FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges / Sepp Blatter is outta here!

[Shinobu]

The Department of Justice indictment names 14 people on charges including racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. In addition to senior soccer officials, the indictment also named sports-marketing executives from the United States and South America who are accused of paying more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for media deals associated with major soccer tournaments.

The soccer officials charged are Eduardo Li, Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Jack Warner, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin and Nicolás Leoz.

The promise that the investigation would continue raised the specter of more arrests, but officials would not comment on whether they were investigating Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president and the man widely regarded as the most powerful person in sports. One federal law enforcement official said Mr. Blatter’s fate would “depend on where the investigation goes from here.”

“This is the beginning of our effort, not the end,” said Kelly T. Currie, acting United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Indeed, the indictment refers to 25 unnamed co-conspirators, from FIFA officials to a South Africa World Cup bid committee official. “We are looking into individuals and entities in a variety of countries,” said Mr. Currie, who noted that the investigation would look at financial institutions that handled the tainted money to see if they were cognizant of the fraud.

Full story

Stay tuned, because this could become very interesting.

 

[dig]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

I don't follow football (soca), I am interested in the Quatar human rights violations. Quatar should never have been given the World Cup with their tracks for human rights, but here we see hundreds of workers dying people because a couple rich guys got richer. I'm 50/50 on whether FIFA will move the world cup to another country, Quatar may try to sue for breach of contract and get back the cost of building, hiring, etc. I think FIFA are going to be in the real shit over this, corruption scandals have plagued FIFA for ages, and this seems to only be hitting a couple of corrupt officials, perhaps some will bargain a lighter sentece by offering incrimination of harder-to-catch targets. It's going to be an interesting thing to watch, and may mean that other huge sporting organizations may come under investigations for corruption. If FIFA could be handled, its sets a precedent for the NFL, UEFA, etc.

 

[Hector]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

Looks like it's very possible that the 2018 and the 2022 World Cups will be moved to the UK and the US (where they should have been played all along XD).

 

[Jersey Jimmy]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

Well, that explains... basically everything. Russia is in no shape to host the Cup, and Qatar was only chosen because they bribed FIFA. Seriously, if you guys think the NBA or even NFL are more corrupt than FIFA, you're bullshitting yourself.

As for the new Cup venues, I'm pretty sure the USA and Australia are the favorites.

 

[Shinobu]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

I don't follow football (soca), I am interested in the Quatar human rights violations. Quatar should never have been given the World Cup with their tracks for human rights, but here we see hundreds of workers dying people because a couple rich guys got richer.

What's kind of hilarious is that even if you ignore the human and workers' rights issues, Qatar still has no place hosting a world cup. Qatar didn't meet the minimum required number of cities for the event (Qatar is building more cities to meet it). All of the stadiums have to be built, and they won't receive much use after the event ends. Qatar also needs a lot more infrastructure development as well (this is mitigated by the fact that the country is essentially a long-term construction project). Qatar plans on building air-conditioned stadiums due to the summer climate, which is quite a technological stretch. The other alternative is to move the WC to the winter months.

There's real concern that by the time the WC begins everything will be very incomplete. What's better is that Doha always applies to be an Olympic host city and they never make it to candidate status. After the 2002 Olympic scandal the bidding process isn't a free for all anymore. Plus you can't just move an Olympics to the winter like you could with a World Cup.

Looks like it's very possible that the 2018 and the 2022 World Cups will be moved to the UK and the US (where they should have been played all along XD).

I'm not so sure about this. They'll probably stay in Russia, and I don't think the 2022 WC will change hosts unless things fall apart in Qatar.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

What a bomb. If Blatter gets jailed I promise never mocking Americans for saying "soccer" again.


But my fear is that only American executives (I mean, from the continent) will be punished, and Europeans (equally corrupt, Blatter among them) will stay untouched.

 

[The Infidel]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

America is about to get seriously popular with Soccer (there I said it ) fans

Thank you America <3

 

[Nero the Giant Whiscash]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

Well, that explains... basically everything. Russia is in no shape to host the Cup, and Qatar was only chosen because they bribed FIFA. Seriously, if you guys think the NBA or even NFL are more corrupt than FIFA, you're bullshitting yourself.

As for the new Cup venues, I'm pretty sure the USA and Australia are the favorites.

