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World Cup Alternative Talks Scheduled As Europeans Threaten To Hold Breakaway Tournament To Fifa

Plans For Europeans To Hold A Breakaway World Cup Gather Pace
Kathryn Snowdon
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Fifa president Sepp Blatter was re-elected for a fourth term on Friday
Leo Correa/AP

Europe's top footballing nations will meet on Friday to discuss the possibility of breaking away from Fifa and hosting a separate World Cup. The plan follows a torrent of allegations surrounding corruption and bribery at the Swiss-based governing body.

Plans to boycott Fifa's tournament come in response to discontentment following the re-election of Fifa president Sepp Blatter on Friday.

Last month, seven Fifa officials and 18 people connected to football were indicted on corruption charges by the US justice department.

The association's vice president, Jeffrey Webb, was one of seven senior football executives arrested by the dawn raids in Switzerland on Wednesday.

However, calls for Mr Blatter to stand down as Fifa president fell on deaf ears, with the 79-year-old securing a fifth term as Fifa president by a landslide.

Following the re-election, England set the wheels for the powerful European nations to discuss the prospect of breaking away.

On Monday night, a judge in Paraguay placed Nicolas Leoz, 86, a former head of the South American Football Confederation, under house arrest.

Mr Leoz is one of the indicted Fifa officials. He has been accused of asking for a knighthood in return for supporting England’s bid to host the World Cup in 2018.

The plans to boycott Fifa's 2018 World Cup, due to be held in Russia, were revealed by a Uefa official, The Independent reports.

The breakaway would not only include European teams, but is also believed to include some invited South American countries.

Speaking on Monday, Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said that Mr Blatter's credibility had been "utterly destroyed".

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Culture Secretary, John Whittingdale, said that any attempt by England to boycott the 2018 World Cup on its own would be self-defeating'

He continued: "I've spoken to Greg Dyke [The English FA chairman] about this. The one thing that is absolutely clear...If there were any serious attempt to organise an alternative to the existing World Cup, that could only be done if there was a strong agreement across the European nations and preferably with other football associations from around the world.

"The first thing that needs to be done is for that to be discussed within UEFA. I know that Greg Dyke will be discussing such matters with his colleagues."

Mr Whittingdale said that any attempt by England to boycott the 2018 World Cup on its own would be "self-defeating" but joint action with "a significant number of countries" could be more effective.

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Mr Dyke said that there was no certainty that the 2022 World Cup would be held in Qatar.

SEE ALSO:

Fifa 'Imploding' After Charges And World Cup Criminal Probe Announced

Sepp Blatter Thinks Fifa Has Been The Target Of A 'Hate' Campaign

Sepp Blatter Re-Elected Fifa President At 65th Annual Congress

Fifa Officials Who Elected Sepp Blatter 'Betrayed The Game They Are Supposed To Cherish'

