FIFA President Sepp Blatter is preparing to call an emergency meeting of his executive committee after receiving an official report on bribery allegations surrounding the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting votes.
Two football officials confirmed on Thursday to The Associated Press that Blatter has contacted his executive colleagues about meeting in Zurich next Friday - two days after FIFA's ethics committee is set to rule on allegations that voters Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii were prepared to sell their support for funding toward football projects.
One who spoke on condition of anonymity said Blatter sent a request for the meeting but did not indicate an agenda.
A second official said the meeting at FIFA headquarters could be confirmed on Friday.
FIFA's executive panel last met Oct. 29, when 22 members - minus the suspended Adamu and Temarii - agreed to choose both World Cup hosts as scheduled on Dec. 2.
Blatter said at a news conference that day the poll would proceed with 22 or 23 voters if the ethics panel ordered sanctions against one or both of his colleagues.
Ethics chairman Claudio Sulser provisionally barred Adamu and Temarii from football duty last month and said his team would meet from Nov. 15-17 to hear their cases. Sulser said he could order interim suspensions of a further 20 days - excluding the pair from voting - if more time was needed to complete the investigation.
Sulser's panel is studying videos and transcripts of interviews conducted by undercover reporters from British newspaper The Sunday Times which appeared to show Adamu and Temarii asking for cash for their votes. Four former FIFA executive committee members are also under suspicion.
It will also examine allegations that the Spain-Portugal team bidding for the 2018 World Cup entered into a vote-trading alliance with 2022 contender Qatar in breach of FIFA rules.
The 2018 contest pits the Iberian bid against England, Russia and the joint bid of Belgium-Holland.
The 2022 race involves Qatar against the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea.
