Valcke: Qatar won World Cup fairly
Reuters - Monday 30 May 2011, 16:31
ZURICH - FIFA General Secretary Jerome
Valcke denied on Monday suggesting Qatar had "bought" the rights
to stage the 2022 World Cup finals, saying merely that the Gulf
nation's financial muscle had helped them lobby support.
Referring to an email leaked by FIFA vice-president Jack
Warner, he explained: "What I wanted to say is that the winning
bid used their financial strength to lobby for support."
"They were a candidate with a very important budget and have
used it to heavily promote their bid all around the world in a
very efficient manner," Valcke explained in the statement
released by FIFA.
"I have at no time made, or was intending to make, any
reference to any purchase of votes or similar unethical
behaviour.
"I would also like to clarify that there is, as I said
yesterday, no investigation open at FIFA regarding the 2022 FIFA
World Cup host election."
Valcke also denied claims made by Warner and his fellow
executive committee member Mohamed Bin Hammam that he had had
any influence on the ethics committee which suspended them from
all football-related activity until at least July on Sunday.
"It is fully incorrect - and quite disappointing - to say
that I have an influence on the FIFA Ethics Committee and its
proceedings," he said.
FIFA's Ethics Committee decided on Sunday there was a case
to answer by Warner and Bin Hammam over allegations that the
Qatari paid Caribbean delegates $40,000 each to vote for him in
the election.
Bin Hammam announced on Monday he would appeal against his
provisional suspension while dismissing claims that Qatar had
bought the World Cup.
The Qatar bid also rejected the cash-for-votes claim.
"Qatar 2022 categorically deny any wrongdoing in connection
with their winning bid," a statement said.