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Author Topic: FIFA News Thread.  (Read 109329 times)

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Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #601 on: March 17, 2016, 08:31:50 AM »
So does this mean FIFA will asked Concacaf for Center of Excellence in Macoya?

Offline Sando

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #602 on: March 17, 2016, 09:45:34 AM »

The TTFA had hired Miguel Trujillo to be their official match agent. I think he was the one who got the Uruguay match.

However, I heard that they had to let him go because of this.

Miguel Trujillo is very good friends with Jamal Shabaaz who recommended him to Williams and without doing any research, hired him.



I was waiting to see how long it would take for people to connect the dots.


Just can't believe a man like DJW will believe in a man like Shabaaz.



This is laughable on so many levels.  None so blind...

Bakes, like you know more, fill us in?


Offline rotatopoti3

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #603 on: March 17, 2016, 06:07:05 PM »
So does this mean FIFA will asked Concacaf for Center of Excellence in Macoya?


Deeks...dey goe mount ah JACK under it and think take it away.
Ah say it, how ah see it

Offline dtool

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #604 on: March 18, 2016, 05:38:29 AM »


The exclusive account of how a small band of federal agents and an outsized corrupt official brought down the sports world's biggest governing body.

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/14767250/the-exclusive-story-how-feds-took-fifa


Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #605 on: March 18, 2016, 08:24:59 AM »
I read in bbc where FIFA has approved a 4th sub for Olimpic football.

Offline Mad Scorpion a/k/a Big Bo$$

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #606 on: March 18, 2016, 10:17:03 AM »
Reading this article it seems that Blazer unlock the unscrupulous spirit within Warner.  Santa Clause go dead like ah semp doh.  After he help heself and enjoy the spoils he sell everybody he could dong the river.  It really ha no honor among thieves nah.  Good for we football that Warner get so brazen as to engage in a "naked bribe" otherwise all now we might still have to deal with he shyte!!!

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #607 on: March 28, 2016, 12:39:10 AM »
FIFA scandal was China's chance, says top sponsor
Daily Sabah


Wang Jianlin, China's richest man, said FIFA's corruption scandal was an opportunity for big Chinese companies to further the country's lofty footballing ambitions by undertaking sponsorship deals with the global governing body. Wang's Dalian Wanda Group, China's biggest commercial property developer and an active buyer of global entertainment and sports companies, became the first Chinese top level sponsor of FIFA last week. At a news conference in Beijing last week, the 61-year-old multi-billionaire said he expected other companies to follow suit to help drive China's ambition to become a soccer superpower.

"Two or three years ago, Chinese and Asian companies probably wouldn't even have had a chance to sponsor FIFA even if we wanted to. But because some western companies dropped out, we got the opportunity," he said.

"To my knowledge, another Chinese company will become a FIFA top sponsor soon. If there are no surprises, there will be three Chinese top-level sponsors by the end of the year."If more Chinese brother companies become FIFA sponsors like Wanda, we will join forces to advance the interests of China soccer," he added. Led by China's President Xi Jinping, an avid soccer fan, China is aiming first to host the World Cup and then ultimately win it.

Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #608 on: March 28, 2016, 09:51:33 AM »
Go China ....... Go China.  ...... Go China.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #609 on: April 05, 2016, 12:43:26 PM »
Fifa president Gianni Infantino pulled into corruption scandal by Panama Papers
By Owen Gibson, The Guardian.


Leaked documents raise questions over role played by new Fifa president in TV rights deal while he worked for Uefa

The new head of world football has been caught up in the sport’s corruption scandal because of documents that have been revealed by the Panama Papers leak.

Files seen by the Guardian will raise questions about the role Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, played in deals that were concluded when he was director of legal services at Uefa, European football’s governing body.

According to records, Uefa concluded offshore deals with one of the indicted figures at the heart of an alleged “World Cup of fraud” despite previously insisting it had no dealings with any of them.

The emergence of the contracts from 2003 and 2006, which were co-signed by Infantino, link Uefa for the first time to one of the companies involved in the huge unfolding scandal that has brought down former Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

Uefa has denied any wrongdoing by any of its officials or any other marketing partner.

It said the contracts were all above board. Fifa has previously insisted Infantino had no dealings with any of the officials currently under investigation – or their companies.

The disclosures are based on the leak of 11m documents from the files of the offshore financial law firm Mossack Fonseca, which were obtained by Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with the Guardian and other news organisations.

Infantino is the Swiss-Italian former Uefa secretary general who won the race to succeed the disgraced Blatter in February. The files show that in 2006, when he worked at Uefa, the organisation sold the rights for broadcasting its club competitions in South America.

The rights to the Champions League, the Uefa Cup and the Super Cup were acquired by an Argentinian company called Cross Trading. Cross Trading immediately sold on to broadcaster Teleamazonas for about three or four times the amount paid for them. The contracts covered the period from 2003 to 2006 and from 2006 to 2009.

Cross Trading is a subsidiary of a company called Full Play, which is owned by Hugo Jinkis. Last year in an unrelated matter, Jinkis was alleged by US prosecutors to have handed over millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks to football executives to obtain and retain media and marketing rights.

Jinkis, along with his son Mariano, is under house arrest in Argentina.

Jinkis’s involvement in the deals with Uefa from a decade ago are set out in the Panama Papers. Cross Trading signed a deal with Uefa’s broadcasting and marketing partner, called Team. Infantino’s name appears on the contract as Uefa’s director of legal services.

