FIFA ETHICS OFFICIAL, HIRSCH RESIGNS

By NBF News

A TOP official has resigned from FIFA's ethics commission after claiming the organisation showed “no real interest” in tackling alleged corruption.

German lawyer Guenter Hirsch's decision to quit comes weeks after Russia and Qatar were controversially awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Allegations of corruption dogged FIFA before and during the election.

But in a statement football's governing body questioned Hirsch's attendance record at ethics committee meetings.

In a letter to ethics commission president Claudio Sulser, the out-going Hirsch wrote: “The events of the past few weeks have raised and strengthened the impression that responsible persons in FIFA have no real interest in playing an active role in resolving, punishing and avoiding violations against ethic regulations of FIFA.”

The BBC contacted Hirsch on Monday but the 67-year-old he said he “will not and cannot” say more about his resignation from the organisation.

FIFA responded by issuing a statement, which read: “As an independent judicial body, the [ethics] committee has decision-making power and the option to establish any sanctions they deem appropriate.

“Notably, the ethics committee had the mandate to overlook the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and to ensure that the rules of conduct and the Code of Ethics were adhered to during this process.”

The statement added: “Hirsch was a member of the ethics committee since the creation of this committee and attended the inaugural meeting in October 2006. Since then, Hirsch has not attended any other meetings of the committee, despite being invited to attend every meeting held in the past four years.”