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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—One of the men who decided to suspend leading FIFA executives Jack Warner and Mohamed bin Hammam says while soccer’s world governing body has been tainted, the game will overcome bribery and corruption issues.

Veteran Australian soccer broadcaster Les Murray, one of the 13 members of FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that FIFA is still badly in need of reform to rebuild its integrity.

Warner resigned as FIFA vice president, president of CONCACAF and all soccer duties on Monday, maintaining what was described as the “presumption of innocence” by ensuring the sport’s governing body closed its investigation into his part in alleged bribing of Caribbean soccer union leaders in his native Trinidad last month during bin Hammam’s campaign to unseat Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.

Bin Hammam and two Caribbean soccer union employees, meanwhile, remain provisionally barred from all soccer-related duty while facing accusations of paying bribes to up to 25 Caribbean voters during the campaign. All have denied any wrongdoing.

There have since been calls for bin Hammam to follow Warner’s lead and step down for the good of the Asian soccer confederation and FIFA.

Murray said he was unable to comment on bin Hammam or Warner due to his role on the ethics committee.

“We know that Jack Warner has resigned, we know the terms of that resignation and those are the facts, but beyond that I can’t really comment on it,” he said.

“But I’ve said previously that FIFA is badly in need of broad structural and constitutional reform, so that its constitution and structure is such that it’s not so political, and that it is less vulnerable to corruption or suspicion of corruption.”

While the bribery and corruption charges are yet to be proven, Murray said FIFA had already suffered considerable damage through implication.

“We don’t know anything until we have evidence, but the perception is very, very bad,” he said. “When four people from the FIFA executive committee in the last seven months have been either banned or suspended—and one of them has resigned—from all football activities, it’s not a good look.”

Murray said it was obvious FIFA needed to act quickly to reverse that perception.

“There are 24 men on that (executive) committee and four of them have been implicated, plus a lot of people outside the executive committee,” he said. “So it’s not a good look and FIFA has some serious work to do to clean up its image.”

Despite much of the focus now centering on the Asian and CONCACAF confederations, Murray said corruption was not just a regional problem for soccer.

“Corruption can occur anywhere, in sport and in football in particular because it’s such a big game and there’s so much money involved in it,” he said.

But despite the allegations besieging FIFA and the damage done to its image, Murray said soccer is strong enough to survive.

“The game is unbelievably strong and appealing,” he said. “What matters most of all is what happens in the 90 minutes of a football match; and what is on the nose is FIFA, not the game itself.”

Labels: committee, ethics, image, member, urges

FRANKFURT, GERMANY (AP) —Germany’s soccer federation president has called for a review of the vote that gave Qatar the 2022 World Cup to scrutinize corruption allegations.

Theo Zwanziger said the awarding of the tournament to Qatar raised “speculations and corruption allegations” and should be examined “more precisely.”

Zwanziger is running for a place in FIFA’s executive committee and said he would be willing to look into the matter.

He also said Wednesday’s election for FIFA president should be by secret ballot.

Labels: German, Review, soccer, SportsTicker, urges

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)—Germany’s soccer federation president has called for a review of the vote that gave Qatar the 2022 World Cup to scrutinize corruption allegations.

Theo Zwanziger said the awarding of the tournament to Qatar raised “speculations and corruption allegations” and should be examined “more precisely.”

Zwanziger is running for a place in FIFA’s executive committee and said he would be willing to look into the matter.

He also said Wednesday’s election for FIFA president should be by secret ballot.

Labels: Football, German, Review, urges

* Blatter opens FIFA Congress

* Swiss president calls for reform

(Adds quotes from Calmy-Rey, Swiss president)

By Mike Collett

ZURICH, May 31 (Reuters) - FIFA needs to reform and set about doing so quickly, Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey warned in a pointed address to delegates at the opening ceremony of the world soccer body’s 61st Congress on Tuesday.

After opening addresses from beleaguered FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Calmy-Rey warned FIFA to waste no time in getting its house in order.

She hoped also that it would not be long before women were seen among the members of the 24-man executive committee.

FIFA has been rocked by a series of scandals recently and Calmy-Rey urged the governing body to “take seriously the many criticisms voiced about corruption and a lack of transparency.

“It is important you examine them swiftly and take the necessary measures to reform your governance. It is of the utmost importance because your organisation should be an example not only to young people but to the world at large.

“What is important is to restore full confidence in the organisation; let not money spoil your ideals,” she added.

“This is not the time for a catenaccio defence but time for a courageous offensive on the pitch of transparency to reclaim integrity, respect, tolerance and team spirit.

“FIFA is important to Switzerland so I wish you the energy necessary to overcome the many challenges which face you.”

SHAKY PYRAMID

Blatter had earlier opened the Congress, warning of the dangers the governing body is facing.