According to the contracts, Cross Trading, which was registered in the tiny South Pacific tax haven of Niue, agreed to pay $111,000 for the exclusive rights to broadcast Champions League football in Ecuador between 2006-07 and 2008-09.

In the covering letter containing the fully executed contracts, Uefa states: “Congratulations on joining the family of broadcast partners for the 2006-2009 Uefa Champions League seasons … we look forward to working with you!”

Ecuadorian broadcaster Teleamazonas then paid Cross Trading $311,170 for the Champions League rights.

Uefa insisted the TV rights deals with Cross Trading were all above board and it could not have known when they were signed in 2003 and 2006 that Jinkis would be involved in the scandal a decade later.

It said the rights were sold “pursuant to an open, competitive, tender process”, and that the offer from Teleamazonas/Cross Trading was 20% higher than the next best bid.

“There is no suggestion whatsoever of any Uefa official or marketing partner taking any form of bribe or kickback, whether in relation to this tiny deal, or any other commercial transaction,” it said.

Uefa added: “The TV contract in question was signed by Gianni Infantino since he was one of several Uefa directors empowered to sign contracts at the time. As you will have observed, the contract was also co-signed by another Uefa director. It’s standard practice.”

It is unclear why Teleamazonas paid so much for the rights, but one possibility is that Cross Trading simply made a huge profit on the deal. Local sources also confirmed that a similar agreement was in place three years earlier, when Teleamazonas bought a similar package from Cross Trading for a fee believed to be about $400,000.

Uefa reiterated that it received $111,000 for the Champions League rights over a three-year period and had no knowledge of any subsequent deal between Cross Trading and Teleamazonas. “The reason why Cross Trading appears as the contract partner in this deal is simply because Team was advised that Cross Trading had the mandate to act as exclusive buyer for all sports TV rights of Teleamazonas in the European area,” it said.

“Neither Team nor Uefa had any reason to believe that there was anything suspicious or untoward about an agency relationship between Cross Trading and Teleamazonas.”

It said any bilateral deals between Teleamazanoas and Cross Trading were “their business, not ours”. “We do know that Teleamazonas made the best offer for these FTA [free-to-air] rights in Ecuador. And that’s why we took it.”

Uefa did not say why it had previously asserted that it had not had any dealings with any of the indicted companies or individuals.

But having checked through thousands of contracts, it said it could confirm that in addition to two contracts with Cross Trading for the Champions League and Uefa Cup in Ecuador from 2003 to 2006 and 2006 to 2009, it had also signed a Euro 2016 hospitality sales agreement with Traffic Sports Europe, a Brazilian company named extensively in the US indictment.

Fifa said that the matter was largely one for Uefa and that its assertion that “to the best of his knowledge Gianni Infantino had no dealings in his time at Uefa with any of the persons mentioned” was based on information received from Uefa.

Fifa has been fighting on a number of fronts in recent months.

Mossack Fonseca, the Panamanian firm at the centre of the Panama Papers leak, resigned as the registered agents of Cross Trading in June 2015. In the first quarter of 2015, the Mossack Fonseca files show that the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Seychelles was investigating Cross Trading and asked Mossack Fonseca for more information about the company.

Mossack Fonseca has insisted it has strong due diligence protocols. “Over the last 18 months, we have reinforced our compliance department by hiring an additional 26 professionals to comply with new regulations as well as to conduct retroactive due diligence on all existing clients,” it said.

Contained in the Mossack Fonseca files are the details of contracts signed between companies controlled by Jinkis and allegedly corrupt Fifa executives named in the US indictments, including the longstanding secretary general of the South American confederation, Conmebol, Eduardo Deluca; the Conmebol president and Fifa executive Nicolás Leoz; and the Uruguayan former Fifa executive Eugenio Figueredo.

Infantino joined Uefa in 2000 and became secretary general in 2009. He in effect took over the running of the European confederation when Michel Platini was suspended by Fifa’s ethics committee over a £1.35m payment he received from Blatter in 2011.

Infantino chose to stand for the Fifa presidency himself and secured a surprise victory after convincing Fifa’s 209 member associations that he would repair its damaged finances and raise more money for football development around the world.

In the foreword to last month’s financial report, which revealed losses of £84.2m because of deserting sponsors and spiralling legal fees, he said it was to Fifa’s credit that it had acted to limit the damage to the organisation of the recent corruption scandal.

“By taking the necessary steps to support reform at the extraordinary congress in February, I believe that we have turned a corner and that Fifa is poised to emerge stronger than ever,” he said. “My time in office will be focused on helping our member associations to fully implement the reforms at all levels of the game to ensure we restore full confidence in Fifa among all of our stakeholders.”

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #610 on: April 06, 2016, 09:12:28 AM »
Uefa offices raided by police after Gianni Infantino named in Panama Papers
By James Riach, The Guardian.


• Uefa confirm Swiss Federal Police entered governing body’s HQ
• Fifa face calls to investigate Gianni Infantino’s role in TV deal


Swiss police have raided Uefa’s headquarters in Nyon to seize details of a contract signed by the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, following the Panama Papers leak.

The files, seen by the Guardian, show that Infantino – formerly director of legal services at Uefa – co-signed a television rights contract in 2006 with two businessmen who have since been caught up in football’s corruption scandal. Uefa said it is co-operating fully with the Swiss police.

A statement read: “Uefa can confirm that today we received a visit from the office of the Swiss Federal Police acting under a warrant and requesting sight of the contracts between Uefa and Cross Trading / Teleamazonas. Naturally, Uefa is providing the Federal Police with all relevant documents in our possession and will cooperate fully.”

