Calls for president of Fifa to step down

Fifa president Sepp Blatter is facing calls to step down amid allegations that corrupt payments were made to help Qatar win the competition to host the 2022 World Cup.

The chairman of the Football Association has also said that the competition will have to be re-run if the allegations are proven.

Yesterday, Fifa’s chief ethics investigator met with Qatar football chiefs just 24 hours after fresh allegations were published about payments being made to African federations to win support for the campaign.

Former US attorney general Michael Garcia is investigating the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and is due to report later this year.

Mr Dyke told BBC Radio Five Live: “Fifa has got to sort this out. Fifa has got to do their investigation and either it happened or it didn’t happen.

“If it happened and there was corruption involved, then clearly the process has to be re-run.”

Asked about whether the FA would support Mr Blatter — who is expected to announce next week that he is to stand again for election in 2015 — Mr Dyke added: “That’s a decision that the FA will take at some stage.

“You have got to separate Sepp Blatter from this. Sepp Blatter, as I understand it, didn’t vote for the World Cup in Qatar.

“I wouldn’t give you that answer at the moment, the FA is going to make that decision.”

The Sunday Times said it has gained access to millions of emails and documents which have highlighted payments made by disgraced former Fifa executive committee member Mohamed Bin Hammam.

The newspaper claims that the documents show Mr Bin Hammam made payments to football officials as part of a campaign to win support for Qatar’s 2022 bid.

In a statement, Qatar’s bid committee said Mr Bin Hammam had no association with them and that it was co-operating with Mr Garcia’s investigation.

The statement read: “The Qatar 2022 bid committee always upheld the highest standard of ethics and integrity in its successful bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

“In regard to the latest allegations from The Sunday Times, we say again that Mohamed Bin Hammam played no official or unofficial role in Qatar’s 2022 bid committee. We vehemently deny all allegations of wrong-doing.”

Issa Hayatou, the president of the African football confederation and a Fifa vice-president, issued a lengthy statement yesterday denying a number of allegations made by The Sunday Times.

The statement called the allegations “fanciful” and “ridiculous”, and added: “Mr Hayatou has never received any money from Mr Bin Hammam, the Emir of Qatar or any member of the Qatar 2022 bidding committee.”

He said he was not aware of any payments being made by Mr Bin Hammam to African federations, nor had he accepted any flights or privileges from Qatar 2022.