By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
October 27 – The verbal spat between England and Russia over their fight for the 2018 World Cup took on yet another twist tonight when England were blasted as being “absolutely primitive” for making a formal complaint to FIFA about their chief rival’s behaviour.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
October 27 – Australia appear to have won the crucial vote of Frank Beckenbauer ahead of their four rivals in the race to stage the 2022 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
October 27 – As the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup becomes increasingly embroiled in corruption allegations and tit-for-tat spats, Australia are endeavouring to play it by the book, hoping the strategy ends up working in their favour.
By David Owen in Zurich
October 26 – England 2018 has made a formal complaint to FIFA about its arch-rival, the Russian bid.
By David Owen in Zurich
October 25 – Michel Zen-Ruffinen (pictured right), the former FIFA general secretary who has emerged as the latest source of explosive allegations in the World Cup bidding race, met the Sunday Times’ undercover reporters “quite a lot of times” over two-and-a-half months, he has told insideworldfootball.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 23 – The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has spiralled out of control tonight after further dramatic revelations in the Sunday Times that named Spain/Portugal and Qatar as allegedly agreeing to trade block votes and quoted a former FIFA boss as saying he knew the names of officials who were willing to take bribes.
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By Andrew Warshaw
October 22 – Football’s world governing body has ordered the nine contenders bidding to stage the World Cup in 2018 or 2022 not to make contact with the two suspended Executive Committee members while they are under investigation for alleged bribery.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 22 – Amos Adamu (pictured), the Nigerian official provisionally suspended by FIFA over bribery allegations, broke his silence today by insisting he had done nothing wrong.
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By Andrew Warshaw
October 21 – The bid teams of Spain/Portugal and Qatar imposed a total news blackout today as reports named them as the countries being investigated by FIFA as part of the explosive 2018 and 2022 World Cup corruption scandal.
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By Andrew Warshaw
October 20 – The two high-ranking FIFA officials at the heart of the World Cup cash-for-votes scandal were sensationally suspended today following allegations of corruption within football’s world governing body.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 19 – The head of Russia’s 2018 World Cup bid has sought to distance himself from western press reports quoting him as denigrating aspects of society in England – Russia’s main rivals for 2018 – insisting he was misinterpreted.
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By Andrew Warshaw
October 19 – Russia could be the latest country to face accusations of breaking FIFA’s strict code of ethics in the latest row to undermine bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
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By Andrew Warshaw
October 18 – At least two of the nine bidding candidates for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup were sensationally placed under formal examination for alleged collusion today as the cash-for-votes probe intensified.
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.
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By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
October 16 – Two members of FIFA’s ruling Executive Committee have allegedly offered to sell their votes to the United States in the battle to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, it was reported tonight.