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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #510 on: November 07, 2015, 05:49:15 AM »
Quote
Carlos Tevez – 09.11.2014,  Juventus – Parma Calcio, Serie A (Italy)

MY VOTE!!!  :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #511 on: November 10, 2015, 05:51:12 AM »
Should there be a separate 'goal of the year' award for women?

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #512 on: November 13, 2015, 09:06:31 AM »
Wham?! Allyuh eh voting? Opinions on de goals? Vibes up de thread.

Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #513 on: November 13, 2015, 09:25:32 AM »
Should there be a separate 'goal of the year' award for women?

Yes!!! But the same prize money!

Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #514 on: November 17, 2015, 01:07:54 PM »
Germany vs Holland in Hannover, Germany, cancelled for security reasons.

Offline Bakes

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #515 on: December 03, 2015, 02:12:13 AM »
FIFA Corruption Case Brings Another Wave of Pre-Dawn Arrests
By REBECCA R. RUIZ, MATT APUZZO and SAM BORDENDEC. 3, 2015 (New York Times)


ZURICH — Swiss authorities began a new series of pre-dawn arrests Thursday in the broad investigation, led by United States officials, into corruption in international soccer. More than a dozen people were expected to be charged, law enforcement officials said, nearly doubling the size of an already huge case that has upended FIFA, soccer’s multibillion-dollar governing body.
Some of the arrests took place at the same luxury hotel where other FIFA officials were arrested in May. Swiss police entered the hotel, the Baur au Lac, through a side door at 6 a.m. local time. A hotel manager told visitors in the lobby they had to leave the property because of “an extreme situation.”

The police were targeting current and former senior soccer officials on charges that include racketeering, money laundering and fraud, authorities said. The new charges were expected to hit South and Central American soccer leaders particularly hard, the officials said.

Alfredo Hawit of Honduras and Juan Ángel Napout of Paraguay were among those arrested, multiple people familiar with the investigation said. Hawit is the president of Concacaf, the regional confederation that includes North and Central America and the Caribbean. Napout is the president of Conmebol, the South American confederation. Both are FIFA vice presidents and members of the powerful executive committee.

Hawit assumed control of Concacaf last spring, following the indictment of Jeffrey Webb, the confederation’s former president. Reacting to the allegations contained in the United States indictment unsealed last spring, Hawit said in a statement that he was “profoundly disappointed” that the organization was once again “the victim of fraud.”

The arrests, coming as FIFA’s leaders gathered in Zurich, served as a high-profile reminder that despite the organization’s promises of reform, soccer’s top officials remain under intense legal scrutiny by the investigation.

“FIFA became aware of the actions taken today by the U.S. Department of Justice,” FIFA said in a statement. “FIFA will continue to cooperate fully with the U.S. investigation as permitted by Swiss law, as well as with the investigation being led by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General.”

The full roster of people charged Thursday morning was not immediately clear. Law enforcement officials said the list did not include Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s longtime president, or Jérôme Valcke, his suspended deputy.

Swiss authorities confirmed on Thursday morning that they had taken two FIFA officials into custody and that those individuals were accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes related to the sale of marketing rights for World Cup qualifying matches and soccer tournaments in Latin America.

Local authorities in Zurich were expected to hold hearings for those two individuals later in the day, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice said.

The apprehended people may submit to being extradited to the United States immediately, but if they oppose it, authorities said, Switzerland will await a formal extradition request from American prosecutors within 40 days.

In May, United States officials announced charges against 18 people of 12 nationalities. They described two decades of corruption in which officials rigged World Cup bids and steered marketing and broadcast contracts in exchange for bribes — paid out through convoluted financial deals and briefcases full of cash. Mr. Blatter quickly announced plans to resign.

The United States Justice Department was expected to unseal indictments in the case as early as Thursday morning, according to several law enforcement officials who were briefed on the case and spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. F.B.I. and United States tax agents, along with federal prosecutors in New York, have spent years building the case against FIFA. They promised this spring to rid the organization of corruption.

Melanie Newman, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department in Washington, had no comment Thursday morning.

United States authorities have long predicted more charges in the case, but the number of people involved — nearly as many as were charged in May — was not expected.

The arrests came about three hours before members of FIFA’s executive committee were to begin the second part of their two-day meeting to discuss governance reforms. The mood among the soccer officials after Wednesday’s meetings was mostly upbeat; one high-ranking official said there was a “sense of purpose” from the leadership during the meetings, a feeling that the reforms would be a strong step in the right direction after the turmoil of the past six months.

Television crews reported the scene in front of the Baur au Lac hotel early Thursday morning. Credit Pascal Mora for The New York Times
On Wednesday night, a group of about 40 to 50 soccer officials — including the executive committee members and their spouses or companions, as well as many top FIFA administrators such as Markus Kattner, the acting secretary general, and Marco Villiger, the organization’s chief lawyer — attended a lavish dinner at Sonnenberg, an upscale restaurant known for its view of the city. A wide array of choices were available — the restaurant is known for its meat dishes — and afterward a number of officials went to the bar at the Baur au Lac for the customary nightcap.

The hotel, which sits along the banks of Lake Zurich, gained notoriety after it was the site of the arrests in May but has had a long relationship with FIFA. In the aftermath of the May arrests, FIFA approached soccer officials who were coming to Zurich for business trips in subsequent months and offered the choice of booking accommodation at another hotel in the city (provided, of course, the rates were not substantially higher than the negotiated package rates FIFA receives at the Baur au Lac, where rooms for the public start at $650).

A few officials accepted the offer, choosing to stay at other hotels, such as the Park Hyatt, during meetings in July and September. For the most part, however, tradition ruled and, despite its history, the Baur au Lac was full with soccer leaders yet again this week.

As one official, speaking in the lobby of the hotel on Wednesday, said, “Things change slowly around here.”

Members of FIFA’s executive committee are meeting in Zurich this week to approve a set of reform measures. The group is under pressure not just from investigators but also from sponsors. Five World Cup sponsors, including Adidas, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, signed a letter this week urging FIFA to ensure independent oversight of the reforms.

A new election to select a replacement for Mr. Blatter is set for February. He has been under suspension, along with several other top officials, since Switzerland announced in late September that he was the focus of a separate criminal inquiry. Several other countries, including Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago, have opened investigations of their own.

