May 16, 2010: Head of English FA Quits over Corruption Allegations

Lord Triesman resigns from his positions as chairman of the Football Association and the 2018 England World Cup bid following the publication by the Mail on Sunday of allegations of corruption he made privately (see (May 2, 2010)). The allegations were made over lunch with a former lover, Melissa Jacobs, who recorded the conversation and then provided it to the Mail. Most explosively, Triesman suggested Spain might drop its bid to host the 2018 World Cup if Russia helped ensure referees were favorable to it at the 2010 World Cup. This would leave the way clearer for Russia to host the 2018 event. “A private conversation with someone whom I thought to be a friend was taped without my knowledge and passed to a national newspaper,” says Triesman in a statement. “That same friend has also chosen to greatly exaggerate the extent of our friendship. In that conversation I commentated on speculation circulating about conspiracies around the world. Those comments were never intended to be taken seriously, as indeed is the case with many private conversations. Entrapment, especially by a friend, is an unpleasant experience both for my family and me but it leaves me with no alternative but to resign.” [BBC, 5/16/2010]