Qatar victory 'needs re-examining'

FIFA should re-examine Qatar's victory in the vote for the 2022 World Cup, according to the head of German football.

Theo Zwanziger, who joined FIFA's executive committee on Wednesday, said there had been suspicions about the bid which needed looking at.

Zwanziger told German television station ZDF: "There is a considerable degree of suspicion that one cannot simply sweep aside, and I must expect that awarding this World Cup under these conditions needs to be examined anew."

He added: "I first would like to comment on how that should be done when I know more about the facts. Like I said, I'm an outsider and was not (then) a member of the executive."

Claims were made in the British Parliament that Qatar had paid bribes for votes - bid leaders have strongly denied any wrongdoing. In a separate case, two FIFA members - Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner - have been provisionally banned on bribery charges concerning the FIFA presidential election. Both deny the allegations.

Zwanziger added: "If FIFA behaves the way people expect, that is by clearly taking action against this cancerous tumour of bribery, then there is no need for these concerns.

"None of us could have imagined such a scandal. There is no end to the suspicions falling on members the FIFA executive. The task now is to shed light in a determined fashion, punish the guilty and develop mechanisms that prevent something like this from ever happening again."

Meanwhile, reports have claimed Bin Hammam was on course to win the presidential election against Blatter but was forced to pull out to protect the World Cup he helped secure for his country Qatar.

Bin Hammam has returned to Qatar after failing to have an appeal against his provisional ban heard in time to allow him to attend FIFA'S Congress on Wednesday.

He said in a statement: "I am very sad and disappointed over what has happened in the last days. I will never accept how my name and my reputation have been damaged. I will fight for my rights. I thank all the people who have supported me during the last weeks and will support me further."