This spring’s arrests were met around the world with a mixture of praise and derision. Many soccer fans were thrilled that American law enforcement officials had set their sights on FIFA, which had been dogged by corruption allegations for years but faced few consequences. Mr. Blatter, however, said the charges were retribution for United States’s not being chosen to host the 2022 World Cup. “It doesn’t smell good,” he said.

More broadly, the case raised questions about how the American government interprets its own authority to prosecute people for crimes committed overseas. To do so, the law requires some link between the crime and the United States. In the FIFA case, the government said American banks were used in the scheme. That has been enough to establish jurisdiction in other cases, a precedent that has been particularly useful in prosecuting international terrorism suspects.

Whether or not an American courthouse was the ideal venue for the case, Justice Department have said, it became clear that FIFA was operating corruptly for years and no other country was doing anything about it. “They clearly thought the U.S. was a safe financial haven for them,” Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said this spring.
-----------------
Sam Borden reported from Zurich, and Rebecca R. Ruiz and Matt Apuzzo from Washington. Michael S. Schmidt contributed reporting from Washington, William K. Rashbaum from New York and Calum MacKenzie from Zurich.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #516 on: December 03, 2015, 05:57:46 AM »
You can still vote!
FIFA.com


And then there were three.

The FIFA Puskás Award celebrates the best goal of the past year and, most importantly, is chosen by you. Countless FIFA.com fans have cast their votes to whittle the original list of ten goals down to just three: Alessandro Florenzi, Wendell Lira, and Lionel Messi.

The three goals showcase different qualities and each have caught the imagination of the football world. Florenzi's strike for Roma against fellow contender Messi's Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League will be one for fans of long-range efforts. The make-shift full-back picked up possession deep in his own half and sped off down the right flank before unleashing a shot 55 metres out with his right foot that soared over German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Relive Florenzi's magic moment here.

For fans of acrobatic efforts, look no further than Wendell Lira. "As the ball was played into me, I turned and knew that I only had one option,” the 26-year-old told globeesporte.com. “I wanted to volley it. Thank goodness I managed to score such a wonderful goal.” While his description sounds exciting enough, watch the goal for yourself. The truth is that his strike was even more breathtaking than words can express.

If long-range strikes or acrobatic efforts aren't your thing, Lionel Messi showcases the beauty of the solo goal. Messi's electrifying solo effort against Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Copa del Rey came on 30 May 2015. “I don’t think I’m quite aware of just how great a goal Leo’s was. I just want to go home and enjoy it,” said Barcelona coach Luis Enrique after his side’s 3-1 win at the Camp Nou. You can now enjoy it for yourself. Watch Messi weave his mazy magic here.

Which goal gets your vote? You can still vote for your favourite goal from the final three contenders right here! The winner will be revealed on the day of the FIFA Ballon d’Or on 11 January 2016. Voting will close during the show.

Select your favourite and cast your vote for the FIFA Puskás Award 2015. The decision is in your hands!

Offline Sando

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #517 on: December 03, 2015, 06:55:11 AM »
FIFA Corruption Case Brings Another Wave of Pre-Dawn Arrests
By REBECCA R. RUIZ, MATT APUZZO and SAM BORDENDEC. 3, 2015 (New York Times)


ZURICH — Swiss authorities began a new series of pre-dawn arrests Thursday in the broad investigation, led by United States officials, into corruption in international soccer. More than a dozen people were expected to be charged, law enforcement officials said, nearly doubling the size of an already huge case that has upended FIFA, soccer’s multibillion-dollar governing body.
Some of the arrests took place at the same luxury hotel where other FIFA officials were arrested in May. Swiss police entered the hotel, the Baur au Lac, through a side door at 6 a.m. local time. A hotel manager told visitors in the lobby they had to leave the property because of “an extreme situation.”

The police were targeting current and former senior soccer officials on charges that include racketeering, money laundering and fraud, authorities said. The new charges were expected to hit South and Central American soccer leaders particularly hard, the officials said.

Alfredo Hawit of Honduras and Juan Ángel Napout of Paraguay were among those arrested, multiple people familiar with the investigation said. Hawit is the president of Concacaf, the regional confederation that includes North and Central America and the Caribbean. Napout is the president of Conmebol, the South American confederation. Both are FIFA vice presidents and members of the powerful executive committee.

Hawit assumed control of Concacaf last spring, following the indictment of Jeffrey Webb, the confederation’s former president. Reacting to the allegations contained in the United States indictment unsealed last spring, Hawit said in a statement that he was “profoundly disappointed” that the organization was once again “the victim of fraud.”

The arrests, coming as FIFA’s leaders gathered in Zurich, served as a high-profile reminder that despite the organization’s promises of reform, soccer’s top officials remain under intense legal scrutiny by the investigation.

“FIFA became aware of the actions taken today by the U.S. Department of Justice,” FIFA said in a statement. “FIFA will continue to cooperate fully with the U.S. investigation as permitted by Swiss law, as well as with the investigation being led by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General.”

The full roster of people charged Thursday morning was not immediately clear. Law enforcement officials said the list did not include Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s longtime president, or Jérôme Valcke, his suspended deputy.

Swiss authorities confirmed on Thursday morning that they had taken two FIFA officials into custody and that those individuals were accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes related to the sale of marketing rights for World Cup qualifying matches and soccer tournaments in Latin America.

Local authorities in Zurich were expected to hold hearings for those two individuals later in the day, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice said.

The apprehended people may submit to being extradited to the United States immediately, but if they oppose it, authorities said, Switzerland will await a formal extradition request from American prosecutors within 40 days.

In May, United States officials announced charges against 18 people of 12 nationalities. They described two decades of corruption in which officials rigged World Cup bids and steered marketing and broadcast contracts in exchange for bribes — paid out through convoluted financial deals and briefcases full of cash. Mr. Blatter quickly announced plans to resign.

The United States Justice Department was expected to unseal indictments in the case as early as Thursday morning, according to several law enforcement officials who were briefed on the case and spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. F.B.I. and United States tax agents, along with federal prosecutors in New York, have spent years building the case against FIFA. They promised this spring to rid the organization of corruption.

Melanie Newman, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department in Washington, had no comment Thursday morning.

