FIFA: 'We are the damaged party'

FIFA have claimed that they are "the damaged party" following allegations of corruption.

Several FIFA officials have been arrested on suspicion of corruption in Zurich this morning, while criminal proceedings have also been opened in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

FIFA spokesman Walter De Gregorio has stated that president Sepp Blatter and general secretary Jerome Valcke are not involved in the allegations and that FIFA will cooperate fully with the investigations.

"First and foremost FIFA initiated this process on 18 November last year," De Gregorio told a press conference. "FIFA lodged a legal complaint with the federal attorney that had to do with the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

"The second point important to me is that while the timing may not obviously be the best, FIFA welcomes this process and FIFA cooperates fully with the attorney general of Switzerland and Federal Office of Justice and it corresponds to all requests for information.

"I wish to repeat in this case FIFA is the damaged party, this leads to the fact that there were no searches within the offices of FIFA. We co-operate with the information requested because it is of our highest interest that open questions can be answered.

"The general secretary and the president are not involved, as to the names of the people published I am unable to comment. There is hardly anything we can say to the current procedure, it is once again FIFA suffering under these circumstances."

De Gregorio has confirmed that the FIFA presidential election will go ahead as planned on Friday.