Soccer: Blatter, FIFA, and the US

Tommy Palven · Jun 4, 2015

This article may seem like mere conspiracy theory, but look at Paul Craig Roberts' credentials:

www.lewrockwell.com/2015/06/paul-craig-roberts/the-empire-conquers-world-football

straight ahead · Jul 12, 2015

FIFA is notoriously corrupt. Just as the IOC is notoriously corrupt. Just as Putin is notoriously corrupt. Just as the arab oil states are notoriously corrupt. No matter what the motivation - and I don't see obama getting in on this because there's nothing in it for him at the moment - the arrest of FIFA officials is 100% legitimate.

waltky · Sep 26, 2015

Swiss prosecutors gonna go up his butt with a microscope...

Swiss target world soccer chief Blatter in criminal probe
Fri Sep 25, 2015 - Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Sepp Blatter, the head of world soccer body FIFA, on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of funds, the Swiss attorney general's office said on Friday.

It said Blatter was interrogated after a meeting of FIFA's executive committee in Zurich, and authorities carried out a search at the organization's headquarters on Friday. "The office of the FIFA President has been searched and data seized," the office of the attorney general (OAG) said. It was the first time that authorities investigating corruption in the world's most popular sport had pointed the finger directly at Blatter, the 79-year-old Swiss who has run its powerful governing body for the past 17 years. He has denied wrongdoing and his U.S. attorney said he was cooperating with the Swiss probe.

A source close to FIFA said that as Blatter has not been arrested, charged or indicted, it would probably be for him to decide whether he stays in his post until February, when he is due to step down. However, the source said: "It is over for him now, it is finished." The news of the investigation broke shortly after FIFA had abruptly canceled a Blatter press conference at 15 minutes' notice, offering no explanation.

Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Sepp Blatter, the head of world soccer body FIFA, on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of funds, the Swiss attorney general's office said on Friday.

He had been due to speak for the first time since his number two, Jerome Valcke, was suspended last week following accusations regarding ticket sales at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Valcke denied the allegations. In a sign of concern over the implications of the deepening investigation, Russia was quick to say that it would not affect its hosting of the 2018 World Cup, one of the biggest and most lucrative events in sport.

FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 competitions to Russia and Qatar is one of the strands under scrutiny from U.S. and Swiss authorities investigating corruption in the organization -- a worry for tournament sponsors such as McDonald's Corp, Coca-Cola and Visa. The scandal exploded in May, when 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives were indicted. Seven were arrested by Swiss police in a dawn raid on a five-star Zurich hotel.

PLATINI TESTIFIES
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See also:

At U.N., pope condemns 'boundless thirst' for wealth and power
Fri Sep 25, 2015 - Pope Francis on Friday condemned the craving for material gains and power, warning an annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations that greed is destroying the Earth's resources and aggravating poverty.

The 78-year-old Argentine pontiff also prayed at the memorial to those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in perhaps the most solemn moment of his first visit to the United States. He later was greeted by adoring crowds estimated at about 80,000 people as he drove in his "popemobile" through sprawling Central Park before heading to the famed Madison Square Garden sports arena for an evening Mass before about 20,000 people.

Addressing dozens of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, the spiritual head of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics railed against the "grave offense" of economic and social exclusion. "A selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged," he said. The first pope from Latin America, Francis has often criticized unbridled capitalism in the two years of his papacy. On Friday, he had a high-powered audience at the United Nations, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary. This year's General Assembly is believed to have attracted the highest number of leaders in U.N. history.

The pontiff urged government leaders to ensure their people enjoy the minimum material needs. "In practical terms, this absolute minimum has three names: lodging, labor and land," Francis said to applause. He said humanity's future is in danger. "The ecological crisis and the large-scale destruction of biodiversity can threaten the very existence of the human species," said Francis, who this year published the first papal encyclical, a letter to the church, dedicated to the environment.

Francis underscored an "urgent need to work for a world free of nuclear weapons" and praised the July agreement reached by the United States and other world powers to curb Iran's nuclear program as "proof of the potential of political good will and of law, exercised with sincerity, patience and constancy." The pope also said international financial agencies should work toward "the sustainable development of countries and should ensure that they are not subjected to oppressive lending systems" that cause greater poverty, exclusion and dependence.