United States authorities have long predicted more charges in the case, but the number of people involved — nearly as many as were charged in May — was not expected.

The arrests came about three hours before members of FIFA’s executive committee were to begin the second part of their two-day meeting to discuss governance reforms. The mood among the soccer officials after Wednesday’s meetings was mostly upbeat; one high-ranking official said there was a “sense of purpose” from the leadership during the meetings, a feeling that the reforms would be a strong step in the right direction after the turmoil of the past six months.

Television crews reported the scene in front of the Baur au Lac hotel early Thursday morning. Credit Pascal Mora for The New York Times
On Wednesday night, a group of about 40 to 50 soccer officials — including the executive committee members and their spouses or companions, as well as many top FIFA administrators such as Markus Kattner, the acting secretary general, and Marco Villiger, the organization’s chief lawyer — attended a lavish dinner at Sonnenberg, an upscale restaurant known for its view of the city. A wide array of choices were available — the restaurant is known for its meat dishes — and afterward a number of officials went to the bar at the Baur au Lac for the customary nightcap.

The hotel, which sits along the banks of Lake Zurich, gained notoriety after it was the site of the arrests in May but has had a long relationship with FIFA. In the aftermath of the May arrests, FIFA approached soccer officials who were coming to Zurich for business trips in subsequent months and offered the choice of booking accommodation at another hotel in the city (provided, of course, the rates were not substantially higher than the negotiated package rates FIFA receives at the Baur au Lac, where rooms for the public start at $650).

A few officials accepted the offer, choosing to stay at other hotels, such as the Park Hyatt, during meetings in July and September. For the most part, however, tradition ruled and, despite its history, the Baur au Lac was full with soccer leaders yet again this week.

As one official, speaking in the lobby of the hotel on Wednesday, said, “Things change slowly around here.”

Members of FIFA’s executive committee are meeting in Zurich this week to approve a set of reform measures. The group is under pressure not just from investigators but also from sponsors. Five World Cup sponsors, including Adidas, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, signed a letter this week urging FIFA to ensure independent oversight of the reforms.

A new election to select a replacement for Mr. Blatter is set for February. He has been under suspension, along with several other top officials, since Switzerland announced in late September that he was the focus of a separate criminal inquiry. Several other countries, including Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago, have opened investigations of their own.

This spring’s arrests were met around the world with a mixture of praise and derision. Many soccer fans were thrilled that American law enforcement officials had set their sights on FIFA, which had been dogged by corruption allegations for years but faced few consequences. Mr. Blatter, however, said the charges were retribution for United States’s not being chosen to host the 2022 World Cup. “It doesn’t smell good,” he said.

More broadly, the case raised questions about how the American government interprets its own authority to prosecute people for crimes committed overseas. To do so, the law requires some link between the crime and the United States. In the FIFA case, the government said American banks were used in the scheme. That has been enough to establish jurisdiction in other cases, a precedent that has been particularly useful in prosecuting international terrorism suspects.

Whether or not an American courthouse was the ideal venue for the case, Justice Department have said, it became clear that FIFA was operating corruptly for years and no other country was doing anything about it. “They clearly thought the U.S. was a safe financial haven for them,” Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said this spring.
-----------------
Sam Borden reported from Zurich, and Rebecca R. Ruiz and Matt Apuzzo from Washington. Michael S. Schmidt contributed reporting from Washington, William K. Rashbaum from New York and Calum MacKenzie from Zurich.

That's funny..

T&T investigating corruption, I guess the world doesn't know T&T very well.


Offline Adam Lake

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #518 on: December 03, 2015, 09:31:19 AM »
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/fifa-defers-decision-on-40-team-soccer-world-cup-starting-in-2026-120315

FIFA defers decision on 40-team World Cup starting in 2026

AP
Dec 3, 2015 at 9:06a ET
ZURICH --

The FIFA executive committee has deferred a decision on expanding the World Cup to 40 teams starting at the 2026 tournament.

The German soccer federation says the FIFA administration will have further talks about the plan, which is supported by Asia and Africa.

The idea to add eight teams was part of FIFA reform proposals being considered Thursday. The executive committee had the power to make it FIFA policy without approval of the 209 member federations.

The 2026 bidding should start next year with the United States, Canada and Mexico the expected candidates.

The 40-team World Cup was first suggested by UEFA President Michel Platini in 2013. It is an election pledge by FIFA presidential candidate Gianni Infantino, the UEFA general secretary.


Offline lefty

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #519 on: December 03, 2015, 10:05:24 AM »
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/fifa-defers-decision-on-40-team-soccer-world-cup-starting-in-2026-120315

FIFA defers decision on 40-team World Cup starting in 2026
.........................


don't know 32 seems the most uncomplicated number for world cup finals, always seemed kinda odd choosing 16 from 24 and the process invovled in doing that
I pity the fool....

Offline Adam Lake

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #520 on: December 03, 2015, 10:16:23 AM »
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2015/m=12/news=fifa-executive-committee-approves-kick-off-times-for-the-2018-fifa-wor-2741645.html

FIFA Executive Committee approves kick-off times for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

The FIFA Executive Committee has approved the kick-off times for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 during the first of two days of meetings in Zurich.

The opening match of both tournaments, as well as the FIFA World Cup Final, will be played at 18.00 Moscow time (UTC + 3).

Taking into account time zone considerations, the FIFA Executive Committee also amended the 2018 FIFA World Cup match schedule accordingly by swapping the following matches between Kaliningrad and Ekaterinburg: Match #21 and #26, #32 and #36, #44 and #45.

The next step in the development of the match schedules will be the assignment of kick-off times to matches, factoring in such considerations as daily temperatures and local time zones. Updated versions of the match schedules should be approved in March 2016, during the meeting of the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup.

The final match schedules, which will include the participating teams, will be unveiled after the FIFA Confederations Cup Draw, in November 2016, and after the FIFA World Cup Final Draw, in December 2017.

