FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has left the door open for
the 2022 World Cup host to be switched if corruption by Qatar can be proven.
Reports in the British media on Sunday claimed that
former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) chief Mohammed bin Hammam paid up to
$5million to football officials in order to gain support for Qatar's bid.
Bin Hammam was formerly a member of FIFA's Executive
Committee until being banned from all football activity for life in July 2013
amid allegations of bribery.
Qatar were awarded the tournament in December 2010,
beating off competition from the United States, South Korea, Japan and
Australia.
However, the bid has since been shrouded in controversy
with doubts over players' ability to play in the Qatari summer heat expected to
see the event moved to the winter months between November and January.
Several FIFA figures, including president Sepp Blatter,
have admitted fault in overlooking the climate in Qatar as a potential problem.
Boyce has welcomed an investigation into the latest
claims, putting faith in FIFA's chairman of the investigatory chamber of the
Ethics Committee, former United States Attorney, Michael Garcia.
Boyce told BBC Radio 5 Live's 'Sportsweek': "As a
member currently of the FIFA executive committee, we feel that any evidence
whatsoever that people involved were bribed to do a certain vote, all that
evidence should go to Michael Garcia, whom FIFA have given full authority to,
and let's await the report that comes back from Garcia.
"If Garcia's report comes up and his recommendations
are that wrongdoing happened for that vote for the 2022 World Cup, I certainly
as a member of the executive co would have absolutely no problem whatsoever if
the recommendation was for a re-vote.
"If Garcia comes up with concrete evidence and
concrete evidence is given to the executive committee and to FIFA then it has
to be looked at very seriously at that time, there's no doubt about that."
Culled from Soccerway
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