BERLIN: World soccer's governing body FIFA should postpone the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups after allegations of vote-selling, a former FIFA Executive Committee member said Wednesday. Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, the former German FA (DFB) chief was a highly influential Executive Committee member until 2007 and is still a member of FIFA's Players Status Committee. Although he will not have a vote on Dec. 2 when the destination of the World Cups is decided, he said it could be tricky to go ahead with a decision then until an investigation sheds full light on the affair. “The awarding (of the World Cups) should be postponed until the question is cleared up, in a negative or a positive way,” he told Sport Bild magazine. “Four weeks would not make a big difference. “The Executive Committee is not a pile of corrupt people. It is just that some people took a wrong turn,” said Mayer-Vorfelder, who headed the DFB from 2001 to 2006 and is still active in FIFA circles. Other FIFA sources have told Reuters they expect the vote to go ahead as planned on Dec. 2 and FIFA have given no indication it intends to change the date. Last week, two members of FIFA's executive committee were provisionally suspended on suspicion of selling their votes in the contest to host the two tournaments. Nigerian Amos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii were banned from all football-related activity for 30 days while FIFA's own ethics committee investigates allegations they offered to sell their votes when approached by Sunday Times journalists posing as lobbyists for an American consortium. FIFA is due elect the hosts of the two World Cup tournaments on Dec. 2 in Zurich and may be held by 22 of the 24-man executive with Adamu and Temarii banned from voting. Rogge urges tough action IOC President Jacques Rogge urged FIFA Tuesday to follow the same tough approach against corruption in World Cup bidding as the Olympic body took following the Salt Lake City bribery scandal. Rogge said FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who is an IOC member, has called him to keep him informed of the investigation into allegations of vote-selling and collusion in the contest for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. “I encouraged him (Blatter) to do exactly what he has done and to try to clean out as much as possible,” Rogge said at a news conference at the close of a three-day International Olympic Committee executive board meeting in Acapulco, Mexico. Rogge said FIFA should follow the example of the IOC, which ousted 10 members who were accused of accepting cash, scholarships and other inducements during Salt Lake City's successful bid for the 2002 Winter Games. The IOC also adopted a series of ethics reforms, including a ban on member visits to bid cities and strict conflict-of-interest rules. On other issues, Rogge reiterated that he expects the IOC to begin negotiations early next year with US broadcasters on rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics. The talks have been repeatedly postponed due to the unfavorable economic conditions and advertising market. Olympic incumbent NBC, CBS/Turner, ESPN/ABC and Fox are all expected to bid for the lucrative rights. Rogge said Israeli and Palestinian Olympic delegates met in Acapulco to discuss the issue of freedom of movement for Palestinian athletes. Rogge visited the Middle East earlier this month and urged Israel to ease travel restrictions on Palestinians, including from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Rogge said the two committees have agreed on an “inventory” of issues to discuss. Rogge is arranging a formal meeting between the two sides at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, which is expected to take place in January. London's preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games were also given a glowing endorsement and a warning that the important challenges were still to come by the IOC Tuesday. Rogge said London's preparations were going “extremely well” but the next 12 months would provide the real test.