The kick-off times of both competitions using Moscow’s time zones*, are as follows,

2018™ FIFA World Cup Russia  - 14 June to 15 July

Opening match: 18.00
16 June: 13.00, 16.00, 19.00, 22.00
Group stage matches for the days with three matches: 15.00, 18.00, 21.00
Last round of group stage matches with simultaneous kick-offs, Round of 16 and Quarter-finals: 17.00, 21.00
Semi-finals: 21.00

Match for third place: 17.00
Final: 18.00

FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - 17 June to 2 July

Opening Match: 18.00
First two rounds of group stage matches: 18.00, 21.00
Last round of group stage matches: 18.00
Semi-finals: 21.00
Match for third place: 15.00
Final: 21.00

Offline Majestic

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #521 on: December 03, 2015, 11:24:46 AM »
...investigation, led by United States officials, into corruption...

dis is more funny
He Is Highly

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #522 on: December 03, 2015, 11:51:58 PM »
Yahoo Sports: FIFA scandal deepens with 16 indicted for corruption

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/fifa-scandal-deepens-16-indicted-corruption-230237617--sow.html;_ylt=A0LEVjt4KGFWhzoA_DkPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--

Washington (AFP) - The multi-million dollar corruption scandal engulfing FIFA widened with 16 people indicted by US justice officials who pledged an unremitting crackdown on an "outrageous" betrayal of trust.
Related Stories

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The latest dramatic twist in a long-running saga began with a dawn raid on a luxury Zurich hotel where Swiss authorities arrested South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) president Juan Angel Napout, and Alfredo Hawit, head of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF).

Hours later, the two appeared on a list released in Washington of 16 men -- all from the same two confederations -- indicted on charges of corruption.

They included Ricardo Teixeira, the former head of the Brazilian Football Confederation and a former FIFA vice-president; Ariel Alvarado, a Panamanian who sits on FIFA's disciplinary committee; and Rafael Callejas, president of Honduras 1990-1994 and former head of the Honduran football federation.

"The message should be clear to every culpable individual who remains in the shadows, hoping to evade our investigation: You will not wait us out. You will not escape our focus," US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

Lynch also revealed that eight other people indicted since authorities launched an earlier wave of FIFA raids in Switzerland in May had now pleaded guilty.
View gallery
The FIFA corruption scandal deepens
The main players in the deepening FIFA corruption scandal (135 x 156 mm) (AFP Photo/S.Ramis-K.Tian/P …

Among those were Jeffrey Webb, a former FIFA vice president and head of CONCACAF, who has admitted racketeering and money laundering.

As part of his plea deal, he has agreed to forfeit more than $6.7 million in assets.

Webb and banned former CONCACAF chief Jack Warner, who was indicted earlier, were also accused of siphoning off cash intended for disaster relief, according to the new indictment.

Hawit, a Honduran national, and Napout of Paraguay are both opposing extradition to the United States, the Swiss justice ministry (FOJ) said.

Both are suspected of taking millions of dollars in bribes in return for selling marketing rights for regional tournaments and World Cup qualifying matches, the FOJ said.
View gallery
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks about the …
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks about the corruption scandal engulfing FIFA at the Justice  …

- Epicentre of graft -

Hawit's predecessor in charge of football in Honduras insisted that he had done nothing wrong.

"He assured and guaranteed that he was not involved in anything illicit," Callejas said.

FIFA's remaining leadership approved a series of measures aimed at improving transparency and curbing the authority of the body's much-maligned executive committee, which has emerged as an epicentre of graft.

The measures include a 12-year term limit for FIFA's president and other senior leaders, public disclosure of compensation for top officials and a pledge to include more women in senior positions.
View gallery
South American Football Confederation president Juan …
South American Football Confederation president Juan Angel Napout, seen here (right) with FIFA Presi …

They must be approved at a meeting of FIFA's 209-member associations in February, when a replacement will also be chosen for the organisation's suspended president Sepp Blatter, who is the subject of a Swiss criminal investigation.

The head of the reform effort, Francois Carrard, told journalists that the measures offered FIFA an opportunity "to renew itself."

Acting president Issa Hayatou, also implicated in previous corruption allegations, said Thursday's arrests "underscore the need to establish a complete programme of reforms."

Despite the pledges for change, outsiders, including major corporate sponsors, may remain sceptical of whether FIFA is capable of fixing itself.

The arrests were carried out at the five-star Baur au Lac hotel, a favourite of FIFA's officials, and the same spot where seven football executives were arrested in May on charges of corruption dating back decades.
View gallery
Swiss authorities conduct an early-morning operation …
Swiss authorities conduct an early-morning operation to arrest FIFA football officials at the Hotel  …

Blatter has been suspended for 90-days and is facing tougher punishment by FIFA's ethics watchdog.

- Millions of dollars -

The man who had been tipped to succeed him, European football chief Michel Platini, has also been suspended over taking a $2 million payment and could be hit with a lifetime ban from football by the end of the month.

Aside from term limits, a full restructuring of the executive committee was approved.

Both Hawit and Napout sit on the executive committee, although their arrests may trigger swift suspensions by the ethics committee.
View gallery
Alfredo Hawit, pictured on November 5, 2015, was arrested …
Alfredo Hawit, pictured on November 5, 2015, was arrested by Swiss authorities at a luxury Zurich ho …

The Swiss justice ministry said the two had been arrested following requests from the United States issued on November 29.

Prosecutors in New York suspect the two "of accepting bribes of millions of dollars," the FOJ statement said.

The arrests, and the meeting on reforms, came on the fifth anniversary of the 2010 vote that controversially awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.

Before his suspension, Blatter tipped Carrard to lead a reform drive, after the Swiss lawyer had been widely praised for cleaning up a rotten International Olympic Committee more than a decade ago.

Carrard told reporters that the panel had scrapped an idea for a 74-year age limit for senior officials, calling it "arbitrary."

But in a surprise move, his panel proposed expanding the World Cup from 32 teams to 40 in 2026 to broaden inclusion at the world's premier sports event, although it was not immediately clear how that would aid anti-corruption efforts.

The plan has not yet been approved by the executive committee and remains under review.

Carrard and Hayatou faced tough questions as to whether FIFA insiders could be part of the effort to clean up their act.

"I am aware that the road will be difficult," Carrard said, but stressed that "if you want to achieve reform it must also be carried out from within
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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #523 on: December 04, 2015, 06:38:21 AM »
FIFA corruption crackdown continues
By STEPHON NICHOLAS (NEWSDAY).


The CONCACAF region continues to be fraught with shame as its third president in a row was yesterday arrested on charges of racketeering and bribery.