Uefa said that the recently-elected Fifa president Infantino was “dismayed that his integrity was being doubted” in media coverage of the case.

The Mossack Fonseca documents detailed a 2006 contract to sell the Ecuadorian rights to the Champions League, the Uefa Cup and the Super Cup. The deal was with two figures who have since been accused of bribery as part of the US investigation into corruption at Fifa. Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis, his son, are currently under house arrest in Argentina.

Cross Trading, the Jinkis’ Argentinian company which was registered in the South Pacific tax haven of Niue, bought the rights for $111,000, then immediately sold them to the Ecuadorian broadcaster Teleamazonas for $311,170.

Uefa had initially denied doing business with any of the 14 individuals indicted by the FBI, but admits now its response was incomplete. After a full review of thousands of commercial contracts, it accepts the deal was done as part of an “open tender” – a process conducted by Team Marketing on behalf of Uefa - and the rights were sold to the highest bidder.

Uefa said: “Neither Team nor Uefa had any reason to believe that there was anything suspicious or untoward about an agency relationship between Cross Trading and Teleamazonas.”

It said any bilateral deals between Teleamazonas and Cross Trading were “their business, not ours”. “We do know that [it was the] best offer for these FTA [free-to-air] rights in Ecuador. And that’s why we took it.”

Offline Sando prince

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #611 on: April 08, 2016, 06:51:21 AM »


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/R3ZtCGDOZQg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/R3ZtCGDOZQg</a>

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #612 on: April 19, 2016, 03:25:00 PM »
Skulduggery that led to US losing 1986 World Cup finals to Mexico
By Keir Radnedge, World Soccer.


Skullduggery is nothing new when it comes to World Cup host awards, whatever the controversies over Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 as well as upcoming Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022 respectively.

New evidence has been revealed of how the then FIFA president Joao Havelange comprehensively stitched up the United States over the award of the 1986 finals to Mexico.

The tale is told by authors Claudia Fernandez and Andrew Paxman in new edition of their biography of the Mexican television mogul Emilio Azcarraga, owner of the Televisa entertainment giant whose ‘properties’ include Club America and Necaxa as well as the iconic Estadio Azteca**.

Azcarraga’s opportunity to buy into world football came in the autumn of 1982 after Colombia was dropped by the world football federation as prospective host of the 1986 finals.

Colombia had won host rights when the finals featured 16 teams. Subsequently, however, to fulfil Havelange’s promise to Africa in winning the FIFA presidency in 1974, the finals were expanded to 24 nations.

During the 1982 finals in Spain Alfonso Senior, head of the Colombian federation, told Havelange that Colombia could stage the finals only if they reverted to 16 teams. That was impossible for Havelange so, in October 1982 after the Colombians refused to budge, he launched his search for a new host.

The 1986 finals had been allocated to the Americas and no South American nations were economically capable. Canada and the United States both expressed interest. But already, according to Fernandez and Paxman, the die was cast.

They describe how “days after Colombia’s withdrawal . . . Havelange flew to Mexico to meet his good friends Guillermo Canedo – then his most loyal supporter in the FIFA executive committee – and Emilio Azcarraga.

“Within a few months this meeting was followed by the creation of a committee which would present a [hosting’ recommendation to the exco.

“Once the commission members had been shown Mexico’s likely facilities by Canedo, they flew directly to Europe without bothering to consider the US and Canada.

“FIFA’s rules required an inspection of all potential hosts but the committee made an exception on the grounds of omissions on the application files of those two countries. In March 1983 the commission presented a report recommending the choice of Mexico.”

That was not the end of the fiction. Delegations from Canada and the US – along with Mexican federation president Rafael del Castillo – were invited to Stockholm on May 20, 1983 to present their candidatures to Havelange and his FIFA exco (observed by newly-promoted general secretary Sepp Blatter).

Fernandez and Paxman say: “While Canada had no chance, the US came armed to the teeth with a delegation led by Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State and negotiator of the latest peace deal between Israel and the Arabs, plus his ‘dream team’ which included another ex-Secretary of State in Cyrus Vance along with Pele and Franz Beckenbauer [veteran stars then with New York Cosmos].”

Not only had Mexico already staged the finals, in 1970, but the US bid was vastly superior. FIFA’s minimum demands for the finals included 14 stadia with a minimum capacity of 40,000. US had all of that and more. Mexico had only six. As for transport, communications, transport and accommodation, it was also no contest.

Kissinger and his team spent an hour outlining their bid in private to the exco. The Canadians needed half an hour. Del Castillo went in for just eight minutes and joked later: “Actually, I needed only one minute to convince them.” The vote for Mexico, announced Havelange afterwards, had been unanimous.

Reasons for Havelange’s determination have remained the subject of speculation. Mexico was not the football power it would become. There was no significant money then in the domestic club game and the national team were regular whipping boys at the World Cup.

However, say Fernandez and Paxman, Havelange had favours to repay and wider financial and business interests to pursue.

Canedo, the former car salesman who had become Azcarraga’s football specialist, had been one of the first FIFA voters to switch to Havelange from incumbent Sir Stanley Rous in the 1974 presidential election. Two years later Havelange had powerfully endorsed an ultimately vain attempt by Azcarraga to buy the Brazilian channel TV Record.

The 1986 finals were the first to run by a private corporation, Televisa, with Canedo as chairman of the organising committee. Azcarraga approved the expenditure of $45m which included $10m on building a international media centre in the heart of Mexico City which was later converted into a convention centre.

