Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has criticized FIFA over its choice of Russia and Qatar to host future World Cups, calling the procedure a scandal.
In an interview with Sport Bild, Hoeness said FIFA president Sepp Blatter “has lost control” of things.
“It’s a scandal how things run there,” Hoeness said. “Apparently, a bid nowadays can only be successful if payments are additionally made under the table.
“One scandal comes on the heels of another.”
The former Germany international said FIFA was ruining the image of the game and that the international federation must reform itself and become more transparent.
Hoeness said “it was time” for powerful national associations from such countries as Germany, England, Spain and France to “clean up” FIFA.
Russia will stage the 2018 World Cup and Qatar the 2022 finals.
FIFA officials were accused of bribe-taking and vote-trading before the World Cup election last month.
FIFA’s ethics panel barred two of the 24-member executive committee members, Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii, from voting based on evidence provided from an undercover report by a British newspaper, The Sunday Times.
Adamu from Nigeria became the first FIFA official suspended for bribery and is serving a three-year ban from soccer duty.
Temarii, a FIFA vice president from Tahiti, was given a one-year ban for breaching rules on confidentiality and loyalty. Both men have said they will appeal their punishments.
