KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)
Mohamed bin Hammam, the scandal-tainted former FIFA presidential
candidate whose life ban was overturned by the Court of
Arbitration for Sport this week, has said he wants to retire from
football.
The 63-year-old, who was accused of offering cash bribes to buy
FIFA delegate votes during campaigning to unseat long-standing
president Sepp Blatter last year, said he wanted to quit due to
"jealousy" within the sport.
"My wish now is just to quit actually and retire," the Qatari,
who was this week suspended as the head of the Asian Football
Confederation for 30 days over fresh corruption allegations, told
the BBC.
"Frankly speaking, what is my wish? To quit. Really I served
football that long, more than 42 years, and the last year really
I have seen a very bad, very ugly face of the sport and of the
football, you know, jealousy," he said.
"I wish to leave football."
Asian football officials could not be reached for comment, while
Peter Velappan, who was AFC general secretary for 30 years and a
bitter rival of bin Hammam, declined to comment.
Bin Hammam on Thursday won his appeal at the Lausanne-based Court
of Arbitration for Sport against a life ban from all
football-related activity over the bribery allegations.
But a three-member panel that considered the case stopped short
of exonerating him.
Bin Hammam has denied any wrongdoing, saying cash hand-outs he
made during the election were merely gifts, and describing the
charges and his punishment by FIFA as politically motivated.
A one-time close associate of the powerful Blatter, the two
became estranged following a falling-out.
