Mayne-Nicholls had announced last month he is considering challenging Sepp Blatter in the FIFA Presidential election next May.

But he now faces being charged with breaches of FIFA's Code of Ethics following the probe into the 2010 vote, which saw Russia and Qatar awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.

It comes after Hans-Joachim Eckert, chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, ruled out a re-run of the vote in a report which cleared Qatar of serious wrongdoing.

The former Chilean Football Federation President's technical report on the Gulf state ranked it as a high-risk option due to its extreme summer temperatures,

Mayne-Nicholls has confirmed he was being investigated over his links to Aspire Academy, a high-profile and financially powerful sporting institution in Qatar, and e-mails exchanged with its director regarding the possibility of unpaid internships for his son, nephew and brother-in-law.

Speaking about the investigation, Mayne-Nicholls, who denies any wrongdoing, said: "Of course, I will collaborate and answer every single question."

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is expected to be challenged by Harold Mayne-Nicholls in next year's election ©Getty Images



The closing date to declare candidacy for the FIFA Presidency is the end of January.

Mayne-Nicholls claimed last month he was "studying the situation" and that "it is a possibility at the moment."

He has to show he has played an "active role" in football for two of the past five years and claims has the support of at least five FIFA members.

Blatter is seeking a fifth four-year term as President, with the former FIFA official Jérôme Champagne the only other declared candidate.

A FIFA insider claimed proceedings against Mayne-Nicholls commenced before he declared he was considering standing against Blatter.

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