Valcke denies FIFA election interference

Jerome Valcke has denied reports he pressured Mohammed Bin Hammam to withdraw from the running to become FIFA President.

Asian Football Confederation President Bin Hammam appears to have fallen behind in his bid to topple incumbent Sepp Blatter.

FIFA President since 1998, 75-year-old Blatter has received public declarations of support from several confederations and is tipped to win the elections of June 1 in a landslide.

Bin Hammam’s campaign has been tarnished by allegations of corruption levelled at Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

German media outlets have claimed FIFA General Secretary Valcke suggested Bin Hammam pull out of the contest prior to June’s poll in Zurich.

But Valcke denies having any personal input into the election process.

“Contrary to some current media allegations, I want to make it very clear that neither I, nor anyone else at FIFA, have asked Mr Mohammed Bin Hammam at any point to withdraw his candidature for the upcoming FIFA presidency election,” Valcke said in a statement.

“The last time I met the AFC president was at the CONMEBOL Congress in Asuncion on May 1, where we simply greeted each other. Again, these allegations are totally untrue.”

Guinean Amadou Diallo, a former FIFA employee and friend of Bin Hammam, has been named in a UK parliamentary enquiry as the fixer who allegedly arranged bribes to be paid on behalf of the Qatar bid.