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ZURICH Swiss authorities began an extraordinary early-morning operation here Wednesday to arrest several top soccer officials and extradite them to the United States on federal corruption charges.

 

As leaders of FIFA, soccers global governing body, gathered for their annual meeting, more than a dozen plain-clothed Swiss law enforcement officials arrived unannounced at the Baur au Lac hotel, an elegant five-star property with views of the Alps and Lake Zurich.

 

The officers went to the registration desk to get keys, then headed upstairs toward the hotel rooms.

 

The charges allege widespread corruption in FIFA over the past two decades, involving bids for World Cups as well as marketing and broadcast deals, according to three law enforcement officials with direct knowledge of the case. The charges include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering. Prosecutors planned to unseal an indictment soon against more than 10 officials, not all of whom are in Zurich, law enforcement officials said.

 

Were struck by just how long this went on for and how it touched nearly every part of what F.I.F.A. did, said a law enforcement official. It just seemed to permeate every element of the federation and was just their way of doing business. It seems like this corruption was institutionalized.

 

The arrests were a startling blow to FIFA, a multibillion-dollar organization that governs the worlds most popular sport but has been plagued by accusations of bribery for decades.

 

The inquiry is also a major threat to Sepp Blatter, FIFAs longtime president who is generally recognized as the most powerful person in sports, though he was not charged. An election, seemingly pre-ordained to give him a fifth term as president, is scheduled for Friday.

 

The case is the most significant yet for United States Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, who took office last month. She previously served as the United States attorney in Brooklyn, where she supervised the FIFA investigation.

 

With more than $1.5 billion in reserves, FIFA is as much a global financial conglomerate as a sports organization. With countries around the world competing aggressively to win the bid to host the World Cup, Mr. Blatter has commanded the fealty of anyone who wanted a piece of that revenue stream. He and FIFA have weathered corruption controversies in the past, but none involved charges of federal crimes in United States court.

 

United States law gives the Justice Department wide authority to bring cases against foreign nationals living abroad, an authority that prosecutors have used repeatedly in international terrorism cases. Those cases can hinge on the slightest connection to the United States, like the use of an American bank or Internet service provider.

 

Switzerlands treaty with the United States is unusual in that it gives Swiss authorities the power to refuse extradition for tax crimes, but on matters of general criminal law, the Swiss have agreed to turn people over for prosecution in American courts.

 

The case further mars the reputation of FIFAs leader, Mr. Blatter, who has for years acted as a de facto head of state. Politicians, star players, national soccer officials and global corporations that want their brands attached to the sport have long genuflected before him.

 

Critics of FIFA point to the lack of transparency regarding executive salaries and resource allocations for an organization that, by its own admission, had revenue of $5.7 billion from 2011 to 2014. Policy decisions are also often taken without debate or explanation, and a small group of officials known as the executive committee operates with outsize power. FIFA has for years operated with little oversight and even less transparency. Alexandra Wrage, a governance consultant who once unsuccessfully attempted to help overhaul FIFAs methods, famously labeled the organization byzantine and impenetrable.

 

source: New York Times

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HOLY SHIT, WHAT?

- No one's reaction to this news

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Wow. Just read a few weeks ago that Sepp Blatter won't step foot in the US because he's afraid he'll get arrested. Guess this proves it

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and yay since the US doesn't care if we hurt our relationship with FIFA

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The BBC can confirm that Eduardo Li of Costa Rica was one of the Fifa executives taken away this morning by police in Zurich. Li was due to join Fifa's executive committee this Friday. Eugenio Figueredo of Uruguay was also taken away along with Jeffrey Webb, which is a highly significant move. BBC Sport also witnessed Jose Maria Marin being led away by two policemen. The officers took the ashen-faced Brazilian deputy FA chief out of a side entrance of the Baur au Lac hotel. Marin is a member of Fifa's club committee. The officers were carrying his black suitcase and some of his possessions in plastic bags. It's understood that a high level meeting of Fifa officials is now under way at their headquarters.
Fifa has announced it will hold a news conference at 10:00 BST, during which it will comment about this morning's arrests. The FBI will hold a news conference in New York later this afternoon, around 15:00 BST.
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I'd be fairly confident that nothing comes of this, Blatter wins in a landslide and nothing changes.

