PARIS, May 23 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The Korea-Japan World Cup, which starts May 31, was never meant to be, as it had been agreed behind closed doors that it would be held in Japan.

FIFA president Joao Havelange had promised Japanese officials that football's most glittering prize was theirs - and theirs alone, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.

The world of FIFA was about to be plunged into the most bitter bidding war between the two Asian giants, South Korea and Japan, a battle that still leaves members of the decision-making FIFA executive committee stunned by its intensity, AFP said.

The only previous campaign fight to win the World Cup had been between Morocco and France. “Morocco and France, that was bad enough,” says FIFA vice-president David Will. “This one [Korea-Japan] this was just unbelievable. It was ridiculous,” AFP reported.

According to AFP, the 24-strong executive committee who would take the vote were bombarded with gifts, receptions, invitations as both countries found themselves locked in what was to be the most expensive World Cup bidding campaign in history.

“The only thing missing was the cash in a plain brown envelope,” said Will.

European soccer chief Lennart Johansson stopped just short of calling the campaign by the two sides bribery. “There were no limits. A bottle of whisky, a camera or a computer. Everything was permissible,” said Johansson, who revealed he had returned his computer, AFP said.

Co-hosting appeared to be the only solution. As the executive committee sat in the voting room, Havelenge swept in and told the gathered ‘wise men’ of FIFA; “Co-hosting.”

Meanwhile, security concerns weigh heavily on organizers, particularly after the September 11 attacks on the United States as well as their first encounter with hooligans from Europe and South America.

In England, a total of 1,007 alleged England football hooligans have been banned from the World Cup. The fans were told to surrender their passports by midnight Thursday, May 23, and will not get them back until the end of the tournament to prevent them from traveling to Asia.

Also concerning the security issue, Japanese and South-Korean officials said Tuesday, May 13, U.S. players will be protected by an armed-to-the-teeth special police squad during the football World Cup, AFP reported.

“We have extra security precautions for the U.S. squad as they are from a country that is considered likely to be a target for terrorist attacks,” a senior police official said.

Authorities have tightened security around Seoul's Gimhae and Gimpo airports before teams begin arriving for the world's largest sporting event, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30.

The U.S. and other teams will be accompanied by armed guards in plain clothes and receive a police escort to and from their destinations.

According to AFP, a special 100-member police unit will be on stand-by throughout the competition and will be mobilized in the event of a terrorist attack or any other threat the escort teams are unable to handle. The special unit will be deployed using a 27-seat armed helicopter.