Dempsey, the Oceania Football Confederation president, was forced to resign on Sunday after throwing the vote into turmoil and giving Germany the right to host the World Cup ahead of favourites South Africa.

Dempsey revealed at a press conference on Monday that he was threatened by "influential European interests" that if he voted for South Africa there would be "adverse effects" for Oceania.

Dempsey said: "The night before the Fifa meeting I received a number of calls which disturbed me, one of them was a threatening call.

"It had also been made clear to me by influential European interests that if I cast my vote in favour of South Africa there would be adverse effects for OFC in Fifa.

"I believe that decision was in the best interest of football and in particular those of the OFC."

He confirmed he had received a number of anonymous calls as well as a pressure phone conversation with former South African president Nelson Mandela.

Pressured

Dempsey denied he had accepted bribes and remained defiant for deciding not to vote.

Cook Islands Football Association representative Lee Harmon said the OFC had been let down by Dempsey.

"Charlie said he was pressured by a lot of people in Zurich before the voting took place but I think there would have been fewer problems and less pressure if he had done what the executive decided in Samoa in May," Harmon told National Radio.

Fifa have dismissed calls for another vote but they have opened an internal inquiry into sleaze allegations made in connection with the World Cup bidding.