'No Crisis' - Blatter Brushes Off Fifa Claims

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has brushed off suggestions that football's international governing body is in crisis - but admits it has been damaged by corruption claims.

At a news conference following days of allegations and counter-allegations, Mr Blatter denied the organisation was in trouble and said Fifa would solve any "difficulties" internally.

The defiant Fifa president, who confirmed he would still be standing for re-election as the sole presidential candidate on Wednesday, also said that no elements in the FA report on Lord Triesman's corruption claims will prompt proceedings against members.

He said that despite claims by both Lord Triesman and The Sunday Times , the Fifa Ethics Committee had decided no further proceedings were necessary.

As the news conference ended Mr Blatter appeared to lose patience with journalists who wanted to ask more questions.

The Fifa president said some people "like to create problems" and told reporters about the importance of "respect" when taking part in the conference.

The Times columnist and sports broadcaster Matthew Syed told Sky News he found Mr Blatter's attitude "extraordinary" and "breathtaking".

"The conference became in some ways a perfect mirror image of the organisation that Blatter is running because it became farcical," he said.

The world football governing body has been plunged into further controversy after suspended Fifa vice-president Jack Warner made public an email in which secretary general Jerome Valcke apparently accused Mohammed bin Hammam of 'buying' the 2022 World Cup for Qatar.

The oil-rich state has denied any wrongdoing in connection with their bid.

Mr Warner's revelation had added further woes to Fifa which was already mired in controversy following an earlier ethics committee ruling on corruption.

That ruling cleared Mr Blatter of corruption, but suspended Mr Warner and Mr bin Hammam - a rival to Mr Blatter for the presidency.

Mr bin Hammam, who strenuously denies the allegations made against him, has announced he will appeal against his suspension.

In a statement on his website, he said: "The way these proceedings have been conducted is absolutely not compliant with any principles of justice. I am punished before I am found guilty."

The email Mr Warner has now revealed suggested the 2022 World Cup was "bought".

Mr Warner said: "I wrote Valcke telling him, among other things, that the outcome of the elections may cause some fracture in the Arab world which we can ill afford now and that I will like to ask bin Hammam to withdraw from the race.

"To which Jerome replied to me and I quote: 'For MBH, I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB (Blatter). Or he thought you can buy Fifa as they bought the WC'."

Mr Valcke confirmed the email was genuine saying: "It was a private email and we will discuss it.

"He sent me an email asking if I want that [Bin Hammam to run], he said that I should ask Bin Hammam to pull out."

However, he later desitanced himself from the claims about Qatar's 2022 bid.

In a statement he said: "I'd like to clarify that I may use in an email - a 'lighter' way of expression by nature.... What I wanted to say is that the winning bid used their financial strength to lobby for support."

The Qatar 2022 team categorically denied any wrongdoing and said it was seeking legal advice to consider its options.

Qatar later released a follow-up comment, saying: "Mr Valcke's statement was clearly taken out of context but again Qatar's name has been dragged through the mud for absolutely no reason."

Mr Warner, who had threatened to unleash a "football tsunami" of counter-allegations, also claimed Mr Blatter made gifts of computers to officials plus an unauthorised $1m (£600,000) gift to the CONCACAF federation .

Mr Warner said in a statement: "I indicated that at the Miami CONCACAF Congress on May 3 Mr Blatter made a gift of $1m to CONCACAF to spend as it deems fit.

"This annoyed (Fifa) President Michel Platini who was present and he approached secretary general Jerome Valcke complaining that Mr Blatter had no permission from the finance committee to make this gift to which Jerome replied that he will find the money for Mr Blatter.

"I also indicated... Fifa through Mr Blatter organised gifts of laptops and projectors to all members of the Caribbean and no objections have been made today of this to date."

Mr Warner said 13 federations had written to the ethics committee backing him up.
Mr Warner and Asian confederation president Mr bin Hammam have been suspended pending the outcome of a full inquiry into allegations they paid officials $40,000 (£25,000) each in bribes.

Both strenuously deny the allegations and Mr bin Hammam has accused the Fifa Ethics Committee of being biased.

In a statement, he said: "I get the impression that the outcome of these proceedings had been defined from the very beginning as it has been made evident at the press conference on Sunday evening at which FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke showed his bias very clearly.

"This is not acceptable as the Fifa Ethics Committee is supposed to be a fully independent body. Therefore, I also expect the further investigation to be influenced and manipulated."

Mr Valcke has responded to Mr bin Hammam's statement, voicing disappointment at the "fully incorrect" allegations and saying he respected the independence of the Ethics Committee.

Committee member Chuck Blazer - who originally made allegations of bribery against Jack Warner - hit out at the suspended vice-president.

He said: "(We should) let the legal process finish, but for me, based on the evidence I have seen, I do not think there is (a future for Jack Warner in Fifa).

"I feel betrayed, based on the risk and danger he put our members to."

Mr bin Hammam withdrew from the Fifa presidential election and Mr Valcke has announced that the election, with Mr Blatter as the only candidate, will take place as scheduled on Wednesday.

Mr Valcke, meanwhile, defended Mr Blatter's right to stand in the election but accepted the scandal was "a watershed moment" for Fifa.

Asked about the coming election by Sky News, Mr Valcke said: "I don't see what is wrong with this election with Mr Sepp Blatter.

"I think the most important thing is a commitment from all the members of the Fifa ExCo with the president to support a change within Fifa and in his last mandate make sure that Fifa is stronger and cleaner than it was.

"Maybe we can have the top guys around the world come to put things in place to stop these things from happening again."

Meanwhile, an Australian senator wants his government to ask Fifa to "refund" the $46m (£30m) that the country spent on its failed bid to host the 2022 World Cup in the wake of the latest bribery allegations.

Nick Xenophon released a statement under the heading "Red Card for Fifa", saying "not one more cent" should be spent on any further World Cup bids until the corruption scandal is resolved.