Blatter: World Cup vote unaffected by scandals
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has confirmed that the voting process for the World Cup hosting rights in 2018 and 2022 will go ahead as planned on December 2, despite recent controversies surrounding the executive committee.
FIFA's ethics committee has been forced to deal with allegations that two members of the executive committee, Nigeria's Amos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, asked undercover Sunday Times reporters for money in return for their votes.
It has also been alleged that the Spain/Portugal and Qatar bids have colluded to manipulate the vote by casting their support for each other, but this has been denied. Spain/Portugal is bidding to host the 2018 finals and Qatar is in contention for 2022.
Adamu and Temarii have also claimed they are innocent and although disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the two men, Blatter said the voting date will be unaffected.
Blatter said: "We are five weeks from the final decision so there was never a question of changing anything in the procedure.
So on December 2, here in Zurich, the executive committee of FIFA will decide in a secret ballot the national associations who are hosts for the World Cup 2018 and 2022.
However, Blatter has said that if Adamu and Temarii are still suspended when the vote takes place then neither man will be replaced in the process, meaning the remaining 22 members would decide who wins the right to host the tournament in 2018 and 2022.
"This is an uncomfortable situation for FIFA but we must say that inside FIFA we have the necessary instruments to react properly," Blatter said.
"The ethics committee are addressing a case that involves allegations of possible corruption. We will deal with them according to current regulations. If and when people are suspended for the vote on December 2 they will not be replaced."
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