Showing posts with label Questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Questions. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

FIFA questions veracity of World Cup allegations

FIFA logo

Jerome Valcke, FIFA's secretary general, has questioned why former FA and England 2018 bid chairman Lord Triesman has waited so long before revealing allegations of World Cup bid corruption.



Triesman told a Parliamentary committee there had been "improper and unethical" behaviour by four FIFA executive committee (ExCo) members including asking for money and a knighthood when he was lobbying for England.



Valcke said however: "It could have been said before. If it was known, why did it not come to our attention? Why were we not informed?"



Two more FIFA members, Issa Hayatou from Cameroon and Jacques Anouma from the Ivory Coast,are alleged to have been paid $1.5million to support Qatar's bid to host the 2022 World Cup, according to claims made to MPs at the culture, media and sport committee in the House of Commons.



With two other FIFA members, Amos Adamu from Nigeria and Reynald Temarii from Tahiti, banned by the body's ethics committee last year, it means no fewer than eight Fifa ExCo members - one third of the total of 24 - have either been accused of asking for bribes or already found guilty of impropriety in relation to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.



Adamu was also named in evidence provided by the Sunday Times to the committee as having been bribed by Qatar but his suspension prevented him from voting.



Valcke denied claims by MPs that FIFA had failed to reply to an official letter about the Qatar claims.



"There was a letter and we did definitely reply," said Valcke. "But there has not been a single time, apart from what we got from a UK newspaper, where we got any evidence anything was wrong during the process.



"I'm not saying anyone is lying but if we had clear information that there was some kind of evidence we would have immediately asked for it."



Triesman gave evidence of "improper and unethical" behaviour by four other executive committee members.



He said FIFA vice-president Jack Warner asked for money - suggested to be £2.5million - to build an education centre in Trinidad with the cash to be channelled through him, and later £500,000 to buy Haiti World Cup TV rights for the earthquake-hit nation, also to go through Warner.



Paraguay's FIFA member Nicolas Leoz asked for a knighthood while Brazil's FIFA member Ricardo Terra Teixeira asked Triesman to "come and tell me what you have got for me".



Thailand's FIFA member Worawi Makudi wanted to be given the TV rights to a friendly between England and the Thai national team, said Triesman.



Triesman added: "These were some of the things that were put to me personally, sometimes in the presence of others, which in my view did not represent proper and ethical behaviour on the part of members of the executive committee."



John Whittingdale, chairman of the committee, said he would now be writing to FIFA president Sepp Blatter to launch an investigation into the evidence "as a matter of urgency".



And the FA's chief operating officer Alex Horne has pledged to bring any evidence of corruption to FIFA as quickly as possible.



"We will make sure the evidence gets to the FIFA ethics committee," Horne said.



"So many people put so much time into the vote but we've tried to move on. I'm not sure what the protocol is but we will recommend the select committee passes any evidence over to FIFA."



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Friday, April 8, 2011

Ancelotti questions referee's courage

Terry and Ancelotti




Manager Carlo Ancelotti has questioned the courage of the referee after Chelsea's 1-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat by Manchester United.



Ancelotti said it was "clear" Patrice Evra fouled Ramires late in the game but Alberto Undiano Mallenco waved play on.



"It's not easy to give the penalty in the last minute," the Blues boss said.



"You need to have personality, courage and character. Not always do referees have these kind of skills."



Ramires was through on goal when Evra wrapped his legs around the midfielder and brought him down inside the box.



The Spanish referee was confronted by Ancelotti and several Chelsea players after the final whistle.



"It was clear. For everyone. Everyone knows it was clear," Italian Ancelotti added.



"I'm disappointed but this is the result. Not just the referee, but the assistant was in the right position to decide that was a penalty.



"I said to the referee [after the game] that it was a penalty and he needed to whistle. He said nothing. No answer.



"The players are aggrieved. But we have to forget it and be focused for the next game. We have to try our best there."



United boss Sir Alex Ferguson suggested that if his side were fortunate with that incident, it was no more than they deserved.



"Yeah, someone said it could have been a penalty. It was the first penalty decision we've had in seven years, so we're due one," the Scot said.



"But I don't feel guilty about that at all. It was a 50-50 from where I was and I don't know what the contact situation was."



Chelsea captain John Terry appeared to feel even more strongly about the decision, but was restrained due to the fear of reprisal from UEFA.



"I think the most frustrating thing for the players is that we can't come out here and be honest about it. We would face possible bans," Terry stated.



"We're seeing players receiving bans left, right and centre for speaking honestly after games.



"You guys [the media] lose out, the players can't be honest and we end up walking on eggshells.



"Unfortunately, I can't say more about it but it was a clear penalty."












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Monday, March 14, 2011

Emmanuel Petit Questions The Mentality Of Cesc Fabregas

Interesting news are out and it has been revealed that Emmanuel Petit has questioned the mentality of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.

The Gunners legend fears that the Spanish international star is cracking up under the pressure!

Petit told The Sun: “There seems to be a curse around the club at the moment. Arsenal’s key players seem to be cracking up.

“You get the impression that some psychological work will need to be done on Fabregas.

“His recent performances have been below his usual standard. He seems to have a complex over his former club Barcelona.”



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