ZURICH: FIFA president Sepp Blatter played a straight bat today about connections between disgraced former vice-presidents Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner with the Qatar World Cup vote writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Earlier this week The Daily Telegraph alleged it had seen documents about payments of £2m from a company owned by Bin Hammam to companies, families and associates of Warner.

Qatari Bin Hammam and Trinidadian Warner were then presidents of the Asian and Central/North American confederations respectively.

Michael Garcia, the United States lawyer who is FIFA’s independent investigator, is midthrough an inquiry into the circumstances, rumours and suspicions concerning the 2018 and 2022 World Cup awards.

Blatter refused to be drawn on the suggestion of illicit payments and possible punitive action.

He said: “We have a statement by [Mr Garcia] that the independent ethics committee is aware of the mterial. As with any allegations the ethics committee will take whatever action it feels appropriate – more than that we cannot say.

“I do not have the right so I don’t want to make any comment on that until they have finished their work . . . I am not making any comment as long as this file is open.”

Asked about disciplinary options, he added: “I am not a prophet. Once the issue has been dealt with we can have this dialogue about the response or not.”

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