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IOC calls for clean sports following FIFA scandals

Updated: 2011-05-12 11:02

(Agencies/chinadaily.com.cn)

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IOC calls for clean sports following FIFA scandals

The combination photo shows FIFA executive committee members (from L to R) Worawi Makudi, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Jack Warner that are accused of taking bribes during the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

The conduct of Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi in the 2018 contest won by Russia was described as "improper and unethical" by the former head of England's bid, David Triesman.

Warner, a FIFA vice president from Trinidad and Tobago, dismissed Triesman's allegations, saying he "laughed like hell" when he heard them on Tuesday.

"I never asked anybody for anything," Warner told Trinidad newspaper Newsday. "When these guys (England) came here, we promised to help. I showed them a place where they can put a playground. They promised to come back but they never did."

Warner believes that England is bitter after gaining just two votes in the 2018 contest - one from its own representative on the executive committee.

"How come not even one person from Europe voted for them?" Warner told Newsday. "And they're looking for all different reasons. Why don't they, in a dispassionate way, sit down and ask why not one European voted for them?"

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke questioned why the claims - which included incidents said to have occurred from 2009 - were not reported earlier. The votes in December proceeded with a 22-man FIFA ruling panel after Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii were suspended following a Sunday Times investigation.

"If it was known, why has it not come to our attention? We have called and asked people to let us know whatever you have in this process," Valcke said.

Asked if the World Cup votes should be reopened, Valcke said the process had been conducted cleanly and all known evidence was examined.

Australia, which was badly defeated in the 2022 voting, played down suggestions it could ask for a re-vote.

"Ultimately this is a question that needs to be directed to FIFA the governing body," Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Wednesday. "We were very disappointed. We put in a bid which was impressive and we pursued that bid in an ethical and impressive way."

British Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said he had discussed the possibility of England breaking away from FIFA along with other countries.

"I have taken the temperature from other football associations around the world, particularly we did that in the wake of the 2018 bid," Robertson told the BBC. "At the moment there is a desire to try to work to change FIFA from the inside. If FIFA is unable to do that then I would say all options are possible.

"But at the moment we very much want to work with them and try to convince them they need to go through exactly the same process that the IOC went through in the post-Salt Lake city process."

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