Bayern president attacks FIFA over WCup hosts

Bayern president attacks FIFA over WCup hosts

Published Jan. 5, 2011 2:28 p.m. ET

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has attacked FIFA over its choice of Russia and Qatar to host future World Cups and called the procedure a scandal.

In an interview with Sport Bild weekly magazine published on Wednesday, Hoeness said FIFA president Sepp Blatter ''has lost control'' of things.

''It's a scandal how things run there (FIFA),'' Hoeness was quoted as saying. ''Apparently, a bid nowadays can only be successful if payments are additionally made under the table.

''One scandal comes on the heels of another.''

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The former Germany star said FIFA was ruining the image of football and that the international federation must reform itself and become more transparent.

Hoeness said ''it was time'' for powerful national associations from such countries as Germany, England, Spain and France to ''clean up'' FIFA.

Russia will stage the 2018 World Cup and Qatar the 2022 tournament.

Blatter has promised to ensure his organization is free of corruption after scandals surrounding the World Cup hosting votes, and intends to establish a new committee with outside members to monitor the governing body.

The Swiss FIFA president is aiming to present the project to FIFA's congress of 208 national governing bodies in June, where he will stand for re-election seeking a fourth four-year term.

FIFA officials were accused of bribe-taking and vote-trading before the World Cup host election last month.

FIFA's ethics panel investigated and barred two of the 24-member executive committee members, Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii, from voting based on evidence provided from an undercover sting by British newspaper, The Sunday Times.

Adamu from Nigeria became the first FIFA official suspended for bribery, and is serving a three-year ban from soccer duty.

Temarii, a FIFA vice president from Tahiti, was given a one-year ban for breaching rules on confidentiality and loyalty. Both men have said they will appeal their punishments.

Four former FIFA executive committee members - Tunisia's Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite of Mali, Botswanan Ismail Bhamjee and Ahongalu Fusimalohi from Tonga - were suspended for between two and four years after they advised undercover reporters how much to pay FIFA voters in bribes.

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