London, May 19 (ANI): UEFA president Michel Platini and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner have given a boost to England’s troubled 2018 World Cup bid.

FIFA’s ethics committee are investigating claims made by Lord Triesman that Spain would support Russia’s bid for the 2018 World Cup in return for help bribing referees in South Africa.

Triesman has resigned following publication of a recording of the comments, made secretly during a conversation with a friend, The Mirror reports.

Platini said the row may have damaged England’s bid, but insisted it can recover, and believes Triesman deserves support.

The UEFA president said: “I have a good friendship with Lord Triesman and I want to help him in his bad moment, for him as a person. I want to support my friend in this big problem. I think it is a bad thing that happened to him.”

Platini said the controversy could have harmed England’s bid but under Triesman’s successor Geoff Thompson, a UEFA and FIFA vice-president, the campaign could recover before the vote by FIFA’s executive committee is taken on December 2.

Asked if the bid had been damaged, Platini said: “Maybe yes, I think you need the people who vote on your side. But for the bid Geoff Thompson is a good guy, England is a great country and of course it can recover and survive this.”

Meanwhile, Warner said the FA’s swift action had limited any damage, The Mirror reports.

“It’s unfortunate but the English FA dealt with it appropriately and quickly and therefore I don’t believe there’ll be too much negative reaction from it,” Warner told Bloomberg. (ANI)