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Top 2 FIFA officials Blatter and Valcke remain silent over integrity of Qatar bid

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    FILE - This is a Friday Feb. 10, 2012 file photo of Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou, right, speaks as FIFA President Sepp Blatter, left, looks on during a joint press conference in Libreville, Gabon. FIFA vice president and African football head Issa Hayatou denied allegations Sunday June 1, 2014 made against him by British newspaper The Sunday Times that he received favors for voting for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup. In a statement late Sunday night, the Confederation of African Football called the corruption allegations against its president “fanciful” and “ridiculous.” (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File) (The Associated Press)

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    FIFA President Sepp Blatter speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Tuesday, May 27, 2014. Blatter said that he hopes to resolve a dispute between Israel and the Palestinians before the World Cup begins. The Palestinian Football Association has complained to Blatter about Israeli travel restrictions on some of their players in the West Bank as well as in the Gaza Strip. Israel has imposed some travel restrictions on Palestinians in those areas citing concerns about possible suicide bombings and other attacks by Palestinian militants. Critics say those restrictions can amount to collective punishment. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov) (The Associated Press)

BRASILIA, Brazil – FIFA's top two officials Sepp Blatter and Jerome Valcke remained silent Monday over questions about the integrity of Qatar's winning bid for the 2022 World Cup.

Blatter met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in a ceremony in the capital Brasilia, where he handed over the World Cup trophy. He spoke only briefly, wishing Brazil well in the tournament, and did not take questions.

Valcke, FIFA's general secretary, spoke earlier at the opening of the World Cup media center in Rio de Janeiro.

Walking through the center, he was asked for a comment about Qatar. He shook his head several times and kept walking.

The Sunday Times newspaper in Britain reported it obtained millions of documents detailing irregular payments to football officials from a former member of FIFA's executive committee, Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar.