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GENEVA - Investigations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes should be given more time to finish, according to FIFA presidential contender Jerome Champagne.Ahead of the FIFA executive committee reviewing the case next week, Champagne suggested Wednesday that the hosting status of Russia and Qatar were still open to question.I only hope that the truth will come, Champagne told The Associated Press in an interview, regarding the FIFA boards choices in December 2010. We have time and that is why we need to do things correctly after four years of controversies.We need to protect the World Cup and we need to know if the 14-8 votes integrity has been respected or not, he said, referring to Qatars margin of victory over the United States in a final round of voting in the 2022 contest.Champagne said a few more months were needed to finish the investigations and finally deal with the case, which has long been linked to claims of vote-buying, collusion and favour-seeking.Champagne said that FIFAs own ethics probe of the hosting votes, an investigation which he believes is underway by the FBI, and FIFAs criminal complaint to the Swiss attorney general — relating to conduct of unnamed individuals — are all unresolved.Also, ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia has opened cases against five past and current FIFA officials including Germany great Franz Beckenbauer, a former board member who voted in 2010.We need to know what has happened. And to continue the process until the end, said Champagne, who was FIFA international relations director until leaving in January 2010.Still, any FIFA case against Russia and Qatar seemed closed last month by ethics judge Joachim Eckert, in a summary judgment of Garcias sealed 430-page investigation report.After Garcia challenged the German judges findings, they agreed at peace talks to give FIFAs audit and compliance chairman, Domenico Scala, authority to decide which key details are presented to the executive committee. It meets Dec. 18-19 in Marrakech, Morocco.FIFA President Sepp Blatter will lead the boardroom debate which could include three longstanding members — Angel Maria Villar of Spain, Michel DHooghe of Belgium and Worawi Makudi of Thailand — currently being prosecuted by Garcia.Champagne declined to comment on what he expects from the meeting, though he wants Garcias report published as soon as possible with appropriate redactions.Though supportive of Russias hosting rights — which was paying tribute to what Russian and Soviet Union football have brought to the world — Champagne suggested Qatar could gain from ongoing investigations.I think it is even in the interests of the Qataris to make sure that this World Cup, if it takes place there, would be taking place with a free mind without keeping in the back of our brains all the controversies, he said.Champagne is the only prospective candidate to declare intent to rival Blatter, a longtime ally at FIFA, in a May 29 election in Zurich. Applications must be filed by January 29 with the support of five of FIFAs 209 member federations. Javier Baez Jersey .C. -- Carter Ashton had a pair of goals and added an assist as the Toronto Marlies downed the Charlotte Checkers 5-2 on Saturday in the American Hockey League. Dexter Fowler Cubs Jersey . The motion to expand the stadiums capacity passed through by a count of 39-3, with Toronto mayor Rob Ford being among those in opposition. http://www.baseballcubsjerseyfanshop.co ... bs-jersey/. It led to his downfall on Tuesday. The Major League Soccer club fired Rennie after a second straight up-and-down season that saw the Whitecaps start strong before limping across the finish line. Andre Dawson Authentic Jersey .5 million, two-year contract that runs through 2015. Venable, the son of former big leaguer Max Venable, will make $4. Sammy Sosa Jersey . Betancourt was 2-5 with a 4.08 ERA and 16 saves for the Rockies last season before tearing a ligament in his pitching elbow. He considered undergoing platelet-rich plasma therapy to fix his arm, but announced in August his decision to have Tommy John surgery.LOS ANGELES -- Doc Rivers couldnt begin the Los Angeles Clippers only day of preparation for Game 7 in the film room or on the practice court. The coach was downtown at the Clippers team offices Friday, meeting with an angry roomful of ticket-sellers and marketers still outraged by owner Donald Sterlings racist comments. "Ill say this much: Our players thought about not working. So did our employees, and they still felt that way," Rivers said. "They needed somebody to ask them to continue to work and support us. Were still trying to put this thing together." For both the Clippers and the Golden State Warriors, basketball has been secondary for much of this extraordinary series. But after the most tumultuous week in Clippers history, the first round is finally down to its grand finale. The Clippers will host a seventh game for the first time in franchise history on Saturday night, hoping to draw energy from their Staples Center crowd for a cathartic victory. The winner gets a second-round date with Oklahoma City or Memphis. "Weve got to protect home court," Clippers centre DeAndre Jordan said Friday. "Our season is tomorrow." The Warriors have been just one obstacle faced by the Clippers, who endured sleepless nights and immense scrutiny while their owner was exposed and subsequently banned for life from the NBA between playoff games. Los Angeles has lost two of three games since the Sterling saga began, playing lifelessly in Game 4 before struggling along with the Warriors in Game 6 on Thursday night. When the Clippers went back to work Friday, Sterling-related memorabilia had been removed from the trophy case in the hallway at their palatial $60 million training complex built by Sterling six years ago. Even the "Sterling Drive" sign outside the Playa Vista facility had been taken down. The Clippers missed their chance to wrap the series in Oakland, but the Pacific Division champions played all year for the chance to finish a series on their home court. "Its going to be tough, and youre going to face adversity, and we clearly have faced adversity in this round," said Blake& Griffin, who managed just 17 points on 8-for-24 shooting in Game 6.dddddddddddd"I think its just important that we all stayed the course and had positive thoughts about it. It is a Game 7, but its still a playoff game. It doesnt change a whole lot." Neither team plans to spend much time working on tactics or adjustments after six games of seeing everything their opponent has to offer. Both teams arent saying much about various nagging injuries, from Chris Pauls strained left hamstring for the Clippers to Jermaine ONeals sprained right knee for Golden State. Instead, two relatively inexperienced playoff teams are eager to show off everything theyve learned about perseverance and toughness over the past two weeks, culminating in a rare winner-take-all finish to their series. "Im not sure that both teams love each other, but Im pretty positive that both teams have tremendous respect for each other," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. The Clippers core played a Game 7 two years ago, beating Memphis on the road for just their second playoff series victory since Sterling bought the team in 1981. Jordan and Griffin said there was little to draw from that victory, with Jordan barely remembering it. The Warriors havent played a Game 7 since 1977, no surprise for a franchise with just three playoff berths in the last 20 years. When asked if an injury could keep him out of Game 7, Paul scoffed. "Ill be there," Paul said. "Seven-thirty, that balls throwed up, Ill be there. Cant wait." Even with the Clippers on the front page during this series, Golden State has plenty of its own internal drama. Jackson could be coaching his final game for the Warriors after the club ownerships reluctance to publicly back his return despite the most successful two-year stretch in two decades. "I think weve had more controversy than them throughout this whole season that gets overlooked, kind of thrown under the rug a little bit," Golden States Andre Iguodala said. "Weve had some battles this year weve had to deal with, but its kept us together and made us stronger." China Jerseys ' ' '