More corruption claims made against FIFA boss Blatter

European governing body UEFA want the latest corruption claims made against FIFA president Sepp Blatter fully investigated.

Mike Lee, communications director of UEFA told PA Sports today:

"These are serious allegations which will have to be looked into."

'The Daily Mail' today claims that Blatter's surprise win to land the FIFA presidency in a 1998 election was brought about by bribery.

The newspaper also claims the 65 year old Swiss watchmaker was selected to be outgoing FIFA president Joao Havelange from his post as secretary-general to protect the Brazilian's corrupt legacy.

Farah Addo, the vice-president of the African federation and president of Somalia's Football Federation, says all 51 votes from Africa had been pledged to UEFA president Lennart Johansson.

Addo tells investigative journalist Andrew Jennings that telephone calls were then made to try and buy votes for Blatter.

"We at CAF had decided to commit all 51 of our votes to Johansson.

"Then I received a phone call from Somalia's ambassador to one of the Gulf States."

"He said 'I have a friend who you know who wants to offer you $100,000 to switch your vote.

"Half in cash and the rest in sports equipment.

"They would send the cash to me or I would go to the Gulf state to collect it," he added.

Addo refused but then found his place at the 1998 election taken by another Somali official who had decided to vote for Blatter.

Only joint action by Johansson and CAF president Issa Hayatou brought Addo back into the quorom to elect a new FIFA president just days before the start of the 1998 World Cup finals.

An extraordinary congress called by the Somali Association later heard that two officials admitted taking $$10,000 dollars to forge a letter removing Addo from the voting process.

One of the officials was Hassan Ali, a vice-president of the Somali Football Federation, and he signed a statement admitting taking money to give Somalia's vote to Blatter..

"The money was supplied by Mohammed Bin Hamman from Qatar (a FIFA executive committee member).

"He paid for tickets and hotel bills and pocket money for four officials from the association," says Addo.

"I have seen it with my own eyes," Addo claims of the bribery used to buy votes for Blatter from African delegates.

"The night before the election people were lining up in Le Meridien Hotel to receive money.

"Some told me they got $5,000 before the vote and the same the next day, after Blatter won.

"I made my own enquiries and discovered 18 had gone over to Blatter."

This defection handed Blatter his surprise win in the voite.

Blatter is currently standing for re-election.

Addo says the current FIFA chief knew of the vote-rigging:

"Blatter knew about this campaign. He knew who were the campaigners," Addo claimed.

Havelange also backed Blatter by reportedly promising cash in return for votes.

"The FIFA finance department will soon pay you the amount of $50,000 for the functioning of your secretariat for the next two years," Havelange wrote in a letter to delegates according to Jennings.

"Please send FIFA your bank address and number of account," it concluded.

The new elections are due to take place on May 29th in Seoul on the eve of the World Cup finals.

After a short period of peace though the latest corruption claims could again ignite UEFA's feud with Blatter over the 1998 presidential election.

The governing bodies were at war early last year over transfer reform in Europe.

That erupted after Blatter presented his own proposals to end the recent uncertainty over the trading of players behind UEFA's back when both were supposed to be negotiating jointly with the EU.

Ultimately in football's constitution FIFA has the determining role in policy matters but the major power of the world game - with its massive sponsorship and game revenues - is in Europe.

The rich European game drives the global conquest planned by FIFA whose World Cup finals are the most popular sporting event in the world.

But Blatter's marketing arm collapsed last year into bankruptcy damaging the finals which Blatter is still keen to see every two years to boost FIFA's cash revenue.

Blatter's FIFA lost at least £20 million after the collapse of marketing company ISL and FIFA asked investigators in Switzerland to probe secret bank accounts set up to hold a payment made by Brazilian television company O Globo for World Cup television rights.

UEFA wanted 25 questions answered about the messy end for ISL and its links with Blatter and FIFA and leaked the questions to the media which angered Blatter.

He still refuses to confirm his salary as FIFA president which UEFA asked him to do last year.

UEFA were planning to try and oust Blatter with Lennart Johansson calling for the FIFA president to provide an explanation on all issues relating to the bankruptcy of ISL and the cancellation of the World Club championship which has now been dumped by FIFA.

Johansson has a long-standing feud with the FIFA boss.

Their animosity is a regular feature of the political world which surrounds football with FIFA delegates from Africa and Asia often caught in the middle.

Addo claims this has proved financially advantageous for many.

The Asian and African delegates hare naturally resistant to a UEFA-dominated FIFA presidency but their 1998 support for Johansson showed the distrust many felt about Blatter and his links to Havelange.