Council of Europe election probe idea has 'inaccuracies': FIFA

FIFA said there were “certain inaccuracies” in a Council of Europe advisory panel motion calling for an internal investigation of Sepp Blatter’s re-election as president last year. The Council of Europe’s committee on culture, science, education and media said earlier on Wednesday that FIFA should investigate whether “the successful candidate” had exploited his position to obtain “unfair advantages” during last year’s election. [caption id=“attachment_238134” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“FIFA President Sepp Blatter speaks during a news conference. Reuters”]  [/caption] The committee added that FIFA should “cast full light on the facts underlying the various scandals which, in recent years, have tarnished its image and that of international football.” FIFA replied in a statement that its own ethics committee had cleared Blatter of any wrongdoing in the presidential election which he won unopposed after rival Mohamed bin Hammam withdrew amid cash-for-votes allegations. Bin Hammam was later banned for life following an ethics committee hearing, it added. “Regarding the process of reform, a clear road map has been established and published by FIFA and several task forces as well as an independent governance committee are working on proposals that will be presented already at the FIFA executive committee at the end of March 2012,” FIFA said. It said the proposals would be submitted to this year’s FIFA Congress in Budapest in May. Reuters