FIFA to investigate Triesman’s bribery claims
Published:Monday | May 17, 2010 | 6:20 PM
FIFA\'s ethics committee will investigate claims by former English Football Association chairman, David Triesman that Spain is trying to bribe referees at the World Cup.
Triesman quit yesterday after being secretly tape-recorded by a tabloid newspaper suggesting Russia were going to help Spain bribe referees at the World Cup, in return for gaining their rival\'s support in the race to host the 2018 or 2022 tournament.
FIFA said in a statement today that its Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, has requested the FIFA Ethics Committee to examine the alleged statements made by Lord Triesman in relation to the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
The investigation is a further setback to England\'s faltering bid to host the World Cup for the first time since 1966.
England and Russia are bidding on their own to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, while there are joint bids from Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Netherlands.
Australia and the United States are also bidding for either tournament, while Japan, Qatar and South Korea are concentrating on 2022, as they believe a European nation is favored to win for 2018.