Argentine judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi has approved the arrest of three Argentine business leaders named in a corruption scandal engulfing world football and facing US extradition requests, though he acknowledged he did not know if they were in the country. The businessmen were considered fugitives from justice on Thursday after Interpol was unable to locate them at their residences.
Sepp Blatter was re-elected president of FIFA for a fifth term on Friday after the only other candidate conceded defeat after a first round of voting in an election overshadowed by allegations of corruption in world soccer. Blatter's victory came despite demands that he quit in the face of a major bribery scandal being investigated by US, Swiss and other law enforcement agencies.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) issued on Thursday a press release in support of the US led investigation into FIFA and called for transparency in football, adding it joins the efforts to investigate corruption in the sport.
Brazilian police began investigating allegations of corruption in its soccer industry on Thursday, prompted by the arrests of top officials at world soccer body FIFA in a U.S. bribery probe. The country's Senate, led by former national soccer star Romario, who is now a prominent legislator, moved to open a formal inquiry into alleged bribes paid to obtain contracts with the Brazilian Soccer Federation (CBF).
Russian president Vladimir Putin waded into the FIFA scandal by accusing the United States of interfering in FIFA affairs after the US Justice Department ordered Swiss police to arrest seven senior FIFA officials on Wednesday. They were among nine current and former FIFA officials indicted.
Despite growing pressure to resign having presided over a series of corruption scandals, Sepp Blatter tells Congress he is still the man to rebuild trust in FIFA’s battered reputation
The Asian Football Confederation says it still supports Sepp Blatter's bid for another term as FIFA president, and opposes any move to delay Friday's scheduled elections in the wake of a string of corruption arrests of some of the federation's top officials.
Key sponsors of FIFA have expressed serious concern after the US accused senior officials of football's governing body of racketeering, fraud and money laundering. Coca-Cola said the World Cup had been tarnished by lengthy controversy.
Argentina's foreign ministry confirmed late Wednesday that United States had officially requested the extradition of three Argentine citizens allegedly involved in the US Justice Department investigation into FIFA corrupt dealings.
FIFA chief Joseph Blatter in a brief statement said on Wednesday afternoon that we welcome the actions and the investigations by the US and Swiss authorities and further on emphasized that such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game•