Football
PA Sport 8y

Chung Mong-joon tight-lipped over England 2018 bid vote promise

Korean billionaire and FIFA presidential hopeful Chung Mong-joon has refused to say whether he promised Prince William over a glass of whisky that he would back England's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

England's bid leaders accused Chung of reneging on his promise after the vote in 2010, and also told FIFA's ethics investigators that the Korean had promised to trade his vote in return for England's FIFA vice-president Geoff Thompson voting for Korea's 2022 bid.

Chung confirmed that he had met Prince William, along with Prime Minister David Cameron and Thompson, in Zurich's Baur au Lac hotel on the eve of the vote. Bid sources claim Chung was asked if would support England and replied that he would if Thompson voted for Korea.

Thompson had intended to vote for Australia, but the bid team decided at the last minute he should back Korea instead. As it turned out, England secured only one other vote apart from Thompson's, thought to be Cameroon's Issa Hayatou.

Chung was initially charged by FIFA's ethics committee with vote-trading, but that has been dropped. He has insisted he never agreed to trade his vote, but has refused to say whether the pledged to support England.

Speaking at the Leaders sports business summit in London, Chung recalled the events of the meeting.

He said: "It was evening time and Prince William proposed to have a cup of tea. So I asked His Majesty, 'Why don't we have a glass of Scotch whisky,' and they were in a hurry to bring it -- I don't remember whether it was blended or single malt. I wanted to remind you British you are country of whisky for many non-Europeans."

Asked if he promised to vote for England or not at that meeting, Chung said he did not agree to a vote trade, and said that FIFA regulations prevented him from saying which bid he voted for.

He said: "You know I am an ordinary human being and I served as vice-president for 17 years -- do you think I am that stupid? I know how to respect FIFA regulations. You respect your own laws; I respect FIFA regulations. You don't really appreciate Asian intellectual level, that's too bad.''

Chung also vowed to sue FIFA president Sepp Blatter in court for embezzlement when speaking at the conference on Wednesday.

^ Back to Top ^