Hate to break it to you all host or attempted host have bribed fifa voters from the beginning of time in fact last year it was reported that australoia tried to bribe fifa for 2022 using public money
READ HERE

Looks like it's very possible that the 2018 and the 2022 World Cups will be moved to the UK and the US (where they should have been played all along XD).

there a good shot that the UK and the US will be DQ from hosting them as well as even the uk tried to bribe fifa according to certain reports

also if the reports are true as well the US bribed fifa for 94 and SA did for 2010 according to this sting and other reports

basically my oint being FIFA always has and always will be among the most corrupt institutions on the face pf the planet beside the Vatican, the UN and nearly all governments

 

[LouThunders]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

A bit off-topic, but I really don't know why they haven't held the World Cup here in England. I mean, London alone could accommodate the tournament with the number of world-class stadiums we have here. Wembley, Emirates, Stamford Bridge, Olympic Stadium, Boleyn Ground (Upton Park), Craven Cottage, White Hart Lane, I could go on and on and on...

 

[Nero the Giant Whiscash]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

A bit off-topic, but I really don't know why they haven't held the World Cup here in England. I mean, London alone could accommodate the tournament with the number of world-class stadiums we have here. Wembley, Emirates, Stamford Bridge, Olympic Stadium, Boleyn Ground (Upton Park), Craven Cottage, White Hart Lane, I could go on and on and on...

England hosted the 1966 FIFA World Cup which they won click here for more

for more info on the stadium selected for the 18 bid click here

i only see you guys getting one if it a joint one with with Wales and/or Scotland and/or Ireland and/or Northern ireland (think 2002 with South korea and japan) and the cup expand to 40

 

[LouThunders]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

A bit off-topic, but I really don't know why they haven't held the World Cup here in England. I mean, London alone could accommodate the tournament with the number of world-class stadiums we have here. Wembley, Emirates, Stamford Bridge, Olympic Stadium, Boleyn Ground (Upton Park), Craven Cottage, White Hart Lane, I could go on and on and on...

England hosted the 1966 FIFA World Cup which they won click here for more

for more info on the stadium selected for the 18 bid click here

i only see you guys getting one if it a joint one with with Wales and Scotland and/or Ireland and/or Northern ireland (think 2002 with South korea and japan) and the cup expand to 40

I know that we did in '66, but that was ages ago. I'm talking more of recent times. I mean, Germany have held it for what, three times now?

But I didn't know that we actually put in a bid to host the cup, actually. Thanks.

I would like a joint bid with Wales though, Cardiff has two amazing stadiums (Millennium and Cardiff City Stadium), Swansea has a really great one, and so on.

 

[Nero the Giant Whiscash]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

A bit off-topic, but I really don't know why they haven't held the World Cup here in England. I mean, London alone could accommodate the tournament with the number of world-class stadiums we have here. Wembley, Emirates, Stamford Bridge, Olympic Stadium, Boleyn Ground (Upton Park), Craven Cottage, White Hart Lane, I could go on and on and on...

England hosted the 1966 FIFA World Cup which they won click here for more

for more info on the stadium selected for the 18 bid click here

i only see you guys getting one if it a joint one with with Wales and Scotland and/or Ireland and/or Northern ireland (think 2002 with South korea and japan) and the cup expand to 40

I know that we did in '66, but that was ages ago. I'm talking more of recent times. I mean, Germany have held it for what, three times now?

But I didn't know that we actually put in a bid to host the cup, actually. Thanks.

I would like a joint bid with Wales though, Cardiff has two amazing stadiums (Millennium and Cardiff City Stadium), Swansea has a really great one, and so on.

money and bribery DUH

just remember fifa has a minumum requirement 40,000 people per stadium so at this point unless renovated and despite it being de facto home of the wales national team Cardiff City Stadium wouldn't be able to host its also why 4 of the stadium in 2018 bid were going to be expanded from there sub 40,000 compacity and one was going to built in Bristol so the only stadoium in wales to be eligible off the bat would be millennium

if i remember right scotland has 3 or 4 stadiums above 40,000 to not sure about the NI or ireland though I only see ireland hosting one is with joint bid with somebody else like england or northern ireland just like i don't see england hosting one with out a joint bid with ireland or a 3 way combo with england, wales and scotland and if it was done that way you could have scot land host 1 semi final and wales the other with webley hosting the final

 

[LouThunders]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

A bit off-topic, but I really don't know why they haven't held the World Cup here in England. I mean, London alone could accommodate the tournament with the number of world-class stadiums we have here. Wembley, Emirates, Stamford Bridge, Olympic Stadium, Boleyn Ground (Upton Park), Craven Cottage, White Hart Lane, I could go on and on and on...

