Rogge urges FIFA to follow IOC example on corruption

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Rogge urges FIFA to follow IOC example on corruption

ACAPULCO, Mexico - International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge urged FIFA on 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.

Two FIFA executive committee members have been provisionally suspended following reports in a British Sunday newspaper that they were ready to take money for their votes. FIFA is also investigating at least two World Cup bidding countries for allegedly colluding to exchange votes.

“I encouraged [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 IOC executive board meeting in Acapulco.

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.

“I think the IOC took the right conclusions on something that was very unpleasant,’’ Rogge said. “We did everything we could and I am sure that the IOC came out of the crisis as a better and more transparent organization. I hope that will be the case for my friends in that sport [FIFA].’’

Rogge, who took over as IOC president in 2000 after the Salt Lake City crisis, said he believes the organization is now free of corruption but is not necessarily immune from the type of allegations facing FIFA.

“I believe that the rules that we have put in place definitely protect us as much as possible,’’ Rogge said.


AP
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