Michel Platini, the former French great and current UEFA president, remains the favorite to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFApresident despite being accused of accepting a $2 million “disloyal payment” from Blatter in 2011 for work deemed to have been done from January 1999 to June 2002, though key European backers have started to express concerns […]
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Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Jack Warner
“I left the FIFA in April 2011 and if in September 2015 (some 4 years and 5 months after) the FIFA wants to ban me for life without even a hearing then so be it. I do not believe however that thiswill serve as the distraction to the FIFA’s present problems as the FIFA wishes […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
Swiss AG: Platini treated as 'between a witness and an accused person'
Speaking at Zurich University, Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber said UEFA president Michel Platini was being treated as “betweena witness and an accused person” in the investigation into the $2 million payment he received from UEFA in 2011. Lauber said authorities would raid Platini’s UEFA office in Nyon if necessary todiscover the “real truth.” Investigators questioned Platini […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
Blatter Returns to Work, Awaits Ethics Committee Verdict
Sepp Blatter on Monday said he would remain president of FIFA, reiterating that “he had done nothing illegal or improper” after criminal proceedings were opened against him lastFriday by the Swiss attorney general. Though Blatter returned to work just three days after being interrogated by Swiss investigators, he is now awaiting a possible announcement from […]
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What's to Look for as the FIFA Scandal Hits New Heights
As you might have heard, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland on Friday announced that itis investigating FIFA president Sepp Blatter for alleged “criminal mismanagement and misappropriation.” The criminal proceedings relate to two transactions that the 78-year-oldsigned off on: one, the sale of 2014 World Cup rights to the Caribbean Football Union, which […]
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Platini: 'I was pleased to have been able to clarify all matters'
UEFA president Michel Platini, embroiled in the latest FIFA bombshell, said the $2 million payment FIFA president Sepp Blatterauthorized to him related to work hecarried out under a contract with FIFA. He had worked for Blatter as a consultant early in Blatter’s reign — Blatter was first elected in 1998 — but Swiss authorities said […]
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Criminal proceedings opened against Sepp Blatter
Another day, another FIFA bombshell. At the end of a two-day FIFA executive committee committee, FIFA president Sepp Blatter was supposed toaddress the media, as is the custom. They waited and waited, and Blatter never showed. Finally came the bombshell: Swiss authorities had opened criminal proceedings against Blatter on”suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation.” Police […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
Blatter insists on reform or FIFA will betray millions of fans
Outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter says failure by its members to support reform would amount to a betrayal of millions of soccer fans. Blatter’s commentscame as FIFA’s executive committee was to begin a two-day meeting to discuss two reform processes and get an update on FIFA’s internal investigation into corruption, viewed as essential if U.S. […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
African chief Hayatou won't back FIFA presidential candidate
Issa Hayatou, the long-time Confederation of African Football and most senior member of the FIFA executive committee, said Tuesday he is not publicly backing acandidate in the FIFA presidential election to succeed Sepp Blatter. Hayatou ran against Blatter in 2002 but is recent years has been Blatter’s most vocalsupporter. Africa has more than one-quarter of […]
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What's Next for Valcke and the FIFA Scandal?
Bloomberg News on Friday reported that Jerome Valcke, FIFA President SeppBlatter’s No 2, pushed soccer’s world governing body to a multi-million-dollar payoff and assurances that he wouldn’t be pursued for damages in exchange for stepping down as theorganization’s general secretary, according to unnamed sources. So, what did Blatter have to say after the downfall of […]