It was deja vu for the corruption-riddled FIFA as indictments were issued for 16 officials including CONCACAF acting president Alfredo Hawit who was held yesterday in a US Department of Justice early morning swoop in Switzerland.

The predawn exercise mirrored that of May earlier this year where other FIFA honchos including previous CONCACAF boss Jeffrey Webb were detained by the FBI in a covert operation that also involved Swiss authorities.

Former CONCACAF boss and ex-FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is also on the wanted list by the FBI to face similar charges but is currently battling extradition in Trinidad after TT AG Faris Al-Rawi gave the all-clear for him to depart.

The ex FIFA bigwig is also challenging the Extradition Order issued by the USA, saying it goes against local extradition laws.

The 16 new defendants arrested yesterday included nine CONMEBOL officials and seven high ranking members from CONCACAF such as former President of the Republic of Honduras Rafael Callejas; Hector Trujillo, a judge at the Guatemala Constitutional Court; Ariel Alvarado (Panama Federation president); Brayan Jiminez (head of Guatemala Federation); Rafael Salguero (ex-Guatemala football head) and Reynaldo Vasquez (former El Salvador football boss).

US Attorney General Loretta E Lynch, in an address to the media yesterday, revealed that Webb was among eight officials arrested in May who have pleaded guilty, forfeiting close to US$200 million.

She also sounded a warning to other FIFA officials that her country would be proactive in bringing other FIFA members alleged to have been involved in illicit activities to justice.

“The Department of Justice is committed to ending the rampant corruption we have alleged amidst the leadership of international soccer – not only because of the scale of the schemes, or the brazenness and breadth of the operation required to sustain such corruption, but also because of the affront to international principles that this behaviour represents,” said Attorney General Lynch.

“The message from this announcement should be clear to every culpable individual who remains in the shadows, hoping to evade our investigation: You will not wait us out. You will not escape our focus.” As news of the latest FIFA scandal rocked the football world yesterday, former TT FA president Raymond Tim Kee was left struggling to find words when told by Newsday about the latest developments.

“Alfredo? Alfredo was arrested? You kidding me. Wow,” he said, taking a few seconds to come to grips with what transpired.

“Well I am really thoroughly surprised to hear that. Those are all men with whom I would have dealt with over the years and of course held them in the high esteem. I am really disappointed to hear Alfredo was in that. We spoke about that (corruption) after all the things (May arrests) started - Alfredo and I - and I am disappointed to hear that.

“He was one of those persons I held respect for. He was always kind of idealistic in some of the things he said and we shared (sentiments) about not doing crooked, wrong things. At the other hand, I never demonstrated any kind of looseness so nobody might take the chance to tell me anything.” Tim Kee noted though that he is in support of the clean-up operation of football’s governing body as “football deserves clean, good governance because too many lives depend on it and it brings joy and happiness to so many homes and lives.”

Asked how CONCACAF and FIFA can purge itself from the scourge of corruption, Tim Kee was frank: “Once you go in and find anything out of sorts, you have to go right down deep and get to the root and clean it or destroy it and start afresh. When you clean and tweak here and there you will be missing the root and the root will be dormant...

It is good (cleaning FIFA), I am saddened but so long as you identify an ailment, you have a responsibility to dig deep and clean from the root.” He noted that the TT FA constitution implemented by him which stresses good governance and democracy was given rave reviews by FIFA’s representative and believes other CONCACAF territories and even FIFA can adopt it and lay the groundwork for a positive way forward.

Present head of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TT FA) David John-Williams was coy however to speak on the arrest of the past and present FIFA officials given he is just four days into his post.

“I can’t really comment much on that. I just saw it on the news this morning so I don’t know the circumstances but all I can say is it’s unfortunate. I think the problems in football worldwide is well documented. Whichever administration is newly elected whether its Trinidad, Grenada, Barbados or CONCACAF they will be under tremendous scrutiny. The problems are well documented so we just have to deal with it. It’s too early in my tenure to comment on that. I just want to see how it unfolds,” he said.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #524 on: December 04, 2015, 08:33:06 AM »
Once again Uncle Tim is stunned (either true naively or stated dishonestly) that all his friends and associates in CONCACAF were snatched in the crime syndicate dragnet. Either conclusion is pathetic.
Next time when they grab Uncle Burrellito from Jamdown, he is likely to say again how surprised he is.
Timmo, I would suggest that you lay low and cut down on international travel if you know you've been dabbling in "stuff".

Thank God for a change in TTFA administration, new immediate plans to pay Pellurud and avoidance of T&T from being banned from the 2022 World Cup.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2015, 07:25:46 PM by dreamer »
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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #525 on: December 04, 2015, 07:23:27 PM »
US says eight guilty pleas in FIFA corruption scandal
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/SFFVg2f2Y24" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/SFFVg2f2Y24</a>
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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #526 on: December 06, 2015, 04:44:35 AM »
Judge in FIFA Scandal Arrested When Cruise Ship Docks in Florida
By Matt Apuzzo (The New York Times).


Federal agents boarded an international cruise ship as it docked in Florida before dawn on Friday and arrested one of the world soccer officials who had yet to be captured in a broad corruption investigation, the F.B.I. said.

The official, Héctor Trujillo, the general secretary of the Guatemalan soccer federation who is also a judge on the Constitutional Court of Guatemala, was arrested by federal customs agents. He was expected to appear in a federal courtroom in Florida, said Kelly Langmesser, an F.B.I. spokeswoman.

Mr. Trujillo, 62, was on an island cruise Thursday when the Justice Department announced charges against him and 15 others. Checking the cruise itinerary, federal agents saw that the ship was not scheduled to stop before it arrived in Port Canaveral, Fla.

It was unclear whether Mr. Trujillo was aware of the indictments while at sea, but Internet access and phone service are available on many cruise lines.

At around 6 a.m. Friday, agents with Customs and Border Protection boarded the ship and arrested Mr. Trujillo without incident, Ms. Langmesser said.

For the last five years, Mr. Trujillo has been the general secretary of Guatemala’s national soccer federation. During that time, he has simultaneously served as a judge.

Announcing the charges against the array of individuals on Thursday, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch specifically mentioned Mr. Trujillo and his seat on his country’s constitutional court. Ms. Lynch characterized him as “purportedly dispensing justice by day while allegedly soliciting bribes and selling his influence within FIFA.”

