors that the on-going claims and counter claims. Coca-Cola and adidas are united in a belief that the bickering has to stop.

A Coca-Cola spokesperson said: 'The current allegations being raised are distressing and bad for the sport. We have every expectation that FIFA will resolve this situation in an expedient and thorough manner.'

An adidas spokesman said: 'Adidas enjoys a long-term, close and successful partnership with FIFA that we are looking forward to continuing.

'Adidas will be an official sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Having said that, the negative tenor of the public debate around FIFA at the moment is neither good for football nor for FIFA and its partners.'

More...

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1NrqFg9WN

[Gamma]

and so .... what happens now?

the more interesting story is the apparent public rift between warner and blatter for which blatter now holds the blade as his tenure will be extended in an uncontested election and he could wreak havoc on jack and concacaf ....

another interesting thing to know would be, what is burrell's position in all this? has he been forced to choose a side?

[Sir X]

Blazer ?

[Gamma]

i don't think so ... is him besmirch the president.

[Sir X]

Deluded! As his FIFA empire implodes, Blatter insists there's no crisis to worry about


By CHARLES SALE

Last updated at 11:45 PM on 30th May 2011

• Comments (0)
• Add to My Stories
• Share

FIFA president Sepp Blatter stormed out of a press conference in Zurich last night declaring: ‘Crisis, what crisis?’

Blatter’s outburst came despite facing attacks over corruption, bribery and bias within the world governing body.

After the most extraordinary day yet in the cash-for-votes scandal, he claimed: ‘Football is not in a crisis. We are only in some difficulties. This will all be solved inside the football family. FIFA is strong enough that we can deal with our problems internally.’


Under pressure: FIFA president Sepp Blatter stormed out of a press conference after coming under fire from gathered journalists

Blatter’s denials followed claims and counter-claims by suspended executive committee members Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, serious doubts over whether Blatter should stand alone in tomorrow’s presidential election and new accusations about the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

The position of FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke also looks untenable.

Valcke, who reneged on his promise to take questions from the press, had claimed in an email that Qatar had bought the 2022 World Cup. This brought a furious denial from the Middle Eastern country, who are examining legal action after being ‘dragged through the mud’.


Bold claims: A Caribbean football official says he was offered this wedge of cash by FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam

Asian football chief Bin Hammam, who withdrew his challenge for the presidency on Saturday before being suspended a day later over cash-for votes allegations, has appealed against his ban.

Bin Hammam claimed the ethics committee hearing had been conducted with ‘absolutely no principles of justice’ and Valcke had ‘showed his bias very clearly’.

UEFA president Michel Platini warned the European countries that the 45 members of the Asian Football Confederation might walk out of tomorrow’s Congress in protest over Bin Hammam’s provisional suspension.

Warner, who like Bin Hammam has been suspended over the $40,000 bribes allegedly given to members of the Caribbean Football Union, has said Blatter has to be stopped. He has threatened a ‘football tsunami’ against FIFA, and claims that Blatter had given $1million to CONCACAF without permission and had organised a meeting with 37 countries in South Africa not dissimilar to his Caribbean one.

FIFA’s major sponsors, Coca-Cola and adidas, called the upheavals ‘distressing and bad for the sport’.


Breaking rank: Suspended FIFA executive member Jack Warner released an email that he suggested revealed Qatar had bought World Cup votes

But Blatter had nothing to say about the current issues that have brought FIFA to the brink.

On the ethics committee ruling fiasco? (‘I have no right to comment on it’), Jerome Valcke’s position? (‘I do not answer this question’), political pressure from around the
world for the election to be postponed? (‘If governments have to intervene then something is wrong. The Congress will show unity and solidarity’).

HOW FIFA'S DAY OF SCANDAL UNFOLDED



6.34am - Australia kick off
Australian senator Nick Xenophon urges his federal government to ask for a refund from FIFA of the £30million spent on the failed bid to host the 2022 World Cup because of corruption within the governing body. A statement under the heading ‘Red Card for FIFA’ says ‘not one more cent’ should be spent on further bids until the scandal is resolved.
11.23 - Qatar claims ‘genuine’
FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke confirms an email he sent to FIFA vice-president Jack Warner suggesting the 2022 World Cup was ‘bought’ by Qatar was genuine.The email was made public by Warner after he was banned by FIFA’s ethics committee on Sunday. Valcke said Warner had only published selected parts of the email.
12.18pm - Qatar fight back
Qatar's Mohamed Bin Hammam responds to the claims, saying: ‘You would have to ask Jerome Valcke what he was thinking. If I was paying money for Qatar you also have to ask the 13 people who voted for Qatar.’
Then at 2pm, Qatar denies any wrong-doing in its bid to stage the 2022 World Cup, with a statement saying: ‘We are urgently seeking clarification from FIFA about the statement from their general secretary. In the meantime we are taking legal advice to consider our options.’
3.16 - Bin Hammam to appeal
Bin Hammam says he will appeal his provisional suspension from FIFA in the hope of taking part in this week’s FIFA congress.

