FIFA president Sepp Blatter sold World Cup television rights to the Caribbean for much less than their market value, according to a report by Swiss television station SRF.
Blatter, who will step down as president after new elections in February, allegedly sold the TV rights to Caribbean Football Union (CFU) president Jack Warner for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa for just USD 250,000 (220,550 euros) and those for the next World Cup in Brazil for USD 350,000, claimed SRF.
The TV station showed the relevant contracts from 2005 on screen during its '10 vor 10' programme, claiming this was "around five percent of the market value".
Warner, the former president of the North and Central American federation CONCACAF, has been accused of corruption several times in his career and is currently under investigation by the United States Department of Justice for wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
By comparison, the TV rights for Brazil 2014 in France alone were bought in 2005 by TF1 for 130 million euros ($147m). In total, TV rights fetched 2.1 billion euros across the world.
Australian businessman Jaimie Fuller, founder of the "New FIFA Now" movement pushing for greater transparency in world football's governing body, said this was the first time Blatter himself had been implicated directly in a document relating to a corruption case.
FIFA issued a statement saying: "FIFA does not comment on allegations made in the press. Furthermore, as Mr. Warner is under indictment in the United States, we are not at liberty to discuss matters concerning him.
