Russia and Qatar offered and paid bribes to secure votes in the process that saw them awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, an indictment in the United States alleges. The document, brought by federal prosecutors in New York as part of the long-running investigation into corruption surrounding football's governing body, claims several former members of FIFA's executive committee were offered or indeed received bribes relating to their votes.
Former FIFA president and IOC member Joao Havelange has died aged 100. The Brazilian, whose name is one of those used for the track and field stadium for the Rio Games (Estádio Olímpico João Havelange), played a key role in bringing the Olympics to his country. He called on IOC members at the host city vote in 2009 to join me in celebrating my 100th birthday' at the Rio Olympics.
FIFA has cut off funding to the corruption-hit confederations for football in the Americas, the global football body said on Monday, in a move which could cause future cash flow problems for the two organizations.
Interpol has suspended its $29 million agreement to fight illegal betting and match-fixing amid the bribery allegations engulfing world football’s governing body. The 10-year deal was struck in May 2011 and under the agreement, Interpol was to have received 4 million Euros in each of the first two years, followed by 1.5 million Euros in each of the following eight.
The United States Department of Justice brought charges on racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering on 14 FIFA and sports marketing officials. Dubbed the “World Cup of corruption” by Richard Weber, chief of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation unit, the charges are the result of an investigation from the U.S. District Attorney’s office in Eastern New York.
Joao Havelange has quit as FIFA honorary president while Sepp Blatter has been cleared of misconduct in the ISL bribery case, a report by FIFA ethics committee said. The report described the behaviour of Havelange as morally and ethically reproachable in his dealings with ISL, FIFA former marketing partner which went bankrupt in 2001.
Uruguay’s Eugenio Figueredo was officially appointed president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) in succession to Nicolas Leoz on Tuesday. He is the third Uruguayan to occupy the post.
South American football president Nicolas Leoz has resigned on Tuesday from FIFA powerful executive committee on health and personal grounds. Leoz was accused by the BBC Panorama program in November 2010 of taking bribes in the 1990s from the now defunct sports rights agency ISL.
Former English football association chairman David Triesman has accused FIFA executive committee members Jack Warner, Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolas Leoz and Worawi Makudi of asking for favours in return for their votes for England's 2018 World Cup bid.