FBI investigating Fifa's awarding of 2018 and 2022 World Cups - report
. American bureau investigating awarding of tournaments to Russia and Qatar . Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke says 'I don't feel guilty' <http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/03/fbi-investigating-fifa-2018 -2022-world-cup#img-1> Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani receives the World Cup trophy from Sepp Blatter. Photograph: Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images James Riach <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/james-riach> Wednesday 3 June 2015 17.45 BST Last modified on Wednesday 3 June 2015 17.55 BST Shares 124 The FBI is investigating the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar as part of its wide-ranging crackdown on Fifa <http://www.theguardian.com/football/fifa> corruption, according to Reuters. The American bureau, which along with the Swiss authorities arrested numerous Fifa officials in Zurich last week on corruption charges, is reportedly examining the controversial awarding of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, whose destinations were decided in 2010. The Swiss authorities had already declared they were investigating the 2018 and 2022 bids. Live FBI inquiry extends to awards of 2018 and 2022 World Cups - live updates The FBI's investigation of Fifa includes scrutiny of how the organisation awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 competition to Qatar, a US law enforcement official says Read more Jérôme Valcke, the Fifa general secretary, has also said "I don't feel guilty" despite being at the centre of a storm that alleges South Africa paid $10m to secure three votes for the 2010 World Cup <http://www.theguardian.com/football/world-cup-football> . "I have no reason to say that I shouldn't remain secretary general regarding what's happened in the last days, because I have no responsibility," he told France Info radio. "I'm beyond reproach and I certainly don't feel guilty. So I don't even have to justify that I'm innocent." According to Reuters, an FBI <http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/fbi> official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Fifa's decision to award the World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively are part of a probe that is looking beyond the allegations in an indictment published last week that alleged endemic corruption at the world governing body. Earlier on Wednesday, Russian officials had said Blatter <http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/03/russian-officials-say-fifa- scandal-will-not-affect-2018-world-cup-preparations> 's resignation would have no impact on their preparations to host the 2018 World Cup. "It's not about Russia or Qatar, it's about respect to football players," the deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich told the Guardian. "Any political interference into football affairs is illegal. Our preparations are going very well, much better than in some other World Cup countries. We have learned from them." Sepp Blatter and Fifa must come clean, says players' union Fifpro Read more Fikile Mbalula, the South African sports minister, has denied his country bribed Fifa officials in order to secure votes for the 2010 World Cup, even though a $10m payment was made to the Caribbean Football Union <http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/03/south-africa-denies-fifa-co rruption-world-cup> . A letter from the South African Football Association in 2008 was addressed specifically to Valcke and contained detailed information about how the payment - claimed to be for a "Diaspora Legacy Programme" - should be processed. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/03/fbi-investigating-fifa-2018- 2022-world-cup -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SERBIAN NEWS NETWORK" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/senet. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