At one stage the finals were endangered by the Mexico City earthquake of 1985 which left 5,000 dead. But Havelange, Azcarraga and Canedo were not going to be put off by such distractions. Further trouble erupted at the Opening Match between Italy and Bulgaria when the international TV signals went badly awry.

Mexican president Miguel de la Madrid demanded a meeting with Azcarraga, Canedo, Havelange and directors of the the European Broadcasting Union. All was resolved. The finals were broadcast to the world – Hand of God and all. Televisa raked in millions of commercial dollars from the rights while leaving the Mexican government with a heavy loss on the new infrastructure.

But, far more than the 1970 finals, the 1986 finals put Mexico on the football map.

Not that Kissinger appreciated being outmanoeuvred.

Later he reputedly observed that “my first real experience of soccer politics sometimes left me feeling nostalgic for the Middle East.”

« Last Edit: April 19, 2016, 03:26:53 PM by asylumseeker »

Offline rotatopoti3

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Ah say it, how ah see it

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #614 on: May 13, 2016, 11:32:16 AM »
The FIFA Council today appointed Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura of Senegal as FIFA Secretary General (SG). Ms Samoura is a 21-year veteran of United Nations programmes who is currently the UN’s Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria. The announcement was made by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City.

“Fatma is a woman with international experience and vision who has worked on some of the most challenging issues of our time,” President Infantino said. “She has a proven ability to build and lead teams, and improve the way organisations perform. Importantly for FIFA, she also understands that transparency and accountability are at the heart of any well-run and responsible organisation.”

As required under FIFA statutes, Ms Samoura will undergo an eligibility check administered by the independent Review Committee, per Article 37 of the FIFA Statutes. Ms Samoura will assume the role of FIFA Secretary General before mid-June.

President Infantino praised Ms Samoura’s integrity, and said the Council was particularly impressed with her operational experience, as well as her expertise in governance and working in multi-cultural environments. He said her expertise will complement the long-standing and deep knowledge of world football within the FIFA leadership team and administration.

“It is essential for FIFA to incorporate fresh perspectives – from outside the traditional pool of football executives – as we continue to restore and rebuild our organisation," President Infantino said. "No one exemplifies what we need more than Fatma does, and we are thrilled that she has joined our team.”

Since starting her UN career as a senior logistics officer with the World Food Programme in Rome in 1995, Ms Samoura has served as country representative or director in six countries: Republic of Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Madagascar and Nigeria. She speaks French (her mother tongue), English, Spanish and Italian.

“Today is a wonderful day for me, and I am honoured to take on the role of FIFA’s Secretary General,” Ms Samoura said. “I believe this role is a perfect fit for my skills and experience – strategic, high impact team building in international settings – which I will use to help grow the game of football all over the world.

"I also look forward to bringing my experience in governance and compliance to bear on the important reform work that is already underway at FIFA. FIFA is taking a fresh approach to its work – and I am eager to play a role in making that approach as effective and lasting as possible.”

In her current UN role in Nigeria, Ms Samoura has wide-ranging responsibilities including budgeting, human resources, and procurement, among others. She coordinates the activities of approximately 2,000 staff members, and monitors and evaluates the security, political and socio-economic situation and trends in Africa’s most populous country.

Prior to joining the UN, Ms Samoura spent eight years in the private sector, working in the fertiliser trading sector for Senchim, a subsidiary of Industries Chimiques du Senegal. Her areas of responsibility included product export and import programmes, tenders, and the establishment of a national distribution network.

Ms Samoura earned her Masters Degree in English and Spanish at the University of Lyon; and a Post-Masters Degree in international relations/international trade from the Institut d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées (IECS)- Strasbourg-France.

Source: FIFA/CAF.

Interesting that her eligibility check occurs post-announcenent.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2016, 11:36:49 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #615 on: May 13, 2016, 11:45:05 AM »
Each confederation will now receive $40m USD per 4 year cycle. Increase of 18m USD. And each member association will get $5m per 4 year cycle. Previous figure 1.6m USD.

Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #616 on: May 13, 2016, 03:38:21 PM »
Each confederation will now receive $40m USD per 4 year cycle. Increase of 18m USD. And each member association will get $5m per 4 year cycle. Previous figure 1.6m USD.

I wonder how that will be distributed among Concacaf. How would the weaker association benefit from these grants.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #617 on: May 13, 2016, 05:35:58 PM »
Each confederation will now receive $40m USD per 4 year cycle. Increase of 18m USD. And each member association will get $5m per 4 year cycle. Previous figure 1.6m USD.

I wonder how that will be distributed among Concacaf. How would the weaker association benefit from these grants.

Not following.

Everyone gets the same amount. Economies of scale, proper stewardship and fiscal prudence.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #618 on: May 14, 2016, 08:33:03 AM »
Domenico Scala: Fifa’s independent audit committee president resigns in protest at reforms
The Guardian


• Scala angry that new Fifa council has taken away ability to audit independently

• ‘New rule undermines a central pillar of the good governance of Fifa’

Domenico Scala, a Swiss businessman who led reforms to clean up scandal-plagued Fifa, has resigned his post at the governing body of world football, saying its independent watchdog committees had lost their independence.

Scala, head of the audit and compliance committee, said the reform of Fifa, which is attempting to recover from the worst scandal in its history, had been undermined following a resolution by the Fifa Congress on Friday.

