By Andrew Warshaw in London
May 19 – Sebastian Coe (pictured) today reiterated his belief that the Lord Triesman affair has not inflicted terminal damage on England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
Triesman’s allegations of corruption involving the Spanish and Russian football federations led to his resignation but although the move sent shock waves round the world, Coe insists England can still win on December 2.
Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Olympics, is on the 2018 bid Board and is already taking a far more hand-on role in the light of Triesman’s departure.
“I don’t think anybody anywhere in the world, including FIFA, doubts that we have anything other than the great ability to deliver a fantastic World Cup,” Coe told BBC Breakfast.
“This does not become a bad bid overnight.
“I understand campaigns.
“We were bidding to stage an Olympic Games for the best part of three years.
“Campaigns are marathons, they’re not sprints.
“There’s rarely anything that is so serious or so great that you are permanently derailed or you jump across the line in one foul swoop.
“You have to be consistent with your messages.
“What is the consistent message we will be pumping between now and the vote in Zurich is that we have stadiums in place that are extraordinary, we have passionate fans, we have a marketplace for football.”
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