England hosted the 1966 FIFA World Cup which they won click here for more

for more info on the stadium selected for the 18 bid click here

i only see you guys getting one if it a joint one with with Wales and Scotland and/or Ireland and/or Northern ireland (think 2002 with South korea and japan) and the cup expand to 40

I know that we did in '66, but that was ages ago. I'm talking more of recent times. I mean, Germany have held it for what, three times now?

But I didn't know that we actually put in a bid to host the cup, actually. Thanks.

I would like a joint bid with Wales though, Cardiff has two amazing stadiums (Millennium and Cardiff City Stadium), Swansea has a really great one, and so on.

money and bribery DUH

just remember fifa has a minumum requirement 40,000 people per stadium so at this point unless renovated and despite it being de facto home of the wales national team Cardiff City Stadium wouldn't be able to host its also why 4 of the stadium in 2018 bid were going to be expanded from there sub 40,000 compacity and one was going to built in Bristol so the only stadoium in wales to be eligible off the bat would be millennium

if i remember right scotland has 3 or 4 stadiums above 40,000 to not sure about the NI or ireland though I only see ireland hosting one is with joint bid with somebody else like england or northern ireland just like i don't see england hosting one with out a joint bid with ireland or a 3 way combo with england, wales and scotland and if it was done that way you could have scot land host 1 semi final and wales the other with webley hosting the final

Heh, we all know the money and bribery, that one goes as unmentioned. I'm just speculating a clean world cup, as impossible as that is

Yeah, I really don't think expanding the ones in Bristol and Plymouth would be beneficial. I mean, the stature of the teams that play there regularly isn't that good for a 40,000-seating stadium...

Yeah, Scotland-England joint bid would be good. Or they can just do the whole of the UK as one massive bid, but qualifying 4 teams automatically would probably be a bad idea.

I just want some more significant games here because I live like 10 minutes away from Wembley Stadium

 

[Hector]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

Scotland / England would be cool. I think they have more than enough stadiums (I don't know off the top of my head, but it would have to be at least a dozen in the UK).

The US... god the US must have at least fifty (yes fifty) qualifying stadiums. All 32 NFL teams, the Rose Bowl, at least 20 college football teams... the point is that the US could host a world cup tomorrow. Three world cups and both Olympics in fact. However, there could be some nice PR involved if the US shared their bid with either Canada or Mexico (most likely Mexico because Canada is hosting the women's world Cup this year). Mexico doesn't add anything needed to the bid, but it would be nice PR I think, and would help sway people who think that the US only started this whole thing to get the 2022 cup.

 

[Nero the Giant Whiscash]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

A bit off-topic, but I really don't know why they haven't held the World Cup here in England. I mean, London alone could accommodate the tournament with the number of world-class stadiums we have here. Wembley, Emirates, Stamford Bridge, Olympic Stadium, Boleyn Ground (Upton Park), Craven Cottage, White Hart Lane, I could go on and on and on...

England hosted the 1966 FIFA World Cup which they won click here for more

for more info on the stadium selected for the 18 bid click here

i only see you guys getting one if it a joint one with with Wales and Scotland and/or Ireland and/or Northern ireland (think 2002 with South korea and japan) and the cup expand to 40

I know that we did in '66, but that was ages ago. I'm talking more of recent times. I mean, Germany have held it for what, three times now?

But I didn't know that we actually put in a bid to host the cup, actually. Thanks.

I would like a joint bid with Wales though, Cardiff has two amazing stadiums (Millennium and Cardiff City Stadium), Swansea has a really great one, and so on.

money and bribery DUH

just remember fifa has a minumum requirement 40,000 people per stadium so at this point unless renovated and despite it being de facto home of the wales national team Cardiff City Stadium wouldn't be able to host its also why 4 of the stadium in 2018 bid were going to be expanded from there sub 40,000 compacity and one was going to built in Bristol so the only stadoium in wales to be eligible off the bat would be millennium

if i remember right scotland has 3 or 4 stadiums above 40,000 to not sure about the NI or ireland though I only see ireland hosting one is with joint bid with somebody else like england or northern ireland just like i don't see england hosting one with out a joint bid with ireland or a 3 way combo with england, wales and scotland and if it was done that way you could have scot land host 1 semi final and wales the other with webley hosting the final

Heh, we all know the money and bribery, that one goes as unmentioned. I'm just speculating a clean world cup, as impossible as that is

Yeah, I really don't think expanding the ones in Bristol and Plymouth would be beneficial. I mean, the stature of the teams that play there regularly isn't that good for a 40,000-seating stadium...

