FIFA President Blatter sends letter to Executive Committee

Dear members of the FIFA Executive Committee, I am sorry to have to inform you of a very unpleasant situation, which has developed in relation to an article, published today in the Sunday Times titled 'World Cup votes for

sale'. The information in the article has created a very negative impact on FIFA and on the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. Some current and former members of the Executive Committee are mentioned in the article. FIFA has reacted by providing the following statement to the media, which I would like to share with you: 

  "FIFA and the FIFA Ethics Committee have closely monitored the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and will continue to do so. FIFA has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter, and is awaiting to receive this material. In any case, FIFA will immediately analyse the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will FIFA be able to decide on any potential next steps. In the meantime, FIFA is not in a position to provide any further comments on this matter."

  FIFA will stand by this statement, and will open an in depth investigation, which we will start immediately together with the FIFA Ethics Committee and the FIFA Secretary General.

  I will keep you duly informed of any further developments. In the meantime, I would like to ask you to refrain from making any public comments on this matter.

  Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
 
Sincerely yours,
Joseph S. Blatter
FIFA President