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FIFA bans World Cup bid inspector Harold Mayne-Nicholls

The head of FIFA's inspection team for the bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has been banned from football for seven years after it was revealed he asked for favours from Qatar.

Harold Mayne-Nicholls, 54, was in charge of the commission which assessed each bid and which rated Qatar, the winner of the vote to host the 2022 tournament, a high-risk option due to searing heat of the summer.

A leaked email from FIFA's chief ethics investigator Cornel Borbely said Mayne-Nicholls "repeatedly asked for personal favours -- including special treatment for family members'' from Qatar shortly before he produced the evaluation report.

Russia were awarded the 2018 World Cup while Qatar were named as hosts for the 2022 event, with the voting process for both events being embroiled in controversy and criticism since then -- the Swiss authorities are currently investigating the bidding process around the two tournaments.

A FIFA statement on Monday afternoon read: "The adjudicatory chamber of the independent ethics committee, chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert, has decided to ban Harold Mayne-Nicholls, former chairman of the Bid Evaluation Group for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and former Chilean Football Association president, from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for a period of seven years.

"The decision was taken following a hearing in the presence of the accused and the chairman of the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, Dr Cornel Borbely.

"In accordance with article 36 of the FIFA code of ethics, more detailed information will be given after this final decision becomes effective.''

The former Chile football federation head was considering standing for the FIFA presidential election when his ethics case was reported last year.

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