PtG Article 21.05.2010

FIFA still has time to rectify corruption

In comments revealed to the Mail on Sunday, the former chairman of the Football Association and head of England's 2018 World Cup bid suggested Spain -- with help from Russia -- would be attempting to bribe referees in South Africa.

In an interview with the Free Press shortly after Triesman's comments became public, Declan Hill was as pointed as ever in his criticism of FIFA, and warned that fixers would be approaching players, referees and team officials during the World Cup, and FIFA has no such organization capable of carrying out the investigation.

"Nothing at FIFA has been effective in stopping this kind of stuff," he says. "There's no effective organization to look into this."

However, even with three weeks remaining before the 2010 World Cup begins, Hill says there's still time to create a centralized payment scheme for players making it less likely that they will accept bribes. "Not even now is it too late," he says.

SOURCE: WINNIPEGFREEPRESS