Three days later it was claimed Whelan had left the Copacabana Palace Hotel, where Sepp Blatter and other senior FIFA officials were also staying, via a service exit an hour before police arrived to re-arrest him.

He was subsequently placed on an Interpol watch list to aid his capture.

But in a statement, Match strongly denied Whelan had deliberately avoided detention, adding all ticket sales followed FIFA's procedures and they would continue to collaborate with the Brazilian police.

Ray Whelan allegedly fled police last week from the Copacabana Palace Hotel where senior FIFA figures have stayed throughout the World Cup ©Getty Images



This all comes after raids were staged by police in both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo earlier this month, leading to 11 arrests including that of Algerian Lamine Fofana, thought to be a leading figure within the scam.

Police have reportedly recorded around 900 calls between Whelan and Fofana since the World Cup began on June 12, and virtually all of them referred to the selling of tickets.

Swiss-based company Match has been involved with FIFA since 1986 and has the exclusive contract to provide hospitality packages until 2023, as well as other services, including accommodation.

But in the football governing body's strongest-worded statement yet on the issue, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke reiterated the fact there was no question of his organisation having any knowledge of tickets being sold for illegally excessive amounts.

Senior FIFA officials including Jerome Valcke (pictured left alongside Sepp Blatter) have been quick to insist FIFA has nothing to do with the scam ©AFP/Getty Images





"We at FIFA, and this is a clear statement, sell all the tickets at face value," insisted Valcke.

"There is not a single ticket sold by this organisation for a higher value than the value which is on the ticket."

"But there are three million tickets going to different parties, to football parties, commercial parties and the public.

"What they do with the tickets is what we are fighting to protect because we have regulations, and these state you cannot resell a ticket [at higher value].

"I'm sure there will be stories but what you cannot say is that FIFA is not fighting permanently against this business.

"We are fighting it 1,000 per cent.

"There were people arrested four years ago in South Africa and again here."

Last week, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach also revealed a review has been launched into the IOC's ticketing process for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to ensure there is no repeat of the scandal seen at the World Cup, as well as at London 2012. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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