The top FIFA official in New Zealand's region has acknowledged he made a mistake talking with undercover reporters about deals for his World Cup hosting vote, but defended his own integrity.
Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii said he met FIFA president Sepp Blatter today to ask him to launch an ethics investigation, after the London Sunday Times newspaper filmed him saying he wanted $NZ3 million to fund a football academy in Auckland.
Termarii made the request to reporters posing as US lobbyists at a meeting held in Auckland.
FIFA says it will fully investigate allegations of corruption around the vote to host the 2018 Football World Cup.
FIFA's independent ethics panel is scheduled to discuss his case on Wednesday, the Oceania Football Confederation president said.
The allegations saw a British newspaper run a sting operation in Auckland.
"I'm confident about my integrity but I made a mistake by talking in that way," Temarii said in an interview at a Zurich hotel.
"I asked the FIFA president to investigate. I gave him a letter. It's important for me that the ethics committee investigates how I manage my relations with bidders."
Blatter has promised an "in-depth investigation" into allegations that Temarii, of Tahiti, and Nigerian FIFA executive member Amos Adamu offered to sell their votes in a poll scheduled on December 2 to decide which countries will host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.
In an open latter to his colleagues on FIFA's 24-man executive panel which will choose the hosts, Blatter said the Sunday Times' allegation is a "very unpleasant situation" for football's governing body.
"The information in the article has created a very negative impact on FIFA and on the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups," Blatter said.
Temarii, who joined the executive committee when elected to lead world football's smallest region in 2004, declined to give details of his meeting with Blatter at FIFA headquarters.
He will return early tomorrow to chair a meeting of FIFA's technical and development committee that Blatter is expected to address about improving refereeing standards at the World Cup.
"Life is still going on," said the 43-year-old Temarii, a former professional player in France.
"It's up to the ethics committee to judge me and my integrity."
Blatter said the investigation will be conducted by the ethics panel working together with secretary general Jerome Valcke, but made no mention if the December 2 poll could be delayed for FIFA to conduct its probe.
Chuck Blazer, the American member of FIFA's executive committee, said he did not think the vote in Zurich would need to be postponed.
"We should deal with it within the timeframe established," Blazer said.
New Zealand representative at the Oceania Federation, Fred de Jong told RadioLive's Marcus Lush if the allegations are true, it’s a clear breach.
“You’re not allowed to sell your vote, under FIFA rules and guidelines,” he says.
“We’ve seen with other organisations with the IOC, the Winter Olympics and Salt Lake City; people are getting personal gain out of selling their vote – of course that’s wrong.”
Prime Minister John Key says the issue impacts the integrity of decisions made by sporting executives.
British football writer Keir Radnedge says the two FIFA officials should be pulled from any involvement in the voting process.
“It’s impossible to believe, whatever conclusion FIFA’s investigation comes to, that these two men can actually take part in a decisive World Cup voting process,” he says.
Meanwhile, the Kiwi link to the corruption has outraged the football community here.
Former All White Coach John Adshead says FIFA is an extremely political organisation and he is not overly surprised.
“Football is a multi, multi-billion dollar industry,” he says.
“It’s the same with anything – when there is that much money involved, I think, you’ve got to expect it, but you’ve got to put the lid on it as quickly and as firmly as possible.”
RadioLIVE's Marcus Lush talks to Oceania Football Confederation's New Zealand representative Fred de Jong about claims Fifa officials tried to sell their votes.
NZPA / RadioLIVE / AP