Mr. Trujillo is accused of accepting money from business executives in exchange for lucrative sports marketing contracts, including from a Miami-based company called Media World that figures prominently into the United States’ case.

The indictment unsealed Thursday refers to multiple bribe negotiations in Miami involving Media World, Mr. Trujillo and other defendants. Those defendants include Brayan Jiménez, president of the Guatemalan soccer federation, and Rafael Salguero, a former president of that federation who rose higher in the ranks of world soccer and assumed a role on FIFA’s executive committee.

The negotiations referred to contracts signed in 2010 and 2014. The bribes traveled around the world in deliberately roundabout ways, with one particular six-figure bribe wired from Miami through Panama City in an effort to conceal the transaction, according to the indictment.

Mr. Trujillo and his fellow officials were mindful of their illegal activity, the indictment suggests. It quotes from a meeting in Chicago last July at which the men insisted that nothing related to the transactions should be discussed over the phone and detailed the manner in which a bribe payment had been concealed.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #527 on: December 06, 2015, 04:54:41 AM »
FIFA scandal leads to sponsor crisis, with 27 of 34 partner slots empty
ESPNFC


FIFA's sponsorship 'black hole' is so acute that 27 out of 34 slots for potential partners remain unfilled.

The corruption scandal has proved so toxic that no new sponsors have joined since the 2014 World Cup, while several have severed all ties with the world governing body including top partners Sony and Emirates.

Out of 14 tier one and tier two partner slots, only seven are currently filled. Efforts to find 20 regional sponsors -- four from each continent -- have failed completely.

The loss of income has had a drastic effect on FIFA's finances -- it has forecast making a deficit of £67 million for 2015, the first time it will have made a loss since 2001.

FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil said: "FIFA is in contact with various companies and potential sponsors, but we are also realistic, and understand that until reforms are passed at the extraordinary congress, and a new president is elected, that it will be challenging to sign new partnerships.

"Given the ongoing discussions, I am confident that once the reforms are approved by the congress, we will indeed be able to realise our sponsorship concept.''

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #528 on: December 08, 2015, 07:22:44 AM »
This programme went out yesterday on BBC with a smug Andrew Jennings hamming it up somewhat. (tongue in cheek, I think)


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06tkl9d/panorama-fifa-sepp-blatter-and-me

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #529 on: December 16, 2015, 04:46:16 AM »
From what I gather, Andrew Jennings has leveraged his mastery of the subject matter into PhD research (unless there happens to be someone with his name and a coinciding interest). More to follow.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #530 on: December 16, 2015, 04:49:27 AM »
Sepp Blatter likens Fifa ethics committee to ‘Spanish Inquisition’
By Owen Gibson, The Guardian


Sepp Blatter has likened the Fifa ethics committee process that could lead to him being banned from football for years to the Spanish inquisition in a letter that itself appears to breach the terms of his suspension.

The Fifa president had resolved to carry on his tradition of writing an end of year letter to all 209 members of the governing body despite being provisionally suspended for 90 days over a £1.35m “disloyal payment” to Michel Platini, the suspended Uefa president.

Although it is not on Fifa-headed paper, it is understood that in writing to all 209 FAs around the world Blatter has breached the terms of his provisional ban from all football-related activities. His spokesman, Klaus Stöhlker, said Blatter was unconcerned about whether he had technically breached the terms of his ban. “He is more concerned about the fairness of the hearings and the outcome,” he said.

In the letter Blatter is understood to have written: “Although I have been suspended I am not isolated and will certainly not be silenced.”

As he prepares to face the ethics committee on Thursday, with the investigatory arm having requested a life ban but a suspension of six to seven years seen as more likely, Blatter is understood to have written that he was “bewildered by the insinuations and allegations brought against me by the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee”.

The 79-year-old Swiss, who this year resolved to stand down as Fifa president following the US indictment of what prosecutors described as a “World Cup of fraud”, insisted the process by which Platini received the payment nine years after it was originally due as part of a gentleman’s agreement between the pair was above board.

“However, the way in which the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee has communicated on the current proceedings, demanded the maximum penalty and reinforced public prejudgment has reached a tendentious and dangerous dimension,” he added. “These proceedings remind me of the inquisition.”

It was Platini’s lawyer who first revealed that the investigatory arm of the ethics committee was seeking a life ban for both men over the payment, which was made in 2011 weeks before Blatter was re-elected for a fourth term.

The pair face charges including corruption, conflict of interest and noncooperation. Blatter’s case will be heard on Thursday with Platini’s following on Friday, with a decision expected on Monday next week.

Blatter also says in the letter, seen by the Guardian that he has always “faced up to the challenges with honesty, respect and fair play”. He says he has maintained the values passed down to him by his parents: “Never accept any money which you have not earned, always pay off your debts.
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“I will continue to fight for my rights – and at the end of this week, I will present my case before the adjudicatory chamber with great conviction and a strong belief in justice”.

Blatter also faces a Swiss criminal investigation over the £1.35m payment and Platini has been interviewed as “someone between a witness and an accused person”. Both men have denied wrongdoing.

In the letter, Blatter again reaffirms his innocence. “In the current case, the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee must pass judgment on the legality of the bill for two million Swiss francs – stemming from the 1998 agreement between Fifa and Michel Platini – and whose payment [of the remaining amount] was only requested in 2010-11,” he says.

“I can assure you that it was legal because it was based on a verbal agreement. And agreements must be adhered to. This payment was put through the full administrative process, the correctness of which was confirmed by all competent Fifa bodies – including the congress.”

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #531 on: December 16, 2015, 04:51:28 AM »
Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo can't play friendly in banned Kuwait - FIFA
ESPNFC


ZURICH -- FIFA has stopped Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo and Xavi Hernandez from playing in a friendly in Kuwait because of the Gulf nation's ban from international football.

Kuwait was suspended by FIFA in October because of government interference. The ban from international competitions extends to active players registered with clubs from taking part in the Football Champions Tour friendly in Kuwait on Friday against a local all-star team.

Organizers say Pirlo and Gerrard, who play in Major League Soccer, as well as Qatar-based Xavi are no longer able to participate.