FIFA are seriously reaching Catholic Church levels of power and corrupt. They're their own judge and jury.

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Would it be possible to suspend the elections? It's not exactly a good thing to have happen two days before.

I wonder if this could lead to a potential domino effect within FIFA with more people being arrested. Or actually force them to change, its not exactly great PR in terms of sponsers considering this news breaking today as well as all the shit that is happening/has happened with the Qatar World Cup so far.

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Would it be possible to suspend the elections? It's not exactly a good thing to have happen two days before.

I wonder if this could lead to a potential domino effect within FIFA with more people being arrested. Or actually force them to change, its not exactly great PR in terms of sponsers considering this news breaking today as well as all the shit that is happening/has happened with the Qatar World Cup so far.

I imagine a lot of these people are going to get some version of "We'll be willing to cut you a deal...for some dirt on Blatter"

The Times has the full list of the arrestees

  • Jeffrey Webb (Cayman Islands) - President of CONCACAF, member of FIFA Executive Committee
  • Eugenio Figueredo (Uruguay) - President of CONMEBOL, member of FIFA Executive Committee
  • Jack Warner (Trinida and Tobago) - President of CONCACAF from 1990 to 2011, former FIFA vice-president
  • Eduardo Li (Costa Rica) - President of the Costa Rican Football Federation, CONCACAF representative to FIFA
  • Julio Rocha (Nicaragua) - President of the Nicaraguan Football Federation, FIFA development officer
  • Costas Takkas (Cayman Islands) - Former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association
  • Rafael Esquivel (Venezuela) - President of the Venezuelan Football Federation since 1988, member of the FIFA disciplinary committee
  • José Maria Marin (Brazil) - President of the Brazilian Football Confederation from 2012 to 2015, president of the 2014 FIFA World Cup committee
  • Nicolás Leoz (Paraguay) - President of CONMEBOL from 1986 to 2013

And five sports marketing execs:

  • Alejandro Burzaco (Argentina) - CEO of Torneos y Competencias, which owns various sports television channels and broadcasted Argentine domestic football matches from 1992 to 2009, and the 2006 World Cup
  • Aaron Davidson (United States) - President of Traffic Sports USA, which organizes and handles marketing for a variety of CONCACAF soccer events, like World Cup Qualifying and the Gold Cup. Chairman of the Board of the North American Soccer League, the soccer tier below MLS
  • Hugo Jinkis (Argentina) - President of Full Play, which owns some sort of rights (I am unclear which ones) to hundreds of South American soccer matches
  • Mariano Jinkis (Argentina) - CEO of Full Play, which owns some sort of rights (I am unclear which ones) to hundreds of South American soccer matches
  • José Margulies (Unknown) - Margulies is somehow involved with Traffic Sports
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It isn't shocking that they are all from countries who fall under CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, aren't they normally the two associations who are Blatter's biggest supporters.

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And there it is.

BBC Sport on the ground in Switzerland:
"From reports emanating from the US late last year, what is understood is that a man by the name of Chuck Blazer, who was a very powerful Fifa official for a number of years, was turned into a co-operating witness for the FBI.
"That obviously attracted the attention of law enforcement. They, according to reports, gave him a wiretap and that was used at a series of meetings in London in summer 2012 in which conversations took place with a number of leading officials. Those conversations are said to have spurred on this investigation and today I think we are starting to see the results, perhaps, of those conversations - that wiretap evidence. This investigation has been ongoing in the US."
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BREAKING: 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". Electronic data and documents have been seized from FIFA's head office in Zurich.

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Wow this is massive. If it were any other organisation, Blatter would walk. Interesting times ahead nonetheless!

Well the implication seems to be that Blatter/FIFA is responsible for this, so they look like the good guys 2 days before the elections.

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