Yeah, Scotland-England joint bid would be good. Or they can just do the whole of the UK as one massive bid, but qualifying 4 teams automatically would probably be a bad idea.

I just want some more significant games here because I live like 10 minutes away from Wembley Stadium

other than FA cups and some UEFA finals

i could see them either trying that or the main 3 on the island as if approved europe would only be down to 9 or 10 depending on it and just having the the top 9 group winners AQ like they do now and if its 10 do a double or single elimination of the the top 8 runner ups with seeding based on word rankings

IMO that the only way i can see it working

Scotland / England would be cool. I think they have more than enough stadiums (I don't know off the top of my head, but it would have to be at least a dozen in the UK).

The US... god the US must have at least fifty (yes fifty) qualifying stadiums. All 32 NFL teams, the Rose Bowl, at least 20 college football teams... the point is that the US could host a world cup tomorrow. Three world cups and both Olympics in fact. However, there could be some nice PR involved if the US shared their bid with either Canada or Mexico (most likely Mexico because Canada is hosting the women's world Cup this year). Mexico doesn't add anything needed to the bid, but it would be nice PR I think, and would help sway people who think that the US only started this whole thing to get the 2022 cup.

While it true we have 50 + venues many of them need modifications to be used for soccer or in this case association football

 

[Shinobu]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

Scotland / England would be cool. I think they have more than enough stadiums (I don't know off the top of my head, but it would have to be at least a dozen in the UK).

The US... god the US must have at least fifty (yes fifty) qualifying stadiums. All 32 NFL teams, the Rose Bowl, at least 20 college football teams... the point is that the US could host a world cup tomorrow. Three world cups and both Olympics in fact. However, there could be some nice PR involved if the US shared their bid with either Canada or Mexico (most likely Mexico because Canada is hosting the women's world Cup this year). Mexico doesn't add anything needed to the bid, but it would be nice PR I think, and would help sway people who think that the US only started this whole thing to get the 2022 cup.

I'm still a little unclear on this, but as far as I know FIFA usually has backup plans in case a WC cannot happen in the planned host nation. There are quite a few nations that can host a WC on the fly if need be. The condition here is that this happens only if the WC cannot happen. Russia and Qatar will host their events unless something happens that causes planning to completely fall apart. A bribery scandal is not one of those things.

 

[Nero the Giant Whiscash]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

Scotland / England would be cool. I think they have more than enough stadiums (I don't know off the top of my head, but it would have to be at least a dozen in the UK).

The US... god the US must have at least fifty (yes fifty) qualifying stadiums. All 32 NFL teams, the Rose Bowl, at least 20 college football teams... the point is that the US could host a world cup tomorrow. Three world cups and both Olympics in fact. However, there could be some nice PR involved if the US shared their bid with either Canada or Mexico (most likely Mexico because Canada is hosting the women's world Cup this year). Mexico doesn't add anything needed to the bid, but it would be nice PR I think, and would help sway people who think that the US only started this whole thing to get the 2022 cup.

I'm still a little unclear on this, but as far as I know FIFA usually has backup plans in case a WC cannot happen in the planned host nation. There are quite a few nations that can host a WC on the fly if need be. The condition here is that this happens only if the WC cannot happen. Russia and Qatar will host their events unless something happens that causes planning to completely fall apart. A bribery scandal is not one of those things.

ACCORDING TO Sepp Blatter Qatar’s neighbours could host games he said click here for more

I could see the KSA helping along with bahrain and the UAE and don't get me started on the HRA by the first 2 or brazil either

 

[Jersey Jimmy]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

Aaand Sepp Blatter was re-elected. This alone should prove how horribly corrupt FIFA is. "For the Good of the Game" my ass. You. Are. Killing. Association. Football.

 

[Hector]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

Couldn't have said it better myself. If I didn't love the game so much, I'd wipe my hands of it and not watch the world cup or any international friendlies.

 

[Jersey Jimmy]

Re: FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges

Couldn't have said it better myself. If I didn't love the game so much, I'd wipe my hands of it and not watch the world cup or any international friendlies.

Try watching MLS. It's pretty great once you look past the god-awful announcing.