The resolution, passed by 186 votes to one, gave the Fifa Council power to appoint or “dismiss any office holders” of its independent bodies such as the ethics committee and the audit and compliance committee.

This effectively gives the council, which has replaced the former executive committee and is headed by Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, the right to fire ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, ethics investigator Cornel Borbely and Scala himself.
 
The ethics committee, which was reformed in 2012, has investigated and banned more than a dozen top officials for ethics violations.

These have included former Fifa president Sepp Blatter and ex-secretary general Jerome Valcke as well as former executive committee members.

Scala said the new rule “undermines a central pillar of the good governance of Fifa and it destroys a substantial achievement of the reforms“.

“It will henceforth be possible for the council to impede investigations against single members at any time, by dismissing the responsible committee members or by keeping them acquiescent through the threat of a dismissal,” added Scala.

“The bodies are factually deprived of their independence and are in danger of becoming auxiliary agents of those whom they should actually supervise.“

Eckert and Borbely could not immediately be reached for comment.

Previously, committee members could only be sacked by the congress, which is held annually and where each of Fifa’s 211 member associations hold one vote. Fifa council meetings can be called at short notice.

During a speech to the congress earlier on Friday, Scala admitted that he had “made enemies“.

The vote, on an apparently simple administrative issue, was taken late in Friday’s meeting, the first since Gianni Infantino was elected as president in February.

Fifa passed a raft of reforms aimed at avoiding a repeat of the corruption scandal that has seen 42 football officials and entities indicted in the United States.

“We are following a democratic process,” Infantino told reporters after the vote on Friday.

“If we don’t act we are criticised and if we do act we are criticised, but we should also be criticised if we act in the wrong way. Do we wait one year for congress to dismiss committee members who should be changed?

“We need to be flexible to accomplish all the changes.”

Offline Sando prince

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #619 on: May 21, 2016, 12:09:07 AM »

More trouble for FIFA

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/More-trouble-for-FIFA_61592

Just a week ago, this newspaper found reason in this space to congratulate Canadian Soccer Association President Mr Victor Montagliani on his election to the presidency of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).

Mr Montagliani, who has pledged to lead in “a principled and professional way”, was elected against the backdrop of unprecedented charges of corruption and graft within CONCACAF and in the global governing body for football, FIFA.

Hardly had the ink dried on this newspaper’s congratulatory commentary, came news of more upheaval within FIFA with the resignation of that body’s audit and compliance chairman, Mr Domenico Scala, because of an alleged “power grab” by FIFA President Mr Gianni Infantino. The latter replaced the disgraced Mr Sepp Blatter in February.

Readers will recall that, for more than a year now, some leading CONCACAF, Caribbean Football Union, and FIFA officials have been under criminal investigation for alleged corruption. Among them is Mr Jeffrey Webb, a former vice-president of FIFA and head of CONCACAF. Mr Webb is now awaiting trial in the United States. And, another former head of CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union, as well as former FIFA vice-president, Trinidadian Mr Austin ‘Jack’ Warner, is fighting extradition to the United States.

Also, while no criminal charges have been brought against them, former FIFA President Mr Sepp Blatter and French football legend Mr Michel Platini — the latter until recently headed European football’s governing body UEFA and was once favoured to replace Mr Blatter as head of FIFA — have been banned from football administration for a perceived highly irregular financial arrangement.

Incredibly, Messrs Blatter and Platini have said that a 2011 payment, equivalent to £1.35 million made to the latter on the authorisation of the former was done purely on the basis of a verbal contract.

In the latest turmoil, Mr Scala resigned after claiming that a vote by member federations at FIFA’s recent annual congress in Mexico City to give Mr Infantino’s ruling council power to dismiss members of the ethics committee, which investigates alleged corruption, would undermine recent reforms and good governance.

There are allegations that the move was the result of a clash between Mr Infantino and Mr Scala over the size of the former’s salary.

Mr Infantino has denied wrongdoing, insisting that the “emergency measure” which gave him additional powers, was only “short term” and became necessary in order to speed up FIFA reforms ahead of the next congress in a year’s time.

Mr Infantino has also reiterated an election pledge to make his salary public knowledge once it is agreed on.

Not surprisingly, given that global football is a growth industry, worth many billions of US dollars, the rest of the world — not least the game’s sponsorship and business partners — are looking on anxiously.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #620 on: May 25, 2016, 10:24:59 AM »
Fifa fires acting deputy secretary general Markus Kattner over bonus payments
By Owen Gibson, The Guardian.


Fifa’s deputy secretary general has been fired with immediate effect after the discovery of a secret bonus scheme that paid out millions of dollars over a period of years.

World football’s embattled governing body said Markus Kattner, who had been acting secretary general since his predecessor Jérôme Valcke was suspended and then banned from football for 12 years, had been dismissed immediately.

In a statement it said that an ongoing internal investigation had “uncovered breaches of fiduciary responsibilities in connection with his employment”.

Sources close to the investigation said undeclared bonus payments running to millions of dollars had been paid between 2008 and 2014 under an arrangement known only to a small number of people.

According to insiders, the former Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Valcke were aware of the payments.

Sources said the payments came to light at the end of last week during an internal probe by the US law firm Quinn Emmanuel as a result of an ongoing trawl of millions of documents.

Kattner is just the latest senior Fifa executive to be fired, banned or suspended following the discovery of alleged wrongdoing.

Allegations against another member of the executive also run counter to the argument propagated by some in Zurich that it was only Fifa executive committee members who had gone rogue over the decades. But insiders insisted that knowledge of Kattner’s special arrangement was known to only a few individuals.

