Ex-FA boss in Fifa bribes claim

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Lord Triesman makes Fifa accusations


Former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman claims four Fifa members sought "bribes" in return for backing England's failed 2018 World Cup bid.

Triesman - who was initially chairman of England's bid - made the allegations about Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi.

He said their behaviour was "below what would be ethically acceptable".

He told a Department of Culture, Media and Sport committee that his bid team should have reported them immediately.

Speaking at the House of Commons on Tuesday, Triesman then said that he will now take his evidence to world governing body Fifa.

But he insisted his findings would, at least initially, fall on deaf ears.

Triesman said that the FA did not complain at the time for fear of jeapordising England's bid, which garnered just two out of 22 votes as Russia landed the tournament in early December last year.

Reacting to Triesman's comments, Fifa president Sepp Blatter promised he would act immediately if evidence of wrongdoing by executive committee members was revealed.

"I was shocked [upon hearing]... but one has to see the evidence," said Blatter in Zurich, adding that the accused executive committee members were not elected by the same congress as him.

"They are coming from other confederations, so I cannot say that they are all angels or all devils," said the 75-year-old Blatter.

"There is a new round of information. Give us time to digest that and start the investigation by asking for evidence on what has been said. We will react immediately against all those in breach of the ethics code rules."

Triesman's specific claims are:

- Fifa vice-president Warner asked for around £2.5m to build an education centre in Trinidad, with the cash to be channelled through him, and later wanted £500,000 to buy Haiti's World Cup TV rights for the earthquake-hit nation, again to be channelled through him.

- Paraguay's Fifa member Leoz asked for a knighthood.

- Brazil's Fifa member Teixeira asked him [Triesman] to "come and tell me what you have got for me", with the implication being that he wanted something in return for his vote.

- Thailand's Fifa member Makudi wanted to be given the TV rights to a friendly between England and the Thai national team.

Warner said the allegations made against him by Triesman were "a piece of nonsense".

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Warner added: "I've never asked Triesman nor any other person, Englishman or otherwise, for any money for my vote at any time.

"In the English campaign, before Triesman was unceremoniously kicked out, I've spoken to him on his initiative on only three occasions, while I've spoken to his other colleagues on other occasions and not one of them will ever corroborate his bit of trivia.

"I have been in Fifa for 29 years and this will astound many, I'm sure - including people like David Dein [international president of England 2018 bid] and Geoff Thompson [head of England's 2018 bid]."

It was also claimed on Tuesday that two more Fifa executive committee members were paid nearly £1m to vote for Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid.

The shock accusations were highlighted by MPs, with Tory Damian Collins stating that evidence submitted by the Sunday Times newspaper - which the committee will publish - claimed that Fifa vice-president Issa Hayatou, from Cameroon, and Jacques Anouma, from the Ivory Coast, were involved.

Fifa's ethics committee last year banned two other executive committee members after a Sunday Times investigation into World Cup bidding.

Collins said the submission claimed Qatar specifically employed a fixer to arrange deals with African members for their votes.



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