Top News

Spain, Portugal remain positive over 2018 World Cup bid

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-29 09:59

MADRID - The Iberian candidacy for the 2018 World Cup is confident that it will not receive any punishment from the FIFA, the body that governs World football, over allegations of vote fixing in regard to the candidacy for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals.

FIFA has opened an investigation in stories of Spain and Portugal, who aim to jointly host the 2018 World Cup, having a vote-exchange pact with Qatar, a country which hopes to organize the 2022 World Cup.

Related readings:  FIFA widens probe into World Cup bids corruption  FIFA in clampdown over World Cup bids  FIFA world Cup vote unlikely to be delayed  FIFA hints Qatar could be too small to host World Cup

Such an agreement is against all of the FIFA rules and would lead to sanctions for both candidacies, virtually putting them out of the running to be possible hosts, however, Miguel Angel Lopez, who is the General Director of the Iberian candidacy insists there is nothing to be worried about.

"We have given the maximum amount of help to FIFA to aid their investigation and we are sure that the investigation will come to nothing, because we have not done anything that is incorrect," he told sports paper Diario AS this Thursday.

"We have responded to FIFA requirements with the aim of giving as much help as possible. We have no doubt that our behavior has been correct at every moment," added Lopez, who highlighted the strength of the joint bid.

"The important thing is that we have done our work. We have top level stadiums, communications and transport and a proven organizational ability. That is our main guarantee," he said.

The Iberian bid and Qatar are competing against England, Russia and another joint bid by Holland and Belgium to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals in what has been an increasingly dirty campaign with some FIFA delegates being accused of trying to sell their votes earlier this month.