FIFA to examine Triesman comments

FIFA's ethics committee will investigate reported comments by the former head of England's Football Association claiming a Russian-Spanish bribery conspiracy over the 2018 World Cup bid.

David Triesman quit as England's bid head and FA chairman on Sunday following the report in a British newspaper.

"FIFA can confirm that FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has requested the FIFA ethics committee to examine the alleged statements made by Lord (David) Triesman in relation to the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups," a FIFA statement on Monday said.

"In addition, FIFA has sent a letter to The Football Association asking The FA to provide a report on this matter, including Lord Triesman's position. FIFA will not make any further comment on this matter until it has been dealt with by the FIFA ethics committee."

England's 2018 bid was left badly damaged after Triesman's secretly recorded comments, in which he claimed rivals bidders Spain and Russia were conspiring to bribe referees at next month's finals in South Africa, were splashed over the front page of the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

Triesman, 66, quickly resigned from the bid team and the FA after little more than two years in the job.

In a statement, Triesman said that during a private conversation he had commentated on speculation circulating about conspiracies and never intended his remarks to be taken seriously.

Ex-FA chief Geoff Thompson is the new bid team chairman, while David Sheepshanks and Roger Burden have been appointed joint acting chairmen at the FA.

In an effort to limit the damage, the England 2018 team has sent letters of apology to their Spanish and Russian counterparts as well as FIFA.