By Andrew Warshaw
October 17 – Football’s world governing body is coming under mounting pressure to sack the two senior executives at the heart of the votes-for-cash World Cup scandal.
Twenty-four hours after damaging Sunday Times revelations, senior FIFA officials have told insideworldfootball that Executive Committee members Amos Adamu from Nigeria and Tahiti’s Reynald Temarii, who allegedly both tried to sell their votes, could be thrown off the Committee.
With the decision on both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups just six weeks away, FIFA is loath to postpone the December 2 vote despite reports to the contrary but badly needs to conclude its official investigation into the Sunday Times expose before then.
Belgium’s FIFA Executive Committee member Michel d’Hooghe, whose country is jointly bidding with Holland to stage the 2018 tournament, said there was no place for corruption within the 24-man group.
“Until I know the full facts, I can’t comment on whether these claims are true,” said D’Hooghe, head of FIFA’s Medical Committee.
“I have learned not to comment on ‘what ifs’ but what I will say is that the least you can expect from a member of the ExCo is that he is an example of integrity.
“If not, he has no place on the Committee.”
FIFA;s Ethics Committee is due to meet on Wednesday (October 20) and another senior FIFA member, who asked not to be named, said it could and should act quickly.
“They could request Adamu and Temarii to appear.,” he said.
“They certainly need to do things pretty quickly.
“One of the two for sure will be punished, maybe both.
“I’d find it difficult to believe this wouldn’t be the case.”
FIFA officials privately believe the Sunday Times allegations are far more serious than the ticket scandal that resulted in Botswana’s Ismail Bhamjee (pictured) resigning his position after being sent home in disgrace from the 2006 World Cup for selling on tickets.
Both Adamu and Temarii failed to respond when insideworldfootball tried to contact them but FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted the revelations would have a “very serious impact” on the organisation.
Blatter has written to the 24 Executive Committee members promising a full investigation.
“I am sorry to have to inform you of a very unpleasant situation, which has developed in relation to an article published today in The Sunday Times titled ‘World Cup votes for sale’,” the letter said.
“The information in the article has created a very negative impact on FIFA and on the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. Fifa will… open an in-depth investigation, which we will start immediately.”
Africa’s four World Cup votes are crucial to all nine bidding nations and there were immediate fears that England’s campaign for the 2018 tournament could suffer a backlash as a result of a British newspaper alleging corruption by an African official.
For fear of losing potentially vital support, leading figures in England 2018’s bid team, while privately delighted to see corruption exposed, are anxious to disassociate themselves publicly from the Sunday Times report and the way in which undercover reporters operated.
But Chuck Blazer (pictured), the American member of FIFA’s Executive Committee, said they need not be worried.
“I don’t think this is an issue which will have an anti-English backlash,” he said.
“It could have been any newspaper.
“The English bid itself is not responsible.”
Blazer said moving the December 2 vote was not an option.
“It should be kept where it is,” he said.
“It was placed there to avoid the various congresses.
“We want to keep the issues separate and it’s important we conclude the World Cup decision.”
In the Sunday Times expose, reporters posed as English-based lobbyists for a consortium of private American companies who wanted to help secure the World Cup for the United States.
Adamu’s position looks particularly precarious as he allegedly asked for £500,000 ($800,000) for a personal football project, to be paid to him personally rather than the Nigerian FA.
Ironically, only a few days ago FIFA lifted a ban on Nigerian football which has been under constant scrutiny because of Government interference.
To make matters worse for FIFA, both Adamu and Temarii are claimed to have told the Sunday Times that they had been offered what amount to bribes by two other bidding nations.
Neither were identified but Blazer said five bidding countries he had so far dealt with personally had all behaved entirely professionally, including 2018 joint favourites England and Russia.
“I have visited three different bidders and had presentations from two others,” he told insideworldfootball.
“Each of those have been professional with no indication from any of them of anything other than putting their best face forward in the proper way.
“Not one of them has turned round and said, ‘For you we will do this’.”
FIFA rules strictly prohibit deal-making and The Sunday Times made it clear that their reporters were not in any way connected with the USA’s bid which has been entirely above board.
“I find the whole situation regrettable,” said Blazer.
“It’s not good for anyone but the US federation had nothing to do with it.
“Maybe they [The Sunday Times] chose America because they had pretty good idea the Americans were not involved so they wouldn’t trip themselves up.
“If someone is going to do an expose in this way, it wouldn’t make sense to pick someone who may be making offers themselves.”
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