England: Leoz wanted name on FA Cup

England: Leoz wanted name on FA Cup

Published May. 30, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

The president of the South American football confederation wanted the FA Cup to be named after him as an inducement to support England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup, according to an English Football Association report into corruption.

The FA investigated claims made by former bid chairman David Triesman in a British Parliamentary hearing against CONMEBOL chief Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay and three other FIFA executive members about their behavior during the campaign.

The report by English attorney James Dingemans clears Leoz of demanding a knighthood from England's bid team, as Triesman claimed earlier this month at the select committee.

But Les Dickens, an adviser for England's failed bid, gave evidence that CONMEBOL official Alberto Almirall had said Leoz wanted the world's oldest football knockout competition to be named after the governing body's president.

ADVERTISEMENT

In an email to England's bid chiefs, Dickens said: ''Regarding the offer to name a cup after him, Alberto's comments were 'Dr Leoz is an old man and to go to London just to meet the Prince and go to the FA Cup final is not reason enough.

''If this is combined, say, with the naming of the CUP after Dr Leoz then that could be reason enough' his words literally.''

The report said the English bid team held internal discussions about what honor might ''properly be given'' to Leoz, including creating an FA Disability Cup, but the issue was not pursued.

FIFA, which released part of the FA findings, said it ''found no elements in this report which would prompt the opening of any ethics proceedings''.

Triesman had also accused executive committee members Jack Warner, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi of engaging in ''improper and unethical'' conduct.

Warner was provisionally suspended on unrelated bribery charges on Sunday.

 

share