By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
October 28 – European football’s governing body has launched legal proceedings against a Cypriot official amid stunning new claims of corruption, this time that Ukraine and Poland paid off senior officials to host the 2012 European Championship finals.
As another prospective scandal emerged at the heart of football’s administration, UEFA confirmed they had instructed lawyers to take action against Spyros Marangos, who claims nearly €10 million was paid in bribes.
Allegations in the German press at the weekend suggested that the co-hosts had rigged the vote in April 2007 when Ukraine and Poland beat Italy, the preference of UEFA President Michel Platini, into second place in what was regarded as a gigantic surprise.
Polish and Ukrainian officials have denied any wrongdoing and UEFA gave Marangos, former treasurer of the Cypriot FA, a deadline of Wednesday to produce tangible proof or face disciplinary proceedings.
Insideworldfootball understands that this is not the first time Marangos has made allegations he has not followed up.
Matters came to a head when he told an Italian newspaper that bribes worth a total of €9.15 million were paid to four UEFA Executive committee members, with one receiving €3.15 million.
The new allegations were made on the front page of Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport under the headline “Corrupt”.
Marangos said the money was concealed in “large teddy bears” and took place on Cypriot soil.
He also claims UEFA ignored two years of emails about the issue and that he had been ignored on four occasions in 2009 and this year.
But a UEFA spokesman told insideworldfootball that they were “in the process of opening legal proceedings to protect the integrity” of the organisation, seemingly as a way of forcing Marangos to produce the evidence he claims to possess.
“We want to find out if he has something,” he said.
“If he has he should reveal it.
“If he doesn’t ,we want to take legal action for him claiming things he cannot back up.”
Marangos told Gazzetta he had plenty of evidence.
“I have three documents, but it only takes one to open the case,” he said.
“I’m ready to give all the information, but only here and in the presence of a public authority of Cyprus.”
He said if he revealed the documents to UEFA, he would put at risk the lives of three witnesses.
“I want there to be justice,” he added.
“Euro 2012 should be reassigned to Italy.”
Marangos was quoted by the Cyprus News Agency as saying he had been told by UEFA to go to Zurich, but that he would not do so because he had not been given enough notice.
“I hope they arrest me, or take me to prison…it will be a pleasure,” he said.
“But at least the case will break out.”
The Cyprus Football Association distanced itself from the corruption claims and welcomed UEFA’s stance.
“We want to announce that the Cyprus FA has no knowledge of the allegations/accusations made by Mr Spyros Marangos as published in the media,” said a CFA statement.
“We are especially pleased to see that UEFA has decided to investigate the allegations as long as Mr Marangos presents the evidence he claims to have in his possession.”
However, the Cypriot News Agency quoted a letter from his lawyers saying, “our client is willing to give evidence and proof in his possession as long as the correct procedures are followed by UEFA and he is given a satisfactory amount of time to do so”.
Marios Lefkaritis, the Cypriot representative on FIFA’s Executive Committee, was totally taken aback when asked by insideworldfootball if he had taken bribes.
“You must be joking,” he said.
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