ZURICH (AP) — FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke says he sent a private email suggesting Qatar had “bought” the right to host the 2022 World Cup.
The email was made public by FIFA vice president Jack Warner after he was suspended by FIFA on Sunday over bribery allegations in Qatar’s Mohamed bin Hammam’s campaign to replace Sepp Blatter as its president.
Warner says the email about bin Hammam from Valcke said “I never understood why he was running” and questioned whether he was running because “he thought you can buy FIFA as they (Qatar) bought the WC.”
Asked about the email’s contents, Valcke confirmed Monday: “It was a private email and we will discuss it. He sent me an email asking … if I should ask Bin Hammam to pull out.”
