"2014 FIFA Announcement (Joseph Blatter) 8" by Marcello Casal Jr. / ABr - Agência Brasil (Secretaria de Imprensa e Divulgação). Licensed under CC BY 3.0 br via Wikimedia Commons
United States prosecutors have announced criminal charges, which include money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud, against 16 FIFA officials. The prosecution claims that they were part of an over 20-year scheme to personally profit off the world’s most popular game.
The two biggest names of this latest batch of arrests are Alfredo Hawit and Juan Angel Napout. The former is the head of CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, while the latter heads COMMEBOL, the South American authority.
“On the instructions of the (Swiss) Federal Office of Justice, a further two FIFA officials were arrested in Zurich today,” a statement from the Swiss Federal Court of Justice read. “They are being held in custody pending their extradition. According to U.S. arrest requests, they are suspected of accepting bribes of millions of dollars. The high-ranking FIFA officials are alleged to have taken the money in return for selling marketing rights in connection with football tournaments in Latin America, as well as World Cup qualifying matches. According to the arrest requests, some of the offenses were agreed and prepared in the USA. Payments were also processed via U.S. banks,” the statement added, explaining why the U.S. was in a position to ask for the arrests.
The charges were the latest in a push led by the United States to clean up corruption in international football. FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) president Michel Platini are both currently serving 90 day suspensions following criminal charges from the Swiss Attorney General.
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!
A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.
The overarching belief is that FIFA has been profiting from kickbacks from its tournaments and their media rights. The selections of the next two World Cup hosts, Russia and Qatar, for example, are believed to have been aided by unjust means.
Photo: “2014 FIFA Announcement (Joseph Blatter) 8” by Marcello Casal Jr. / ABr – Agência Brasil (Secretaria de Imprensa e Divulgação). Licensed under CC BY 3.0 br via Wikimedia Commons
The New York Giants have ended their coaching search and have settled on a former…
Ja Morant’s future with the Memphis Grizzlies remains in doubt. Morant was hopeful that he…
Former Coach of the Year winner and New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has…
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold's status for the NFC divisional round was in doubt after…
The Houston Texans picked up a massive round one playoff win on the road, but…
Aaron Rodgers abruptly ended his postgame press conference after being asked about Pittsburgh Steelers head…