England to break away from FIFA?

BBC reports that England Sports Minister Hugh Robertson has suggested his could break away from Fifa if it does not address allegations of corruption within the organisation.

Former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman claimed four Fifa members sought "bribes" in return for backing England's failed 2018 World Cup bid.

"There is a desire to try and work and change Fifa from the inside," Robertson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"If Fifa proves unable to do that, then I would say all options are possible."

Triesman, a former chairman of England's 2018 bid, accused members of Fifa's executive committee of "improper and unethical behaviour" during the campaign process.

During a parliamentary inquiry into England's failure to host the 2018 World Cup on Tuesday, Triesman alleged Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, Paraguayan Nicolas Leoz, Brazilian Ricardo Teixeira and Thai Worawi Makudi sought "bribes" in return for backing England's bid.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has pledged to take action if any evidence of wrongdoing is presented to football's world governing body.

But Sports Minister Robertson has urged Fifa to adopt greater transparency in its bidding process and conduct similar internal reforms implemented by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics campaign scandal.

"The first thing is the allegations are brought to the attentions of Fifa and make sure that happens in concert with the FA," he said.

"We have to back that up with evidence and I would hope Fifa follow the example of the International Olympic Committee, who went through a similar process after Salt Lake City.

"There is nobody currently bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympics who doesn't believe their system is fair and transparent - Fifa needs to be in the same position."

However, in a subsequent interview with the Press Association, Robertson advised against canvassing support to re-stage the 2018 vote process.

England were knocked out in the first round with only two votes when Russia were awarded the tournament, while Qatar were named 2022 hosts.

"There is no practical chance of the process being re-run - that would be a huge admission of failure by Fifa," added Robertson.

"I think we have to be honest as a country that Lord Triesman made these allegations in Parliament but they are going to be very difficult to actually prove because these were just conversations he had with individuals."

Concacaf president Warner said he "laughed like hell" when he first learned of Triesman's allegations that he had asked for around £2.5m to build an education centre in Trinidad.

"I hold my head tall because I can stand up and tell the world I never accepted anything," he told Trinidad publication Newsday. "People who know me would be totally dismissive of that nonsense."

Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke has insisted that the voting process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was conducted cleanly.

Australia, beaten by Qatar in the 2022 voting, has already played down suggestions it could ask for a re-vote.

"Ultimately, this is a question that needs to be directed to Fifa, the governing body," said Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

"We were very disappointed. We put in a bid which was impressive and we pursued that bid in an ethical and impressive way."

Meanwhile, Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, said sports leaders must fight against corruption to prevent the type of scandal shaking Fifa.

Rogge said there was "always the threat" of unethical behaviour in sports management but stressed that claims made by Triesman and others on Tuesday must be backed "by solid proof".