The head of the Asian Football Confederation was banned by a FIFA ethics committee on Sunday, which said he and Warner had a case to answer over allegations that Caribbean delegates were paid for promising to vote for Bin Hammam in the FIFA election, which he had been due to contest with president Sepp Blatter before withdrawing.
4.50 - Valcke backtracks
Valcke says his claim that Qatar had bought the right to host the World Cup was meant to imply that the country simply used its ‘financial strength to lobby for support’, and not that it had done anything unethical.
He also said that in his email to Warner he was using ‘a much less formal tone than in any (other) form of correspondence,’ adding in a statement that the Qataris had ‘a very important budget and have used it to heavily promote their bid’.
6.05 - Crisis? What crisis?
Blatter denies that FIFA are in crisis, saying football's governing body will solve any ‘difficulties’ internally.
Blatter is due to stand unopposed for a new term as president in Zurich on Wednesday after the withdrawal of Bin Hammam from the election campaign.
He told a news conference: ‘Great damage has been done in recent days (but) football is not in a crisis.

'Football is in some difficulties and they will be solved inside our family.’





Blatter promised that if he is re-elected tomorrow, as he fully expects — ‘It is only they who can decide if I’m a valid or a non-valid president’ — he will begin his last four-year term by introducing zero tolerance and a reinforced ethics committee.

However, the FIFA leader did use the lack of evidence in the FA’s Dingemans report in support of Lord Triesman’s allegations against four FIFA ExCo members to deflect attention away from the other major problems.

Blatter said: ‘We are happy that there are no elements in this report that would even prompt any proceedings and there is no evidence whatsoever from the Sunday Times or their whistleblower regarding other allegations made against the FIFA ExCo. Nothing. The World Cup 2022 is not touched.’


Qualifying statement: FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said the Warner email was misinterpreted

Warner also waded into Triesman to defend his own tarnished reputation. ‘The report confirms what I have been saying ever since these fallacious and malicious allegations were made,’ he said. ‘Lord Triesman, like those who continue to malign my name with allegations of bribery, will see their efforts come to futility. Sir Dave Richards, who is no friend of mine, can say truthfully that he has never heard me ask for money or ask for funds to be channelled through me.’

FIFA were unusually quick to publish the summary of the Dingemans findings on their website. The findings might have completely cleared Brazil’s Ricardo Teixeira and Thailand’s Worawi Makudi, but doubts still remain. Amid the FA’s allegations was the claim that aides of ExCo member Nicolas Leoz requested that the FA Cup be named after the Paraguayan official.


Allegation: Former FA chairman Lord Triesman spoke out against FIFA members who asked for favours in exchange for World Cup votes

Valcke was also on the defensive over his email to Warner in which he made reference to Qatar buying the 2022 tournament. He issued a statement rather than face the media which said: ‘What I wanted to say is that the winning bid used their financial strength to lobby for support.’

On Warner’s other accusation that he had been ‘biased’ in influencing the verdict of the ethics committee he said: ‘It is fully incorrect and disappointing. I never attended any of the meetings of this committee.’

The counter-claims against Warner’s allegations also saw Platini deny the CONCACAF chief’s statement that he had been angry about Blatter handing over $1m for development projects.

Platini said: ‘I was just having a joke with the FIFA president. He can give what he wants. He has his own budget.’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/art...#ixzz1Nt8UCZn7

[Sir X]

These guys can clarify allegations with statements , Blatter and Valcke but Warner and Hamman are suspended ?

Change will come about from within, as I see it Africa, Concacaf and Asia has the most votes, lets see what happens.Europe and N.America has the money.

[Paul Marin]

These guys can clarify allegations with statements , Blatter and Valcke but Warner and Hamman are suspended ?

Change will come about from within...