Fifa ignored 'hard cash' claims says former member

A Fifa executive committee member was reported to the world governing body's ethics committee after asking for "hard cash" in return for votes during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup - but no action was taken, it has been claimed.

Les Murray, an Australian who was on the Fifa ethics committee at the time, claims he reported the request to his superiors after being informed of it by people working for the Australia 2022 bid.

It is thought the member in question asked for $5million in order to build a sports centre in exchange for his vote.

Murray wrote on his SBS blog: "Three years ago, when I was still on the FIFA ethics committee, I was informed by sources inside the Australian bid team that a member of the FIFA executive committee was asking the Australians for hard cash in return for votes.

"I reported this information up the chain of the ethics committee at the time, as was my duty, but I see no mention of it in Eckert's report."