Pressure on Blatter

NEWS ROUND-UP: FIFA president Sepp Blatter yesterday faced calls for an investigation into bribery allegations surrounding his 1998 election, and the finances of football's world governing body. Blatter's supporters have been accused of offering cash incentives to the heads of national associations during his presidential campaign.

Mike Lee, communications director of UEFA, the European governing body which has led calls for a probe into FIFA's finances, said an inquiry was needed into the fresh allegations.

Lee said: "These are serious allegations which will have to be looked into. There is also a need for an investigation into the current state of FIFA's finances and management and these will be the subject of an extraordinary meeting of the FIFA executive committee next week."

Blatter was elected as successor to Joao Havelange in June 1998, beating UEFA president Lennart Johansson, but Somalian football association president Farah Addo has alleged he was offered money to switch his vote.

Addo, also the vice-president of the African Football Confederation (CAF), told the Daily Mail: "We at CAF had decided to commit all 51 of our votes to Lennart Johansson from UEFA. Then I received a phone call from Somalia's ambassador to one of the Gulf states.

"He said: 'I have a friend who you know who wants to offer you $100,000 to switch your vote. Half in cash and the rest in sports equipment. They would send the cash to me or I could go to the Gulf to collect it'. The night before the election in Le Meridien Hotel in Paris people were lining up to receive money. Some told me they got $5,000 before the vote and the same the next day, after Blatter won." Addo reportedly rejected the offer.

The extraordinary meeting of FIFA's executive committee will be held in Zurich on March 7th. It follows an insistence by 13 of the 24 members that an investigations committee be set up to look into the allegations, and Blatter has finally bowed to pressure.

The calls have been led by Johansson, African confederation president Issa Hayatou, a FIFA vice-president, and Korean FA president Chung Mong-joon, also a FIFA vice-president. The next FIFA presidential election is due to take place at the end of May, but to date only Blatter has stated his intention of standing.

Meanwhile, FIFA is considering introducing blood tests for players as part of its anti-doping regime for this summer's World Cup finals, officials said yesterday. FIFA could also order unannounced doping controls at training camps.

FIFA general secretary Michel Zen Ruffinen confirmed single yellow cards given to players in the first round of the tournament would not be carried over to the second round. Players who have been sent off or picked up two yellow cards will however have to serve out their bans.