"There is no action required" over Hayatou claims FIFA President

By Duncan Mackay at the Ritz Carlton in Tokyo

December 17 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has thrown his full support behind Issa Hayatou, the head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), who earlier this month was reprimanded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The Cameroonian, a vice-president of FIFA, was given the sanction by the IOC’s Ethics Commission after they investigated allegations broadcast by the BBC’s Panorama that he had received 100,000 French Francs in 1995 from ISL.

Hayatou has always claimed that the money was given to him by FIFA’s former marketing agents to help organise the 40th anniversary dinner of the CAF but the Ethics Commission ruled that even though he produced documentary evidence that showed the funds were paid to the organisation that did “not guarantee that these payments were indeed made into the CAF accounts”.

Blatter, himself an IOC member, claimed that they had no plans to request a copy of the IOC Ethics Commission report.

Blatter revealed that he had spoken to Jacques Rogge, the President of the IOC, about the case.

“There is no action required there,” said Blatter following the end of the FIFA Executive Committee meeting, which ended here today.

“He was issued with a reprimand by the IOC regarding a very old case.

“Mr Rogge has confirmed to me that he is still a high standing member of the IOC.

“I today brought this to the attention of the FIFA Executive Committee and they underlined he is a good member of FIFA.

“There is no need to instigate any kind of enquiry because the Executive Committee trusts and supports him fully.”

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