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this just in - FIFA is corrupt. Next story - water is wet!

Is anyone actually surprised that there are stories in the press today about FIFA Executive Committee members, the guys who vote on the venues for the World Cup, are taking bribes to secure their votes for World Cup bids? Two members, named as a member from Nigeria and the President of Oceania Football Federation, have been caught out by a newspaper investigation. Of course the money wasn't 'supposed' to be going directly to them, but to fund some domestic football project they'd take a nice fat bung out of along the way.

Newspaper investigation reveals FIFA officials offered to sell World Cup votes

Two FIFA officials have offered to sell their votes on which country will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup, according to a newspaper report.

The Sunday Times newspaper alleged that Amos Adamu, a Nigerian member of the world football governing body's executive committee, asked for $US800,000 ($A807,007) to endorse one of the bid candidates.

It filmed him meeting with undercover journalists posing as lobbyists for the United States, in which he apparently offered a "guarantee" to vote for the US bid in the 2018 event in return for money for a personal project.

The newspaper also said Reynald Temarii, a FIFA vice-president and president of the Oceania Football Confederation, wanted $NZ3 million ($A$2.28m) for a sports academy.

He allegedly boasted that supporters of two bid committees had already offered Oceania money to swing his vote.

Such deals are strictly forbidden under FIFA rules, but the newspaper said six senior officials, past and present, had told the undercover reporters that paying bribes offered their best chance at securing their bid.



With all the bumbling and stubbornness amongst FIFA at the World Cup, is anyone surprised? They've got the most pigheaded buffoon in charge. But corruption within major sporting bodies which rely on crusty old officials from all over the world to vote on major decisions isn't a new thing. It's what the IOC went through in the days of Juan Antonio Samaranch so at least there's hope for them to turn it around in the future....

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