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FIFA member angered by watch gift

FIFA executive committee member Michel D'Hooghe has described the £16,000 watches given to officials at the 2014 World Cup by the Brazilian federation as the most "poisonous present" he has ever received.

The world governing body's medical chief was the recipient of one of 65 gift bags, each containing a Parmigiani watch, from Brazil's football federation the CBF in June, which were distributed to all 28 members of FIFA's executive committee.

FIFA's ethics committee last month said accepting such valuable gifts contravened its rules and has demanded that all the watches be returned by October 24 otherwise it will launch disciplinary proceedings.

D'Hooghe, speaking at the Leaders in Sport conference in London, said: "We (FIFA's executive committee) are absolutely angry on that situation. All my colleagues on the executive committee, not one of them needs that watch.

"I have been in football 42 years and received many watches in my career. It is a classical present in football, so I did not need that watch.

"They say I received that watch. It is not true. I found that watch in a bag that was placed in our room.

"It's only after one week that I opened it, I saw there was a watch with plastic bracelet and the mark 'Parmigiano' (sic).

"For me Parmigiano is a cheese that you put on spaghetti. I thought it was a kind of Swatch (watch)."

The 68-year-old Belgian, a member of FIFA's executive committee since 1988, did not appreciate the gift, insisted there was nothing untoward in its intentions, but was happy to return it.

"The Brazilians gave a present for their centenary," he added.

"There was nothing asked in return. It was not a matter of corrupting. It was a pure present.

"What I did not like is that they gave a present of such value.

"Please never give me such presents again."

D'Hooghe gave his watch to an acquaintance at the World Cup and has had to ask for its return.

"I am to be humiliated towards that person to ask for that watch back," he added.

"I asked the person to whom I gave it to give it back."

Corruption and transparency are high on the agenda at FIFA, with calls for Michael Garcia's report on the 2018 and 2022 bid process to be made public.

"Personally I have no problem with the publication of the report," D'Hooghe said.

"But there are legal rules. You could change them (the rules) for the future, not for the past.

"Why did they say to us when they were speaking to us 'always confidential'? Why change that?"

Coca-Cola, one of the World Cup's leading sponsors, refused to wade into the debate.

Amber Steele, marketing director of Coca-Cola, said: "I am not familiar with the report.

"We believe FIFA's going to come out and say 'this is what we're doing'.

"We want them to be able to tell us: 'this is what happened, this is how we're moving forwards'."

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