Panorama names ´corrupt´ FIFA officials

Three senior FIFA officials who will vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids have been accused of corruption by the BBC.

BBC’s Panorama has alleged that Nicolas Leoz, Issa Hayatou and Ricardo Teixeira took bribes from sports marketing firm International Sports and Leisure (ISL), in a programme aired on Monday.

The programme alleges that Leoz, Hayatou and Teixeira received bribes to influence the lucrative appointment of ISL as FIFA’s marketing arm.

ISL were granted exclusive rights to market the World Cup to some of the world’s biggest advertisers and television broadcasters.

The BBC cites a confidential document detailing 175 payments totalling nearly US$100 million, made between 1989 and 1999.

The firm went bankrupt in 2001.

A fourth FIFA official, Jack Warner, is accused of attempting to organise the sale of US$84,000 worth of 2010 World Cup tickets to the black market, though the deal fell through.

In 2006, Panorama revealed Warner had sold tickets to Germany’s World Cup tournament.

FIFA subsequently ordered Warner to donate US$1 million to charity through his family business, Simpaul Travel.

Leoz, Hayatou, Teixeira and Warner, as members of FIFA’s executive committee, will vote on Thursday to decide the host nations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The timing of the programme has been criticised by England’s bid officials, who are concerned the negative publicity could impact the country’s bid for the 2018 finals.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter released a statement on Monday saying no evidence of corruption had been found in a 2008 court hearing into ISL’s collapse by Swiss authorities.

The four officials declined to comment.