FIFA acting secretary general Markus Kattner wrote to member associations last week reminding them that the Football Champions Tour game was also covered by Kuwait's suspension.

"Such principle is, of course, also to be followed at all sporting levels involving football in the territory of the state of Kuwait,'' Kattner said.

On Tuesday, the FIFA disciplinary committee will consider sanctions for Kuwait for failing to fulfill a World Cup qualifier against Myanmar last month after it was banned. The ruling is not expected this week.

The International Olympic Committee has also suspended Kuwait, risking its athletes' chances of qualifying and competing at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Kuwait's top sports official, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah -- a FIFA executive committee member and head of the ANOC group of national Olympic bodies -- has been unable to resolve the dispute.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #532 on: December 16, 2015, 04:54:14 AM »
Leoz to be extradited to US to face corruption charges
The Associated Press



       
ASUNCION, Paraguay --Nicolas Leoz, the former head of the South American football confederation, is being extradited to the United States to face corruption charges linked to FIFA.

A Paraguay appeals court approved the extradition on Tuesday.

Leoz has been under house arrest in his native Paraguay since being indicted by U.S. authorities in May, charged with taking millions in bribes as the head of CONMEBOL, and as a member of FIFA's executive committee.

Leoz headed CONMEBOL from 1986-2013. His successors, Eugenio Figueredo of Uruguay and Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay, have also been indicted by U.S. authorities.

Figueredo remains in a Swiss jail, and Napout has consented to extradition to the U.S.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 05:00:26 AM by asylumseeker »

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #533 on: December 16, 2015, 05:05:15 AM »
FIFA defendant Juan Angel Napout posts $20 million bond after not-guilty plea
New York Daily News




Perhaps it's just prudent for soccer administrators to set aside $10 million for a rainy day.

Former FIFA vice-president Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay pledged that much as part of a bond package securing his release from custody while he awaits trial on charges that he took bribes related to the lucrative business of international soccer tournaments.

Napout pleaded not guilty Monday in Brooklyn, where the U.S. Attorney's office is prosecuting a massive, global crackdown on soccer corruption. His $10-million deposit, due Tuesday, was part of a $20-million bond package approved by federal magistrate judge Robert Levy

Napout also pledged a $7-million letter of credit from a bank and $3-million in real estate. His wife and daughter signed the bond as well, strictly as a gesture of what Levy called "moral suasion."

"He will have more reason to fulfill the conditions of the bond if you've signed it," the judge told the women.

Napout, who was arrested Dec. 3 and came to the U.S. voluntarily, wore a gray sweater, black pants, and sneakers, faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. He is accused of taking bribes from companies seeking marketing rights for tournaments such as the Copa Libertatores and the Copa America while he was president of CONMEBOL, the FIFA-affiliated confederation that governs soccer in South America.

The conditions of his release require that he remain in New York or South Florida under electronic monitoring, and make no contact with his 26 co-defendants in the case. He must pay for a private security service to accompany him on limited outings as well as 24-hour video surveillance at his home.

Also in the Brooklyn court Monday was Rafael Callejas, the former president of the Honduras national soccer federation - and before that, the president of Honduras itself from 1990 to 1994. Callejas, who also pleaded not guilty, is not at the moment seeking bail. As he left the courtroom, Callejas gave a thumbs-up to a spectator in the courtroom who later identified himself as the defendant's cousin.

Swiss authorities said Monday that another defendant in the U.S. case, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, has agreed to be extradited to Brooklyn from Switzerland, where Li was arrested on May 27.

Fifa vice-president Juan Angel Napout denies bribery after extradition
BBC News


Fifa vice-president Juan Angel Napout has pleaded not guilty to bribery charges in New York after being extradited to the US, his lawyer said.

The president of the South American football federation Conmebol was detained in Zurich earlier this month.

Mr Napout, a Paraguayan, is accused of taking bribes worth millions of dollars linked to the sale of marketing rights to South American tournaments.

He resigned following his arrest and is currently banned from football.

Earlier in the day, former Honduras President Rafael Callejas also pleaded not guilty to bribery at the federal court in Brooklyn.

Mr Callejas, who led his country between 1990 and 1994, is a current member of Fifa's television and marketing committee.

Both men are among 16 current and former senior football officials indicted by US authorities investigating corruption in the organisation earlier this month.

The FBI investigation was initially sparked by the controversial award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, as well as the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

But the inquiry has since been widened to look at Fifa's dealings over the past 20 years. The US says the corruption was planned in the US and US banks were used to transfer money.

Fifa President Sepp Blatter has always denied any wrongdoing, but in September he was made the subject of a parallel Swiss criminal investigation.

Swiss justice authorities also said Eduardo Li, a former president of the Costa Rican federation who was arrested in Zurich in May, had dropped his appeal against extradition to the US.

Meanwhile in Peru, authorities have opened an investigation into the current head of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF), Edwin Oviedo, as well as 65 other people.

Prosecutors are examining the FPF's bank accounts and balance sheets amid suspicion that sports activities were used to launder money, AFP news agency reports.

And in Brazil, former stars including Rai and Paulo Cezar Caju have called for the resignation of Brazilian Football Confederation President Marco Polo Del Nero, who has been indicted in the US for "racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies".

"We need a more democratic institution in order to rebuild Brazilian football," Rai told BBC Brasil.

Mr Del Nero is currently on a leave of absence.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 05:27:05 AM by asylumseeker »

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #534 on: December 16, 2015, 05:07:04 AM »
Eduardo Li agrees to extradition to the United States
By Michael Krumholtz, The Tico Times




After spending more than six months in a Swiss detention center, former Costa Rican football head Eduardo Li has decided to face his judicial fate in the United States. Li, who was arrested in May along with other figures of football’s international governing body FIFA, agreed to be extradited to the U.S. to face a pair of indictments from the U.S. Justice Department that charge him with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy, as well as other acts of bribery.

Last week, Li met with his legal team in Switzerland, according to his Costa Rican attorney Róger Guevara.

“After consulting with his lawyers, Eduardo has decided it’s in his best interest to offer himself up for extradition,” Guevara said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “The principal of innocence covers Eduardo, in the U.S. and in Costa Rica, and he has taken the decision of directly facing the charges in the United States after undergoing the process of extradition.”

