Mohamed Bin Hammam vows to quit football once his name is cleared

The Qatari fighting on against Fifa after having his lifetime ban lifted.

Mohamed Bin Hammam plans to end all ties with football once he clears his name of corruption charges.
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Mohamed Bin Hammam insists he has no interest in launching another challenge for the Fifa presidency and that he will quit football after he has cleared his name.

World football was thrown into chaos yesterday after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned his lifetime ban – and raised fresh questions about Sepp Blatter’s unopposed election as Fifa president.

The 63-year-old Qatari has had his appeal upheld by CAS on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

Fifa can bring fresh proceedings against Bin Hammam if the revamped ethics committee has any new evidence.

Bin Hammam always claimed the Fifa action against him was retribution for having challenged Blatter for the presidency, but said he had no interest any longer in standing again.

He told BBC World Service: “I promise you I will not quit until I clear my name.

“I have one aim, one mission. one target and that is to clear my name and then I say goodbye.”

Bin Hammam was found guilty by Fifa’s ethics committee last year of paying bribes to Caribbean Football Union officials at a meeting in Trinidad last year while campaigning against Blatter for the FIFA presidency.

Jack Warner, who quit as Fifa vice-president after the scandal broke, told officials gifts of US$40,000 (Dh146,000) each and totalling around $1 million had come from Bin Hammam.

Bin Hammam is still subject to a 30-day temporary suspension by the Asian Football Confederation - the body of which he was president - which has been extended worldwide by Fifa.

The suspension followed an audit by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) that centred on contract negotiations and payments to and from AFC bank accounts during Bin Hammam’s presidency.

He was alleged to have breached a number of AFC regulations including those relating to gifts and bribery.

The PWC report, raises concerns over broadcast deals signed by Bin Hammam on behalf of the AFC.

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