Fifa’s ethics committee is likely now to open an investigation against the German official, 45, with charges of conflict of interest and disloyalty to Fifa among potential outcomes.

Kattner joined Fifa as finance director in 2003 and took the deputy secretary general title in 2007, the year Blatter hired Valcke for the top administrative job of the world governing body. Kattner was promoted in an interim role when Valcke was suspended last September for financial wrongdoing and then fired in January.

Fifa hopes that by turning over potentially incriminating evidence to the continuing US and Swiss criminal probes it can maintain its formal position as an injured party in the twin investigations.

It was confirmed this month that Kattner was aware of the £1.35m payment made from Blatter to the former Uefa president Michel Platini in 2011 that led to both being banned from football for four years.

Gianni Infantino, the new Fifa president, is likely to try to position Kattner’s dismissal as proof that he is determined to be tough on any historical wrongdoing that comes to light as he attempts to drive through reforms. This month he appointed Fifa’s first female secretary general, the Senegalese United Nations official Fatma Samoura.

However, Infantino has also been drawn into a row over his reform efforts after Domenico Scala, head of the audit and compliance committee, quit over new rules that allow the new Fifa Council to remove members of independent bodies.

Behind the scenes, there was a furious clash between the two men. Scala had the power to approve Infantino’s salary, which the new Fifa president was yet to be fixed.

Since Blatter and Valcke were suspended amid Fifa’s meltdown, Kattner had regularly appeared before the media in his position as acting secretary general to outline planned reforms designed to begin the process of repairing its battered reputation. At the extraordinary Congress in February at which Infantino was elected president, Kattner told delegates: “The goal is to be considered a modern trusted and professional sports organisation by 2018.”

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #621 on: June 01, 2016, 03:01:47 AM »
The Indonesian FA president has been arrested on corruption charges said to be unrelated to football. However, the arrest may have an impact on the state of affairs in the local game ... following a return to normalcy, after a period of FIFA sanction due to government interference.
« Last Edit: June 01, 2016, 03:22:40 AM by asylumseeker »

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #622 on: June 03, 2016, 08:13:54 AM »
Blatter, Valcke and Kattner awarded themselves £55m, say Fifa lawyers
By Luke Harding et al, The Guardian.


Three high-ranking former Fifa officials – Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner – awarded themselves pay rises and World Cup bonuses totalling $80m (£55m) over their last five years in office, lawyers for Fifa have said.

The lawyers said the contracted payments appear to break Swiss law, and evidence will be given to American and Swiss federal prosecutors who are investigating corruption implicating the world soccer body.

“The evidence appears to reveal a coordinated effort by three former top officials of Fifa to enrich themselves through annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses and other incentives totalling more than 79m Swiss francs in just the last five years,” said Bill Burck of Quinn Emanuel, the US law firm retained by Fifa during its corruption crisis.

Fifa revealed details of the contracts of its former president Blatter, former secretary general Valcke and former finance director Kattner one day after police raided Fifa to seize evidence for the Swiss investigation.

The raid included searches in the office of Kattner, who was fired last week.

Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber opened criminal proceedings against Blatter last September, and against Valcke in March.

Both are suspected of criminal mismanagement of Fifa money. Blatter and Valcke deny wrongdoing but were banned for six and 12 years, respectively, by Fifa’s ethics committee.

No additional criminal proceedings have been opened against Kattner.

“Additionally, Fifa will refer the matter of these contracts and payments to the Ethics Committee for its review,” Fifa said in a statement.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #623 on: July 08, 2016, 10:50:37 AM »
Ticket prices for FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA World Cup announced
FIFA.com


The ticket prices for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ were announced in Moscow today following a Local Organising Committee (LOC) board meeting with FIFA participation. As for the South Africa and Brazil FIFA World Cups held in 2010 and 2014, a special category has been reserved for residents of the host country, who will be able to apply for FIFA Confederations Cup Russia group-match tickets starting at RUB 960. At least 100,000 tickets will be available in this specific category 4 for the “Tournament of Champions”, taking place from 17 June to 2 July 2017. The remaining ticket categories are priced from USD 70 to 245.

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup, domestic residents will have access to at least 350,000 tickets in category 4, with prices starting from RUB 1,280. Tickets available to all football fans in the remaining categories will be on sale from 105 USD upwards.

“We wanted to make sure that we priced tickets fairly to make the events accessible to as many people as possible. We therefore conducted thorough market research and have priced the tickets accordingly. The teams that have qualified to date for the ‘Tournament of Champions’ promise a great football festival here in Russia next year,” said FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura, who was in Moscow for her first working visit to the hosts.

Ticket sales for fans wishing to attend the FIFA Confederations Cup will begin with a VISA exclusive pre-sales phase running from 8 to 17 November 2016. The first sales phase will then start on 1 December, five days after the Official Draw in Kazan.

Russia, Germany, Australia, Chile, Mexico and New Zealand have already qualified, while the winners of UEFA EURO 2016 – or the runners-up should world champions Germany win – are also guaranteed a spot. The eighth and final participant will be decided in January at the conclusion of the 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, when the full Russia 2017 match schedule will be known.

For the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017, fans will be able to apply not only for individual match tickets, but also for ticket series for a specific host city. As well as those two options, fans wishing to follow their country at the 2018 FIFA World Cup will also be able to apply for team-specific ticket series.

Fans will shortly find all relevant information, including the ticket price list and a FAQ document, on FIFA.com/tickets. To ensure that they do not miss out on anything, fans will also soon be able to sign up for ticketing information in the form of a newsletter.

