Lord Triesman has stood down as chairman of the Football Association and the England 2018 World Cup bid following a meeting at Wembley on Sunday.
The decision comes after a report in the Mail on Sunday which alleged that Triesman made comments suggesting Spain were planning to bribe referees at this summer's World Cup while also offering their support to Russia's bid for the 2018 World Cup if they were to help.
"I have decided to resign as chairman of The FA and the 2018 Bid board," Triesman said in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
"A private conversation with someone whom I thought to be a friend was taped without my knowledge and passed to a national newspaper.
"That same friend has also chosen to greatly exaggerate the extent of our friendship.
"In that conversation I commentated on speculation circulating about conspiracies around the world. Those comments were never intended to be taken seriously as indeed is the case with many private conversations.
"The views expressed were not the views of the 2018 bid board or the FA.
"Nobody should be under any misapprehension that the FA or 2018 bid board are disrespectful of other nations or FIFA and I regret any such inference that may have been drawn from what has been reported.
"Entrapment especially by a friend is an unpleasant experience both for my family and me but it leaves me with no alternative but to resign.
"I have immediately informed the FA board of my decision."
Source: PA