Welcoming FIFA’s 208 delegates at a ceremony featuring jugglers, folk dancers and singer Grace Jones, Blatter said he would speak in more detail about the problems facing FIFA before the business part of the Congress starts on Wednesday.

However, he warned: “I thought we were living in a world of fair play, respect and discipline but I must unfortunately say this is no longer the case because our pyramid, the famous FIFA pyramid, is suddenly unsure on its basis and there is danger.”

Two Confederation presidents, Mohamed Bin Hammam of Asia and Jack Warner of CONCACAF, have been banned from the Congress after being suspended from all football related activity on bribery allegations.

Blatter continued: “Tomorrow, dear friends, when I open the Congress agenda, I will speak of the danger lurking and I will tell you how we can fight this threat of danger, how our sport can play its role in bringing people together in the future.

“Tonight we want to meet in a festive atmosphere, but to keep the fascination of our sport we must respect it, it’s up to all of us. It’s our game, all of us have a duty to protect this sport and this is what we want to do. I am certain we will achieve this.”

Blatter is expected to be re-elected by acclamation for a fourth term on Wednesday, although a number of associations including England and Scotland could call for the election to be postponed in the light of the corruption claims.

Rogge recalled the IOC’s own cash-for votes crisis over the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.

Appearing to lend support to Blatter, who sits on the IOC as FIFA president, he told delegates: “FIFA is now facing allegations and controversy. “Thirteen years ago we had to face the same ordeal regarding the Salt Lake City Games. The IOC however ultimately emerged a stronger organisation and from within.

“I will definitely not point the finger, nor be lecturing, but I am sure that FIFA can emerge stronger and from within.”

(Editing by Alan Baldwin, To comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Labels: house, ORDER, president, Reuters, Swiss, urges

UEFA Champions League
Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Wednesday, 16 February Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live and Live on ITV 1

Arsenal lost to Barca in the quarter-finals last season but the Gunners boss says his side are now better equipped.

"We are highly motivated to show we are a different team today," said Wenger ahead of Wednesday's first leg.

"Barcelona are the best team in the world. If you knock them out you have a good chance to win the competition."

Arsenal are still awaiting a first victory over the Catalan giants having lost three and drawn two of their five previous encounters.

Wenger's men held Barca at the Nou Camp in the 1999-00 group stage before losing 4-2 in the return at Wembley (Arsenal played their Champions League home games at Wembley for the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons).

The Spaniards came from behind to win 2-1 in the 2006 Champions League final and the pair faced off again in 2010.

Pep Guardiola's team produced a devastating first-half display at the Emirates Stadium but Arsenal held firm and, despite falling 2-0 behind early in the second, they fought back to secure a 2-2 draw.

The Gunners, missing several key players, took a surprise lead in the second leg but Barca's class soon told and Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as they ran out 4-1 winners (6-3 on aggregate).

"Last year they were the better team but I believe in my players, they have the quality 100% to do it," stated Wenger.

"In the first half of the home game we were spectators and a little bit inhibited. Now I believe we are a completely different team.

"Losing to Barcelona made us better because we came out of the second game with a lot of frustrations after missing the turning point when we were 1-0 up.

"But more than looking at the past we want to show how good we are. We want to win this competition, we know we face the super-favourites but the only way to do it is to knock them out.

"The players don't deny the quality of Barcelona. What is important is to say 'look who we are now, we are capable of knocking you out now'. That is our target."

Barcelona top La Liga and have been in superb form this season, although they did suffer a blip at the weekend when they needed a sublime late David Villa goal to snatch a 1-1 draw against Sporting Gijon.

That draw ended Barca's 16-match winning run in the Spanish league and Wenger believed the Londoners could take positives from Barca's weekend stutter, saying: "It is always difficult after internationals but when you end a series [of wins] it always takes something out of you of course."

Arsenal are fresh from a commanding 2-0 victory over Wolves last weekend that kept them second in the Premier League, while they also remain in contention for the FA Cup and will contest the Carling Cup final against Birmingham on 27 February.

By the time they played Barca last season, the Londoners had already missed out on both domestic cups and were struggling to keep pace with the Premier League's top two.

After losing the second leg in Spain, Arsenal suffered three defeats and a draw in their remaining five games of the season to ensure their trophy drought would run into a sixth year.

"We are now a stronger team because we have attitude and I have not seen many teams with such consistent focus every day," added Wenger.

"We have made our own way by challenging for the title when nobody predicted we would. I believe we are a stronger team because we have attitude and focus.

"We are in ideal condition to face Barcelona. We have the belief and confidence and the players available are close to 100%. That was not the case last year.

"We want to show how good we are. We want to show the belief we have in our game and in our quality.

"Everyone expects an exciting game because it is two teams that play quality football. We want to be faithful to our philosophy and pass the ball well so we can dominate the game."

Labels: Arsenal, Barcelona, challenge, Sport, urges, Wenger