Ticket sales for the FIFA World Cup will only begin after next year’s FIFA Confederations Cup. For both tournaments, tickets will be available for purchase by the general public exclusively on FIFA.com

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #624 on: July 08, 2016, 10:54:54 AM »
FIFA restructures its administration to build a stronger and more sustainable organisation
FIFA.com


To create a more efficient, streamlined and purposeful operation that reflects the global reach, diversity and unifying nature of FIFA, world football’s governing body is currently undergoing a comprehensive restructuring of its administration. The new operating structure is aimed at creating an organisation that is better equipped to enact comprehensive reform, to exploit the vast opportunities to develop football and to better serve key stakeholders.

“This is a significant step forward for FIFA as we build a better organisation, rebuild our reputation and prepare ourselves for the future. The changes will create a more efficient and sustainable FIFA, one more capable of implementing reform,” explained FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura.

Fundamental to the organisational path forward is the splitting of FIFA’s operating structure into two distinct but synergistic parts. On the one hand, the “Football” branch, led by Deputy Secretary General and former international player Zvonimir Boban, will be dedicated to competitions and events, member associations, technical development and women’s football. On the other hand, the “Administration” branch, headed by Deputy Secretary General Marco Villiger, will include revenue generation, commercial activities, financial matters, legal and integrity matters, as well as administrative support.

Key elements of the changes within the administrative team structure include:

•   An improved Member Associations Division to better service the members and ensure that the FIFA Forward development programme is implemented in the most efficient and appropriate manner.

•   A new and fully developed Women’s Football Division, with units for competitions, development, and governance and leadership.

•   The creation of a Technical Development Division to better coordinate grassroots, coaching education and refereeing efforts as well as innovative development related to football; this will also include the new position of Technical Director

•   A more robust structure to supervise the overall functioning of the Secretary General’s Office, led by the Head of Executive Office, which will provide strategic and advisory input on corporate planning, policy formulation, innovation, and change management.

In accordance with the revised FIFA Statutes, in force since 27 April 2016, a new Chief Compliance Officer will ensure that FIFA’s business is run to the highest standards of governance, integrity and transparency.

The restructuring – as for any organisation going through such a process – will lead to adjustments in staffing. New roles are being created and a few positions will become redundant as they no longer fit within the revised structure. The process is envisaged to be completed by September.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #625 on: July 18, 2016, 01:52:38 AM »
FIFA kick-starts overhauled development programme
FIFA.com


The FIFA Development Committee, chaired by FIFA vice-president and AFC President Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, met in Zurich today (Wednesday, July 13) and started putting in motion Forward, FIFA’s overhauled development programme approved by the FIFA Congress in May 2016. Today’s meeting took place in the presence of the chairman of FIFA’s Audit and Compliance Committee, Tomaž Vesel.

Member Associations and confederations can now apply for development funds under the Forward programme, which aims to provide 360-degree, tailor-made support for developing football, based on the following pillars:

· More investment: FIFA will significantly increase financial support for football development, from USD 1.6 million to USD 5 million per four-year cycle for each member association. The confederations will now receive USD 40 million per four-year cycle, up from USD 22 million

· More impact: FIFA will bring together all of its football support projects into one tailor-made contract of agreed objectives to be signed by member associations and confederations

· More oversight: FIFA will introduce enhanced oversight controls to ensure that this increase in football development spending is transparent, including the publication of member associations’ and confederations’ annual financial statements on FIFA.com and annual accounts audited by an independent auditor as presented in the Forward Regulations

“FIFA Forward’s aim is to best fulfil FIFA’s mission of developing the game around the world. This is not simply about providing more funds to member associations and confederations, but about providing concrete assistance to the football community via the transparent use of funds, and changing the culture towards a greater impact of FIFA’s development activities that can systematically be measured,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“Today’s Development Committee meeting marks a very important day as through Forward, we are making a qualitative step to improve the impact of FIFA’s development projects and better serve the member associations and confederations. The proper structure is being put in place to meet the challenges and ensure the successful implementation of the Forward programme,” stated Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

“One of the key priorities of our administration will be to ensure the proper implementation and oversight of the development projects, with enhanced accountability, regular monitoring and reporting. The success of Forward will ultimately not only depend on FIFA but on the work of all our member associations,” commented FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura.

The Development Committee confirmed that member associations and confederations will have until 1 June 2017 to wrap up their contracts of agreed objectives with key performance indicators. Until that date, the committee will consider projects for approval on a case-by-case basis.

Today’s meeting was the last of the Development Committee in its current composition. Following the reforms passed by the FIFA Congress in February 2016, the Development Committee will be overhauled and half of its members will be independent. The first meeting of the committee in its new structure is scheduled for October 2016.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #626 on: August 19, 2016, 07:11:18 PM »
Fabrice Jouhaud appointed FIFA Chief Communications Officer
FIFA


FIFA is pleased to announce that Fabrice Jouhaud has been appointed as the new FIFA Chief Communication Officer following a thorough recruitment process and will take up his position as of 15 August 2016. In his role he will be part of FIFA’s management board.

Mr Jouhaud, from France, will draw on his experience as both a sports journalist and a print and television sports media manager. Prior to joining FIFA, he held the position of Chief Executive Officer at L’Équipe 21, a privately held sports TV channel.

Mr Jouhaud holds an Executive Master’s degree in European Sports Governance from Sciences Po in Paris, France and a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Centre de Formation des Journalistes (CFJ), also in Paris.

