Soccer:Uefa has announced it will initiate legal proceedings against the former Cyprus Football Federation official who claimed to have evidence of corruption surrounding the appointment of Poland and Ukraine as Euro 2012 hosts.
Spyros Marangos left the CFA in 2007 after he made the allegations in German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung. Uefa says said yesterday the claims were unsubstantiated and demanded Marangos provide evidence to support his allegations.
According to Uefa, Marangos is yet to provide them with those details and has refused to attend a meeting arranged for tomorrow.
As a result the governing body has today released a statement stating they will pursue legal action to “protect the integrity of European football”.
The statement read: “Following the release of the statement yesterday requesting information to support the allegations of corruption regarding the attribution of the Uefa Euro 2012 to Poland and Ukraine in 2007, Uefa is disappointed to notice that, and in spite of its repeated requests, it has until today still not received any tangible element to support the allegations.
“Mr Spyros Marangos, responsible for these allegations, has through his lawyer also refused to meet an official delegation of Uefa tomorrow, comprising an independent disciplinary inspector.
“Uefa reiterates that in the interest of protecting the integrity of European football it is ready and willing to open a relevant disciplinary investigation, on the basis of any element of proof that would justify doing so, but not on the basis of rumours or allegations that may also be defamatory.”
The statement added: “Uefa therefore has no option now but to open legal proceedings against Mr Marangos, as it believes this is the only way in which to obtain and make public any evidence Mr Marangos may have in his possession regarding this alleged case.”
The allegations are the latest claims to rock the world of football following the Sunday Times report on two Fifa executive committee members who are alleged to have asked for money in return for World Cup votes.