PtG Article 06.12.2010

British FA Chairman resigns in protest over FIFA

Chairman of the British FA, Roger Burden, has withdrawn his application for the permanent post after England's 2018 World Cup bid failure.

Burden argues that he can no longer trust FIFA members after England lost out to Russia in the 2 December election of the 2018 World Cup hosts.

"I recognise that an important part of the role is liaison with FIFA, our global governing body," said Burden. "I'm not prepared to deal with people whom I cannot trust and I've withdrawn my candidacy."

Burden accepted there might have been a backlash over the Sunday Times and BBC Panorama investigations into the world governing body, but said FIFA needed to be more thick-skinned.

"We have a free press in our country and we all have to live with adverse comment from time to time," he added.

SOURCE: BBC Sport