Mr Jouhaud will head up the Communications Division and will report directly to the Secretary General.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #627 on: September 08, 2016, 08:43:03 PM »
Interviews begin for 2017 and 2018 volunteers
Russia 2018 Local Organizing Committee


“Today I've taken one step closer to fulfilling my dream,” 17-year old Roman Dvoinikov revealed. As soon as Roman learned that Russia would host the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, he started planning how he could be a part of it. For this very reason he applied to volunteer at the event. Yesterday, he was one of the first 500 candidates to be interviewed at FIFA World Cup Volunteer Centres across Russia.

"I'm a bit stirred up but nevertheless happy. In fact, I began to plan everything from the start. One of the most important steps was getting into university: I figured this had to be one of the competition's host cities and I chose Kazan. I think I can be proud of this, as it shows my motivation is extremely high,” said Roman.

Such interviews with prospective volunteers for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ began on 7 September at all 15 Volunteer Centres set up at Russian higher-education establishments in all of the tournament’s Host Cities.

The interviewers are aiming to establish the candidates’ key attributes, such as their ability to cope under pressure, their sense of responsibility and communication skills. The potential volunteers will also be asked to explain why they want to offer their services at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and FIFA World Cup 2018, as well as answering a few general questions on their previous volunteering or work experience. Some questions will be asked in English language, in order to confirm the candidate's knowledge of the language matches that demonstrated during the online test.

The interviewees who scored the highest marks will have every chance of joining the team of volunteers for the Confederations Cup and World Cup. Candidates who reside outside Russia will be interviewed via Skype. The list of successful applicants chosen to help organise and host the Confederations Cup will be finalised in the first quarter of 2017. Specialist training then begins in March before the first volunteers get down to work on 10 May.

"Starting the interview process with prospective volunteers is a very important part of the Russia 2018 volunteer programme,” said Aleksandr Antimonov, Director of the World Cup Volunteer Centre in Ekaterinburg. “Our team set the target of not only organising a high standard of interview, but also of creating a sense of hospitality and a totally comfortable, friendly atmosphere for the candidates in the Volunteer Centre. There's a lot of work still ahead, but I'm sure that all together, LOC and Volunteer Centres, we will train up a fantastic team of volunteers for the World Cup."

The mass recruitment campaign for Russia 2018 volunteers was launched on 1 June 2016, when the website FIFA.com/volunteers began accepting applications. According to information on 5 September, the Russia 2018 Local Organising Committee (LOC) has received more than 100,000 applications from potential candidates. The volunteer-selection process will continue until the end of 2016.

Anybody who is interested can send in an application: the only requirement is that the candidate must be 18 or over on 10 May 2017 to volunteer for the Confederations Cup, while for the World Cup the cut-off date is 10 May 2018. Applications will close by the end of the year.

The recruitment and selection of volunteers takes place at the 15 Volunteer Centres set up at Russian higher-education establishments in every tournament Host City. The centres, themselves selected on the basis of a competition, are already preparing for their role in the Confederations Cup next summer.

In total, close to 5,500 volunteers will be involved in events surrounding the ‘Festival of Champions’ next year, compared to over 15,000 at the FIFA World Cup in 2018.


Russia 2018 volunteer programme hits 100,000 applications
Russia 2018 Local Organizing Committee


Applications from individuals wishing to become volunteers at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ have reached more than 100,000 over the first three months of the campaign. The applications are open until December 2016 by visiting FIFA.com/volunteers and candidates can also apply via Russia 2018 volunteer centers in all 11 FIFA World Cup Host Cities. The campaign was launched on 1 June by Russian President Vladimir Putin and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“While I have strength, desire and good health, I want to join the other volunteers at the turnstiles, assist at the places where the teams will eat and stay, and keep order at the stadiums”, says 59-year-old Galina Kukushkina, from Volgograd, who sent in the 100,000th application to be a volunteer at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. “If needs be, I can meet visitors from all over the world at stations and airports, conduct tours around my home city and help our guests with transport and accommodation questions. I can also direct people in big crowds, regulate traffic at car parks and provide first aid.”

“One hundred thousand applications from prospective volunteers is an amazing figure that shows how much people want to get involved in the hosting of the Confederations Cup and World Cup in Russia,” added Alexey Sorokin, CEO of the Russia 2018 Local Organising Committee. “We are confident that our volunteers will be active, responsible and always ready to help. Put simply, they will become a team in their own right.”

In Russia the most applications were received by the volunteer centres in Moscow (26,249 applications) and Saint Petersburg (12,317). Also in the top five were Sochi (5,813), Rostov-on-Don (4,721) and Ekaterinburg (4,014).

58 per cent of the candidates are currently women, while 78 per cent came from candidates in the 16 to 25 age range. Furthermore, 19 per cent of the applicants are aged between 26 and 40, while one per cent came from those aged between 41 and 60, and two per cent aged 60 and older.

So far, the most popular positions applied for are in team services (15,576 applications), ceremonies operations (8,380 applications) and language services (6,338 applications). There will be around 5,500 volunteers involved in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and 15,000 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2016, 08:47:00 PM by asylumseeker »

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #628 on: September 15, 2016, 10:13:41 AM »
Guatemala is to be suspended from competition due to political interference. Just as well we are the ones moving on to the Hex.

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #629 on: September 15, 2016, 10:39:39 AM »
Guatemala is to be suspended from competition due to political interference. Just as well we are the ones moving on to the Hex.
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