Reconsider Qatar World Cup, Says German Football chief

The head of Germany's football federation, Theo Zwanziger, called Wednesday for FIFA to re-examine the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar over bribery allegations.

"I think there is a significant degree of suspicion that one cannot just dismiss," Zwanziger told ZDF public television when asked about calls for the sport's world governing body to take away the event from Qatar.

"And that is why I reckon that the awarding of this World Cup must be re-examined with regard to these concerns," he said.

"I do not want to comment on how that might happen until I know more about the matter. I am an outsider and not a member of the executive committee," the DFB president added.

Qatar 2022 World Cup organizers on Monday "categorically denied" any wrongdoing, after claims by suspended FIFA vice-president Jack Warner that the Arab country "bought" the world's biggest sports extravaganza.

FIFA has been rocked by an unprecedented wave of corruption revelations of late stemming from the race to host the 2018 and 2022 editions of the World Cup which Russia and Qatar won in December.

Two FIFA officials were suspended after a newspaper sting found they offered to sell their votes, while England's former 2018 bid chief said he witnessed "improper and unethical" behavior by four FIFA voters, including Warner.

Asian football chief Mohamed bin Hammam, seen as highly influential in Qatar's successful bid, and officials from the tiny, resource-rich country have strongly denied claims that large bribes were paid to secure its shock victory.

Despite the crisis, embattled FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has led the body since 1998, is favorite to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth term Wednesday after officials rejected an English bid to postpone the ballot.

Asked about Blatter, now the sole candidate in the election, Zwanziger said he would vote for him because "there is no other alternative", but he called for a secret ballot so the vote would be "honest".

Blatter "is surely not the man of the future", Zwanziger acknowledged, adding that "what has happened over the last few weeks is a scandal".

But he noted, "I cannot not vote for him on the basis of suspicions."

"What good would it do to postpone the vote, like the English federation called for?" Zwanziger asked, adding that FIFA could not be left "without a leader".

Bin Hammam ended his bid to unseat Blatter Sunday just hours before being suspended amid bribery claims.

Addressing delegates on the first full session of FIFA's 61st congress, Blatter said Wednesday the governing body must reform from within as it seeks to clean up its image after the damaging graft revelations.

"I am certain that you will follow me in the idea that we can settle all the problems from within FIFA, by giving us the right instruments or strengthening what we already have," Blatter said.