Remember those threats by the Argentina federation (AFA) to pull out of the Copa Centenario unless the Argentine government got off its backs? Well, FIFA has now put the AFA, beset by financial andgovernance issues since the death of strongman Julio Grondona in 2014, under the administration of a stabilization committee to put its house […]
fifa scandals
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Univision's Juan Carlos Rodriguez
“When the first game started, I cried like a baby. I thought it was never going to happen. It took too many meetings, too many flights and too many lawyers. But the great thing is everything gotaligned.” — Juan Carlos Rodriguez, president of Univision Deportes, on the Copa Centenario, which almost did not take place […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
Former FIFA trio paid themselves $81 million
A trio of former FIFA officials — president Sepp Blatter, general secretary Jerome Valcke and deputy general secretary Markus Kattner — paid themselves $81 million in secret payraises and World Cup bonuses over five years (2011-15). “The evidence appears to reveal a coordinated effort by three former top officials of FIFA to enrich themselves throughannual […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
FIFA fires deputy secretary general Kattner
FIFA deputy secretary general Markus Kattner, who has been acting secretary general since September after Jerome Valcke was dismissed from the post, was himself fired on Mondayafter an internal investigation “uncovered breaches of his fiduciary responsibilities in connection with his employment contact.” They are believed to concern certain bonus payments. The45-year-old Kattner has not been charged […]
Posted inOff The Post, Story
Concacaf goes after Jack Warner for symbol of his conniving, a 'white-washed tomb'
Bloomberg reported on Friday that Concacaf has sued its formerpresident, Jack Warner, for more than $50 million. I say, Good luck! The fraud suit is in connection with the Centre of Excellence, the soccer academy that was built in Trinidad& Tobago to train players in the Caribbean but has turned out to be the greatest […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
Last of FIFA seven leaves Zurich jail
Julio Rocha, the former president of the Nicaraguan soccer federation, was the last of seven soccer officials arrested at a Zurich hotel in May 2015 and extradited when he appeared a courthearing in a U.S. Federal court in Brooklyn. Rocha, who was responsible for overseeing FIFA’s development efforts in Central America, pleaded not guilty on […]
Posted inOff The Post, Story
FIFA in crisis again: Reform message takes a beating
One may never know the true reasons for the resignation of Domenico Scala, FIFA’s audit and compliance committee chairman and in-house reform champion, but it had a devastating effect on newFIFA president Gianni Infantino‘s reform narrative. Instead of ending its first Congress under Infantino on a positive note, FIFA was forced to scramble and defend […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
Decision of Warner extradition appeal to be made on June 17
Jack Warner — remember him? — will have a Trinidadian High Court judge rule on June 17 whether the United States will be included as an interested party in the lawsuit filed by the formerConcacaf president challenging his extradition on corruption charges issued on May 27, 2015. Justice James Aboud heard submissions in the matter […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
FIFA hires Senegalese woman as secretary general
Senegal’s Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura became the first woman to be named FIFA secretary general, replacing Frenchman Jerome Valcke, who was fired in January and banned from soccer for 12years. The 52-year-old Samoura, who has no background in soccer, will be responsible for day-to-day running of FIFA. She is currently the U.N. Development Program resident […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA learns first details of World Cup 2026 bid process
In a move to take some of the politics out of the World Cup host selection process that ended up with Qatar, politically popular but technically flawed, as the host of the 2022 World Cup, FIFAannounced a four-step bid process that will end in May 2020 with its members selecting the host of the 2026 […]