Tracey Crouch: We Must Consider Leaving Fifa Over Sepp Blatter's Re-Election

FIFA arrests
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FIFA spokesman Walter De Gregorio (C) gives a press conference at the FIFA headquarters, on May 27, 2015 in Zurich. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain six top football officials as part of a US investigation into tens of millions of dollars of bribes paid to sport leaders, Swiss authorities and media reports said. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: FIFA Director of Communications Walter de Gregorio attends a press conference at the FIFA headquarters on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
FIFA Press Conference(03 of26)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: FIFA Director of Communications Walter de Gregorio (R) gives an interview after a press conference at the FIFA headquarters on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
FIFA Press Conference(04 of26)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: FIFA Director of Communications Walter de Gregorio attends a press conference at the FIFA headquarters on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
Poland Soccer UEFA FIFA Platini(05 of26)
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UEFA President Michel Platini appears in a hotel lobby in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, May 27, 2015, just hours after seven FIFA officials were arrested and 14 indicted in a U.S. corruption probe. A UEFA communique on the FIFA raids is expected still Wednesday or early Thursday. Platini is in Warsaw for the Europa League final soccer match between Spainâs Sevilla and Dnitropetrovsk, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FIFA Raids(06 of26)
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A police car is parked outside the offices of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF,) Wednesday, May 27, 2015, in Miami Beach, Fla. Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested Wednesday pending extradition to the U.S. in a separate probe of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FIFA Raids(07 of26)
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FBI agents retrieve equipment from a van as they prepares to re-enter the offices of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF,) Wednesday, May 27, 2015, in Miami Beach, Fla. Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested Wednesday pending extradition to the U.S. in a separate probe of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FIFA Raids(08 of26)
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An FBI agent retrieves equipment from a van as he prepares to re-enter the offices of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF,) Wednesday, May 27, 2015, in Miami Beach, Fla. Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested Wednesday pending extradition to the U.S. in a separate probe of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FIFA Raids(09 of26)
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Members of the media set up outside the offices of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF,) Wednesday, May 27, 2015, in Miami Beach, Fla. Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested Wednesday pending extradition to the U.S. in a separate probe of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Switzerland Soccer FIFA Raids(10 of26)
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Picture taken from a cell phone video shows hotel employees holding a blanked to hide the identity of a person led out of a side entrance of the Baur au Lac hotel to a waiting car in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Six soccer officials were arrested and detained by Swiss police on Wednesday pending extradition at the request of U.S. authorities after a raid in the luxury hotel. The case involves bribes "totaling more than US$ 100 million" linked to commercial deals dating back to the 1990s for soccer tournaments in the United States and Latin America, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice said in a statement. (AP Photo/Rob Harris) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Switzerland Soccer FIFA Raids(11 of26)
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People stand outside the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 27, 2015 where six soccer officials were arrested and detained by Swiss police on Wednesday pending extradition at the request of U.S. authorities after a raid. The case involves bribes "totaling more than US$ 100 million" linked to commercial deals dating back to the 1990s for soccer tournaments in the United States and Latin America, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice said in a statement. (AP Photo/Rob Harris) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Switzerland Soccer FIFA Raids(12 of26)
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FIFA senior Vice President Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, third right, checka his phone outside an hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday morning, May 27, 2015. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said six soccer officials have been arrested and detained pending extradition at the request of U.S. authorities ahead of the FIFA congress in Zurich. In a statement Wednesday the FOJ said U.S. authorities suspect the officials of having received paid bribes totaling millions of dollars. Swiss federal prosecutors also announced that they were to open criminal proceedings related to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. (AP Photo/Graham Dunbar) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Switzerland Soccer FIFA Raids(13 of26)
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Picture taken from a cell phone video shows hotel employees holding a blanked to hide the identity of a person led out of a side entrance of the Baur au Lac hotel to a waiting car in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Six soccer officials were arrested and detained by Swiss police on Wednesday pending extradition at the request of U.S. authorities after a raid in the luxury hotel. The case involves bribes "totaling more than US$ 100 million" linked to commercial deals dating back to the 1990s for soccer tournaments in the United States and Latin America, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice said in a statement. (AP Photo/Rob Harris) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FBL-FIFA-CORRUPTION-US-SWITZERLAND(14 of26)
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A man walks by the headquarters of the international soccer's top body FIFA in Zurich, on May 27, 2015. Swiss police raided the headquarters of FIFA in Zurich, seizing documents and data, the Swiss attorney-general's office said. The raids were part of an investigation already underway into money laundering and fraud involving FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively, a statement said. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
FBL-FIFA-CORRUPTION-US-SWITZERLAND(15 of26)
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A TV crew arrives at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, on May 27, 2015. Swiss police raided the headquarters of FIFA in Zurich, seizing documents and data, the Swiss attorney-general's office said. The raids were part of an investigation already underway into money laundering and fraud involving FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively, a statement said. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
Switzerland Soccer FIFA Raids(16 of26)
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Two men talk to each other in front of the FIFA logo at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested Wednesday pending extradition to the U.S. in a separate probe of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Poland Soccer UEFA FIFA Platini(17 of26)
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UEFA President Michel Platini appears in a hotel lobby in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, May 27, 2015, just hours after seven FIFA officials were arrested and 14 indicted in a U.S. corruption probe. A UEFA communique on the FIFA raids is expected still Wednesday or early Thursday. Platini is in Warsaw for the Europa League final soccer match between Spainâs Sevilla and Dnitropetrovsk, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Switzerland Soccer FIFA Raids(18 of26)
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FIFA senior Vice President Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, third right, checks his phone outside an hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday morning, May 27, 2015. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said six soccer officials have been arrested and detained pending extradition at the request of U.S. authorities ahead of the FIFA congress in Zurich. In a statement Wednesday the FOJ said U.S. authorities suspect the officials of having received paid bribes totaling millions of dollars. Swiss federal prosecutors also announced that they were to open criminal proceedings related to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. (AP Photo/Graham Dunbar) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FIFA Press Conference(19 of26)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: A TV crew reports in front of the hotel Baur au Lac Zurich on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a the Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
FBL-FIFA-CORRUPTION-US-SWITZERLAND(20 of26)
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Journalist wait for a press conference by FIFA spokesman at the FIFA headquarters, on May 27, 2015 in Zurich. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain six top football officials as part of a US investigation into tens of millions of dollars of bribes paid to sport leaders, Swiss authorities and media reports said. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
FIFA Press Conference(21 of26)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: TV stations work after a press conference at the FIFA headquarters on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
FIFA Press Conference(22 of26)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: FIFA Director of Communications Walter de Gregorio attends a press conference at the FIFA headquarters on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
FIFA Press Conference(23 of26)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: A cameraman attends a press conference at the FIFA headquarters on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
FIFA Press Conference(24 of26)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: Journalists attend a press conference at the FIFA headquarters on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
FIFA Press Conference(25 of26)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: FIFA Director of Communications Walter de Gregorio reacts during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
FIFA Press Conference(26 of26)
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MAY 27: FIFA Director of Communications Walter de Gregorio attends a press conference at the FIFA headquarters on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images) (credit:Philipp Schmidli via Getty Images)
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