In the email to The Tico Times, Guevara said that Li alerted Swiss authorities on Friday that he would accept the extradition order that he had previously appealed. Sometime within the next eight days, Li will be taken to the U.S.

If convicted in U.S. courts for the four counts levied against him, Li could face up to 20 years in prison and be subject to civil forfeiture, meaning he would have to give up any money and acquisitions stemming from the alleged bribes.

Swiss authorities initially decided to extradite Li in September, but he appealed to the government’s justice ministry while in prison. On Dec. 4, the U.S. government released a second indictment against FIFA officials, who prosecutors say have for years taken bribes and kickbacks in a massive, widespread corruption scandal.

Li was mentioned heavily in the recent 240-page indictment by the U.S. Eastern District Court of New York. The newest indictment alleges that Li asked for a $600,000 bribe from sports media company Media World in exchange for the rights to televise Costa Rica’s qualifying matches leading up to the 2022 World Cup. He received $300,000 of the requested bribe, according to prosecutors, through bank accounts located in Miami, Florida and Panama under Warrior Holding, S.A., a company located in Santa Ana, Costa Rica. Li’s friend Orlando Guerrero is listed as treasurer of the company.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 05:23:57 AM by asylumseeker »

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #535 on: December 16, 2015, 05:31:30 AM »
Sierra Leone rejects FIFA demand to reinstate FA
Yahoo Sports


Freetown (AFP) - Sierra Leone has rejected demands by FIFA to reinstate its dissolved football association, cautioning the world governing body on Tuesday to "respect national laws".

FIFA has given the west African nation until Wednesday to comply with the directive or risk an immediate ban from all international competition.

"Our decision stands and it will not be changed," Ibrahim Bangura, of the National Sports Council (NSC), told reporters in the capital Freetown.

"The Ministry of Sport and the Sports Council have the responsibility to govern sports in Sierra Leone and will stand by the decision to dissolve the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA).

"FIFA must follow procedures and respect national laws. Our decision is final and cannot be changed or overturned by anyone outside our jurisdiction."

Deputy sports minister Ismael Al-Sankoh Conteh said the NSC had been forced to take action last week after the SLFA dissolved a seven-man committee set up to identify delegates for the association's next congress.

The NSC says the committee was set up by FIFA and endorsed by Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma.

FIFA outlaws government interference in the running of football and frequently suspends national associations, with Kuwait, Nigeria and Cameroon among the most recent targets for sanctions.

Online sports news portal Football Sierra Leone printed a letter on Saturday it said was from acting FIFA secretary general Markus Kattner, warning SLFA general secretary Chris Kamara of a possible ban.

"The decisions of the National Sports Council appear to amount to government interference in the internal affairs of the SLFA," Kattner says in the letter.

He warns that unless the NSC backs down, the matter will be referred to FIFA's Emergency Committee, which would almost certainly result in the SLFA being suspended.

"We would like to underline the dire effects a suspension could have on Sierra Leone football," Kattner says.

"It would for instance mean that no team from Sierra Leone of any sort (including clubs) could have any international sporting contact."

SLFA president Isha Johansen urged the government to think again in a statement on Tuesday pleading for her organisation to be allowed to "create a culture of good governance".

"Striving to retain independence has been a huge challenge and has made the Sierra Leone football industry the focus of much international and national attention," she said.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #536 on: December 16, 2015, 07:11:18 AM »
Good stuff Seeker.
Notice how normally power-hungry Uncle Burrell declined to accept the kushy Concacaf president job
Surely he is worried about being snatched away in a Zurich conference as the noose is tightening around the mafia
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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #537 on: December 16, 2015, 08:35:42 PM »
The 16 New Defendants
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/sixteen-additional-fifa-officials-indicted-racketeering-conspiracy-and-corruption


As set forth in the superseding indictment, the 16 newly-indicted defendants are all current or former soccer officials who acted at various times in a fiduciary capacity within FIFA and one or more of its constituent organizations:

CONCACAF Region Officials
•Alfredo Hawit: Current FIFA vice president and Executive Committee member and CONCACAF president.  Former CONCACAF vice president and Honduran soccer federation president.
•Ariel Alvarado: Current member of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.  Former CONCACAF Executive Committee member and Panamanian soccer federation president.
•Rafael Callejas: Current member of the FIFA Television and Marketing Committee.  Former Honduran soccer federation president and former president of the Republic of Honduras.
•Brayan Jiménez: Current Guatemalan soccer federation president and member of the FIFA Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility.
•Rafael Salguero: Former FIFA Executive Committee member and Guatemalan soccer federation president.
•Héctor Trujillo: Current Guatemalan soccer federation general secretary and judge on the Constitutional Court of Guatemala.
•Reynaldo Vasquez: Former Salvadoran soccer federation president.

CONMEBOL Region Officials
•Juan Ángel Napout: Current FIFA vice president and Executive Committee member and CONMEBOL president.  Former Paraguayan soccer federation president.
•Manuel Burga: Current member of the FIFA Development Committee.  Former Peruvian soccer federation president.
•Carlos Chávez: Current CONMEBOL treasurer.  Former Bolivian soccer federation president.
•Luís Chiriboga: Current Ecuadorian soccer federation president and member of the CONMEBOL Executive Committee.
•Marco Polo del Nero: Current president of the Brazilian soccer federation.  Announced resignation from FIFA Executive Committee on Nov. 26, 2015.
•Eduardo Deluca: Former CONMEBOL general secretary. Nationality:  Argentina
•José Luis Meiszner: Current CONMEBOL general secretary. Nationality:  Argentina
•Romer Osuna: Current member of the FIFA Audit and Compliance Committee.  Former CONMEBOL treasurer. Nationality:  Bolivia
•Ricardo Teixeira: Former Brazilian soccer federation president and FIFA Executive Committee member.

Hope we doh see any more folks from T&T on lists like this
« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 09:50:16 PM by dreamer »
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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #538 on: December 21, 2015, 04:24:32 AM »
Blatter and Platini have been given 8 year bans. Adieu, mes amis; the game is up!
« Last Edit: December 21, 2015, 08:20:00 AM by asylumseeker »

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #539 on: December 21, 2015, 01:05:31 PM »
Saw that. More good news Seeker.
We need to see more real life stories like this that prove crime does not (in the long) run pay.
It's not worth it and locals must understand that.
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