MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Triesman claims FIFA members asked for favours to vote for England 2018 World Cup

Paraguay’s Nicolas Leoz wanted to become ‘Sir Nicky’

Former English football association chairman David Triesman has accused FIFA executive committee members Jack Warner, Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolas Leoz and Worawi Makudi of asking for favours in return for their votes for England's 2018 World Cup bid.

Triesman was giving evidence on Tuesday to a parliamentary inquiry into the reasons why England failed in its bid to secure the finals which were awarded to Russia last December.

He said Warner, of Trinidad and Tobago, asked for 2.5 million pounds to be “channelled through me” for a school while Paraguayan Leoz requested a knighthood.

Teixeira asked him “What can you do for me?” and Thai Makudi wanted control of the television rights for a proposed Thailand v England friendly.

“I will take my evidence to FIFA,” Triesman said.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter responded to Triesman's comments.

“I was shocked.....but one has to see the evidence,” Batter told a news conference in Zurich.

“There is a new round of information, give us time to digest that and start the investigation by asking for evidence on what has been said.

”I repeat, we must have the evidence and we will react immediately against all those in breach of the ethics code rules.“

Blatter said the executive committee members were not elected by the same Congress as him. ”They are coming from the others (other confederations), so I cannot say that they are all angels or all devils”.