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FIFA Officials Arrested on Corruption/Bribery Charges

Kin

Kin

Active member
FIFA officials arrested in Switzerland

I'm not much of a soccer guy but this story is, in the words of Donkey Kong, bananas. Last night Swiss police, apparently acting on behalf of the US Justice department, arrested multiple FIFA officials and there are more charges against various sports marketing people associated with the sport. Among those charged are the former head of CONCACAF as well as the current head, the President of Conmebol, the head of the federations from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, the former head of the Brazilian federation and others. The charges are apparently wire fraud, mail fraud and racketeering "Among others".

The charges allege that(be prepared to catch any fainters) bribery and corruption were the reasons that Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup. This is on top of multiple news outlets reporting on how Qatar is essentially building the venues for the World Cup, which cannot be played in summer because of Qatar's heat, with what is essentially slave labour.

I mean...how in the world can that Tournament possibly happen?

For a refresher course on what scumbags FIFA are, here's John Oliver:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlJEt2KU33I[/youtube]
 
dappleganger said:
I feel like the story should have started, "In a surprise to no one..."
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That FIFA is corrupt shouldn't surprise anyone. That the US justice department got the Swiss police to to raid their meeting in Zurich and throw cuffs? That's news. This isn't "pay a fine" stuff either. Federal Racketeering charges are no joke.

But you're right. Couldn't have happened to nicer guys.
 
Patrick said:
Good for them, wish it had happened sooner. I hope it spells the end of that tabat bulldit as president.
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All reports at present suggest Blatter still is the favourite for reelection so hooray for change!  I was initially suspect of anything coming of this with the FIFA organization itself but it does sound like a few of the rats lived up to their namesake and turned on their colleagues when things got hot.

That's the downside of having a money laundering organization that lacks the muscle of a mafia to keep people quiet.  Old white men will turn on each other.

I expect nothing to change in same way that the international banks just got find several billion dollars that will likely just result in job cuts and increased user fees downloaded to the customers.
 
L K said:
All reports at present suggest Blatter still is the favourite for reelection so hooray for change!  I was initially suspect of anything coming of this with the FIFA organization itself but it does sound like a few of the rats lived up to their namesake and turned on their colleagues when things got hot.

That's the downside of having a money laundering organization that lacks the muscle of a mafia to keep people quiet.  Old white men will turn on each other.

I expect nothing to change in same way that the international banks just got find several billion dollars that will likely just result in job cuts and increased user fees downloaded to the customers.
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I understand the cynicism, and share it if I'm being perfectly honest, but this might legitimately be different. Like you say, these guys will turn on each other. Odds are the Feds aren't done negotiating upwards. There was already a report that Blatter wouldn't enter the United States because he was afraid of being arrested. Now that he knows the Swiss are staring at him and will arrest him if charges are filed...where does he go? Maybe he'll get to see how much he likes Qatar in July.
 
My book A day in the life of the Leafs has a whole section where they were wining and dining Blatter, gave him a jersey with #1, etc. Eep.
 
I know he essentially had no opponents but Sepp Blatter gets re-elected to another 4-year term as FIFA head.  Clowns.
 
L K said:
I know he essentially had no opponents but Sepp Blatter gets re-elected to another 4-year term as FIFA head.  Clowns.
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I actually look at it as something of a positive. If anyone in the Justice department had a bug up their butt to throw that goon in the clink before? That's burning a hole in their pocket right now.
 
Nik the Trik said:
L K said:
I know he essentially had no opponents but Sepp Blatter gets re-elected to another 4-year term as FIFA head.  Clowns.
Click to expand...

I actually look at it as something of a positive. If anyone in the Justice department had a bug up their butt to throw that goon in the clink before? That's burning a hole in their pocket right now.
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He certainly doing a pretty good job of thumbing his nose at the DoJ with his tirades about how innocent he is and how it is just the people who got arraigned who are the evils of FIFA.  Listening to him over the last few days has been somewhat amusing actually in how disconnected he seems to be with how FIFA is faring from a reputation standpoint.  I really don't understand how the UEFA haven't stepped in and laid down a beating on FIFA.
 
Saw this from @McKenzieCNN:

CGJwAu1UIAA7GKM.jpg


Aside from the times Jon Oliver/John Stewart have talked about it, I don't know all too much about what's going on with FIFA. But based on that graphic it's pretty amazing they couldn't get anything to bring Blatter down too.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Saw this from @McKenzieCNN:

CGJwAu1UIAA7GKM.jpg


Aside from the times Jon Oliver/John Stewart have talked about it, I don't know all too much about what's going on with FIFA. But based on that graphic it's pretty amazing they couldn't get anything to bring Blatter down too.
Click to expand...

The way I understand that is that it largely has to do with who went after him. The people who got arrested have mainly been people who do business in the United States and, as a result, the DoJ had jurisdiction. Blatter's dirt is going to be in Europe. That's why the joint Swiss investigation is going to be so interesting as well as how much they can roll up the guys they arrested at Blatter.

As someone said yesterday, this isn't La Cosa Nostra. The guys they arrested aren't bound by Omerta. They won't do all their own time.
 
According to Declan Hill, Canadian investigative journalist, corruption has been around since the time of ancient Greece (the Olympics):

"...that type of corruption, that type of cheating has been around; that type of fixing has been around almost since the beginning of organized sport.

On what drives (sports) fixing:
The paradigm that drives a lot of fixing is if you have a lot of money spent on a sport gambling and very little money paid to the players.


(Article dated 01/2014):
http://www.thestar.com/sports/2014/01/22/sports_fix_whistleblower_declan_hill_offers_guidebook_to_fighting_soccer_corruption.html
 
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