By Andrew Warshaw
May 11 – Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson today called for a complete overhaul of the way World Cup hosts are chosen following the latest spate of corruption allegations to rock FIFA.
Robertson said that while there was no chance of England breaking away from football’s world governing body, there had to be a way to stamp out bribery and collusion within the organisation’s hierarchy, but admitted there may be no way of proving the latest allegations of malpractice.
Former Football Association and bid chairman Lord Triesman told a Parliamentary Committee yesterday there had been “improper and unethical” behaviour by four FIFA Executive Committee members when he was lobbying for England’s World Cup bid.
Two others were named by the Committee itself as having been paid $1.5 million (£917,000) to vote for Qatar 2022.
“Leaving FIFA is not on the agenda but all the effort at Government level is on trying to get reform at FIFA,” said Robertson.
“FIFA need to have a look at what the International Olympic Committee did after the Salt Lake City scandal and the reforms they made.
“Three cities are bidding to host the Winter Olympics with the decision in July, and there is not a suggestion from anyone that this is anything other than a fair contest.
“FIFA needs to get to that position.”
Robertson ruled out calling on FIFA to stage a re-vote given that England were knocked out in the first round with only two votes.
“There is no practical chance of the process being re-run – that would be a huge admission of failure by FIFA,” he told Press Association.
Tellingly, with FIFA only likely to take action if they receive clear proof of the latest allegations, Robertson conceded this may not be possible.
“I think we have to be honest as a country that Lord Triesman made these allegations in Parliament but they are going to be very difficult to actually prove because these were just conversations he had with individuals,” he said.
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May 2011: Triesman accuses FIFA Executive Committee members of asking for bribes