FIFA

[exileinleeds]

6 officials have been arrested in Zurich- accused of corruption in the US.

Blatter not amongst those arrested, but those that are in trouble could be extradited to the US to face trial....

Interesting times ahead of the vote for president on Friday.

[Kitsondinho]

This changes everything. It will bring an end to Blatter...not straight away, but the US authorities didn't start with Lance Armstrong when that unravelled......Also be interesting to see what happens about the next 2 World Cups......especially if evidence about the bidding process is forthcoming......

[Dai Brainbocs]

Blatter's equivalent of Tom Hagen will be straight on it, will be years before they lock the bstrds up.

[Sanguine]

Blatter will surely, at some point, be implicated.

Any transparent, honest and sane organisation would now suspend its Presidential vote.

[Uke]

This changes everything. It will bring an end to Blatter...not straight away, but the US authorities didn't start with Lance Armstrong when that unravelled......Also be interesting to see what happens about the next 2 World Cups......especially if evidence about the bidding process is forthcoming......

"If"?

[Kitsondinho]

If because the current charges don't relate to the bidding process for 2018/22.....however, this is still being investigated and it may be that further charges are added at a later date.

[Sanguine]

Point on the Guardian blog about these charges, relating to the 2010 World Cup, being a 'Capone' moment, that is get your man on relatively minor charges, and then throw the book at him.

[just some bloke]

this is the news story that has bought the biggest smile to face this year, by far

Grauniad:

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, his rival for the presidency, has arguably misjudged the public mood by calling this “a sad day for football”.

[YateleyRoyal]

Swiss legal authorities have announced that criminal proceedings have opened "against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups".

[Sutekh]

Meanwhile Mr Blatter will win another 4 years leading this wonderful organisation on Friday. Oh deep joy.

Here's hoping the whole thing totally unravels and finally comes tumbling down over the next year or two....

Meanwhile I really wish the individual FA's and/or regional organisations had the bottle to stand up to FIFA

[Kitsondinho]

Really do think this is the 'Salt Lake City' moment for FIFA. The IOC has changed beyond all recognition since then....we can all only hope that happens here too!

[Sutekh]

From the Eurosport website

https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/foo ... --sow.html

Football - FIFA plunged into crisis as officials are arrested in Zurich
Six football officials were arrested in Zurich on Wednesday and detained pending extradition to the United States over suspected corruption at FIFA, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FCOJ) said in a statement.
By Maxwell Ward
2 hours ago
Eurosport
Football - FIFA plunged into crisis as officials are arrested in Zurich
FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb was one of those arrested
The New York Times said they were high-ranking FIFA officials and were in Switzerland for the FIFA Congress where incumbent Sepp Blatter faces a challenge from Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein in a presidential election on Friday.

The arrests were made by plain-clothed police officers who took room keys from the reception of the five-star Baur Au Lac hotel, where officials were staying, with FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb believed to be among those arrested.


FIFA have stressed that President Sepp Blatter will not be charged, but the timing of this development will come as a major blow to him.

The New York Times, citing anonymous law enforcement officials, said the U.S. federal charges include racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud and span two decades of misconduct in soccer's world governing body.

More than 10 officials were expected to be indicted, but not all were in Zurich, the newspaper reported.


"The US authorities suspect them of having received bribes totalling in the millions (in USD)," said the statement from the Swiss Federal Office of Justice.

"The arrest warrants were issued further to a request by the US authorities. The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York is investigating these individuals on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes and kick-backs between the early 1990s and the present day."

"The bribery suspects, representatives of sports media and sports promotion firms, are alleged to have been involved in schemes to make payments to the soccer officials, delegates of FIFA and other functionaries of FIFA sub-organizations, totalling more than $100 million."

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke was at the hotel briefly on Wednesday morning but did not comment on the development.



From the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-32897157

2018-22 World Cup bids case
Posted at 10:10
In a separate development, Swiss prosecutors launched a criminal case into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, won by Russia and Qatar respectively.

In a statement, the office of the attorney general of Switzerland said criminal proceedings were opened "against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 Football World Cups".

It added that "electronic data and documents" were seized on Wednesday at Fifa's headquarters in Zurich.

[Kitsondinho]

According to FIFA, they are the injured party in this. You just couldn't make it up......

[Green]

Seems to me it's not so much one bad apple as a whole barrel.

Yeh by all means get this lot out, get Blatter out too, but those hoping for real change will have their hopes cruelly dashed I fear.

[Sanguine]

Seems to me it's not so much one bad apple as a whole barrel.

Yeh by all means get this lot out, get Blatter out too, but those hoping for real change will have their hopes cruelly dashed I fear.

I'm with Kitsondinho on this. The announcement that the Presidential election will not be suspended is about damage limitation.
'Nothing to see here at the top, we'll carry on as normal.'

That these charges are being brought in the US is brilliant - Blatter must know he is one plea bargain away from his house of cards collapsing.

[Stranded]

It is crazy how much FIFA wants to protect Blatter. Surely the head of any organisation that has incidents of any illegal actions on their watch should be held accountable even if they were not involved themselves. Goes with the job surely?

[Royal Lady]

Word is, Blatter got them arrested - to cover his own back and they'll be the fall guys - not sure how that works, but wouldn't put it past him tbh tbf.

[Kitsondinho]

Indeed, but Sepp trying to shaft the others with the Swiss investigation, it looks like the US can now finally take him down. FIFA were expecting the Swiss action....not the US one. They will nail him from here.

[Royal Lady]

Fingers crossed!!!

And why did Platini pull out of the race?

[Zammo]

Is there any evidence that Blatter is involved in any wrongdoings at all? Everyone seems to want to take him down. What is it that he is alleged to have done? Where is the evidence?