ZURICH: FIFA will go ahead with the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding votes on Dec. 2, despite the continuing probe into alleged bribery and collusion. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Friday the vote will proceed ahead as scheduled, but acknowledged that it may have been a mistake to combine the two World Cups into one bidding process. “I am not convinced now that it was the right decision,” Blatter said. FIFA hoped to improve its financial strategy if sponsors and media rights holders bought a two-tournament package, but the tactic appears to have created more opportunities for corruption. FIFA's executive committee will select the hosts for both tournaments by secret ballot in Zurich. “There was never a question of changing anything in the procedure,” Blatter said at a news conference after a two-day executive committee meeting. Two executive committee members, Nigeria's Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti, are currently suspended after being accused of offering to sell their votes. FIFA's ethics committee is to rule on both cases on Nov. 17. The panel also is investigating Spain-Portugal and Qatar for alleged vote-trading. Vying for the 2018 World Cup are England, Russia, Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Holland. The 2012 candidates are Qatar, the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea. Delaying the vote could have disrupted bidders' plans to bring politicians and football greats for the final presentation to FIFA's ruling panel on Dec. 1-2 – the climax of more than two years of campaigning and lobbying which has already cost millions of dollars. Former US President Bill Clinton and current Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin of Russia, Britain's David Cameron and Julia Gillard of Australia are all expected in Zurich. A delay would also have created problems for the Asian Football Confederation. Asia has a Jan. 6 congress in Doha, Qatar, where three of its four FIFA executive seats are up for election. One is certain to change because 72-year-old Junji Ogura of Japan has passed the AFC age limit. UEFA awards Italy 3-0 win UEFA awarded Italy a 3-0 win over Serbia Friday after rioting fans forced their European Championship qualifier to be abandoned earlier this month. UEFA also ordered Serbia to play one home qualifier behind closed doors, which could be increased to two games if there is more crowd trouble again over the next two years. Italy will also be ordered to play a game in an empty stadium if trouble is repeated. Nigeria suspension lifted FIFA's executive committee has lifted a suspension of Nigeria following the dismissal of a lawsuit against the country's football federation.
