ZURICH (AP) — The Latest on FIFA developments:
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10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT; 4:30 a.m. EDT)
Germany’s Justice Minister is quoted as saying FIFA’s decision to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar can’t stand if it turns out that votes were bought.
Swiss authorities announced this week that they have opened a criminal probe into alleged wrongdoing by soccer officials during the 2010 vote for the hosting of those two World Cups.
Justice Minister Heiko Maas told German daily Bild in an interview published Friday that “the awarding of a World Cup shouldn’t depend on who pays the highest bribes.”
Maas also said FIFA president Sepp Blatter is the wrong man to investigate alleged graft in his own organization. Maas was quoted as saying that FIFA needs “a fresh start.”
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10:17 a.m. (0817 GMT; 4:17 a.m. EDT)
The FIFA presidential election pitting Sepp Blatter against Prince Ali bin al-Hussein will be decided by a full slate of 209 national soccer federations.
FIFA member federations voted 183-16 to allow Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Montserrat and South Sudan to take part in the ballot later Friday.
Their participation was in doubt because of eligibility rules requiring federations to have played in at least two FIFA competitions in the previous four years.
South Sudan was a “special case” because it joined FIFA only in 2012, secretary general Jerome Valcke said.
Prince Ali’s home federation, Jordan, withdrew a request to speak to the hall.
In 2011, only 206 of a then 208-strong membership were eligible to vote when Blatter was the only candidate.
He got 186 of the 203 valid votes cast.
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09:56 a.m. (0756 GMT; 3:56 a.m. EDT)
A pro-Palestinian activist briefly disrupted the FIFA congress after President Sepp Blatter’s opening address.
An activist held up a red card and shouted “Red card to racism” to draw attention to a campaign that aims to stop Palestinian players being detained by Israeli security forces.
Blatter was introducing the day’s business agenda and called for security to take the demonstrator from the hall.
“I would ask you to please check the access points of this room,” Blatter announced in French.
Item 15 on the agenda is a proposal by the Palestinian soccer federation to suspend the Israeli soccer federation from FIFA and world soccer.
Blatter has said he does not support the request.
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09:10 a.m. (0710 GMT; 3.10 a.m. EDT)
FIFA President Sepp Blatter seemed to be ahead in a small straw poll of soccer officials arriving for their election congress on Friday.
It’s a small sample, but most delegates prepared to give opinions as they entered seem to be loyal to Blatter, the FIFA president of 17 years, despite the latest slew of corruption allegations rocking the sport.
Delegates from Curacao, Belize and Malawi said they were supporting Blatter
Blatter’s opponent Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan has promised a fresh start for FIFA and can expect strong support from Europe.
Still, he must pick up votes from the Caribbean and Africa to post a serious challenge.
Prince Ali’s supporters hoped to gain momentum in the fallout from the U.S. and Swiss federal probes of soccer corruption which were unleashed in Zurich on Wednesday.
FIFA’s 209 member federations will vote on Friday afternoon.
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09:05 a.m. (0705 GMT; 3:03 a.m. EDT)
Whoever wins the FIFA presidential election Friday won’t have to face media questions immediately after their victory, according to FIFA.
FIFA has canceled a news conference which was scheduled to take place following the congress.
A replacement news conference is now scheduled for Saturday morning after a meeting of the newly-composed FIFA executive committee.
That executive session should decide to allocate qualification slots by continent for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter is seeking to extend his 17-year reign against Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.
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