The England manager wanted Webb to go through the new rules and regulations with his players at their training camp, but the world governing body's rules prevented it.

While there was no question about the integrity of Webb or the motivation of the England camp in trying to set up the meeting, Fifa has strict rules on officials, after its integrity unit identified referees as the "weak link" in the defence against match-fixing.

Fifa has called in Interpol to help investigate Lord Triesman's claims that the Spanish federation was seeking help from Russia to manipulate officials in South Africa this summer.

Referees will be kept in isolation for the duration of the competition. Security guards will be posted outside referees' hotels and no direct outside calls will be allowed to their rooms.

England's players will instead be visited by an official Fifa delegate who will give them a presentation on rule changes, the most high-profile of which is that players will now be cautioned for feinting in the run-up while taking a penalty.

telegraph