'GRIEF IS PALPABLE'
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waltky · Oct 8, 2015

Scandal brings down soccer moguls...

World soccer rocked by suspension of Blatter and Platini
Thu Oct 8, 2015 - World soccer chief Sepp Blatter and European boss Michel Platini were suspended on Thursday, engulfed by a deepening corruption scandal as their sport faces criminal investigations in Switzerland and the United States.

Blatter, the Swiss who has been president of world governing body FIFA since 1998, was already due to stand down after an election to replace him in February. Platini, head of European body UEFA, was a frontrunner to replace him. His shrinking election hopes now depend on whether he can overturn the 90-day ban imposed by FIFA's Ethics Committee through an appeal process. Despite their denials of wrongdoing, both men have gradually been submerged by the scandal that has rocked the world's most popular sport, beginning with dawn raids and a series of arrests at a Swiss luxury hotel in May. "During this time, the above individuals are banned from all football activities on a national and international level," the ethics committee said.

FIFA said in a statement: "Joseph S. Blatter, for the duration of the 90-day ban, is not allowed to represent FIFA in any capacity, act on the organization's behalf or communicate to media or other stakeholders as a FIFA representative." It said his acting replacement was Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, the head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA's most senior vice president. In 2011, Hayatou, 69, was reprimanded by the International Olympics Committee's ethics commission after he confirmed to them that he was paid by FIFA's former marketing agency International Sport and Leisure in 1995. The IOC said such an action constituted a conflict of interest. Hayatou denied any personal gain or wrongdoing.

In a statement on Thursday, the Cameroonian said he would not be a candidate for FIFA president in February and had taken on the role "only on an interim basis". However, UEFA took a different and defiant stance, saying they supported Platini, still referring to him as the organization's president and saying they would not replace him while he appeals. "The UEFA Executive Committee expressed its full confidence in UEFA President Michel Platini and stands fully behind him," they said in a statement. Platini issued a personal statement, through UEFA's media department, saying he was motivated by a "profound feeling of staunch defiance". "I have received numerous messages of support today from UEFAs member associations and the other confederations encouraging me to continue my work serving footballs interests. Nothing will make me give up on that commitment," he said.

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waltky · Nov 12, 2015

Recent developements too much for him?...

FIFA's Blatter hospitalized for 'emotional breakdown'
Nov. 11, 2015 - His hospital stay is expected to last five days.

Sepp Blatter, suspended president of soccer organizing body FIFA, was hospitalized after a medical evaluation for stress. Blatter, 79, began a scheduled five-day stay in an unidentified Swiss hospital for what was described as a "small emotional breakdown" and "a nervous shock," after he underwent stress-related medical examinations, his lawyer Richard Cullen said.

Suspended FIFA president Joseph 'Sepp' Blatter was hospitalized after doctors evaluated him for stress.

Blatter, who has led FIFA for 18 years, is at the center of an ongoing investigation of corruption allegations, by numerous law enforcement agencies around the world, as well as criminal proceedings begun by Swiss authorities. He has been charged in connection with an illegal payment made to Michael Platini, chief of the European soccer organization UEFA, and in the sale of worldwide television rights to the upcoming World Cup tournament.

He and Platini received 90-day suspensions from their executive positions by FIFA's body's ethics committee. Each has said he plans to appeal his suspension.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-N...tional-breakdown/1351447259699/?spt=sec&or=tn
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waltky · Jun 4, 2016

Ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter receives $12M bonus for 2014 World Cup...

FIFA says Sepp Blatter, 2 other top officials gave themselves $80 million in bonus money over 5 years
Friday, June 3, 2016 FIFAs top officials Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves pay rises and World Cup bonuses totaling $80 million over their last five years in office.

Some of 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, lawyers for FIFA said Friday. 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 totaling more than 79 million Swiss francs in just the last five years, said Bill Burck of Quinn Emanuel, the U.S. law firm retained by FIFA during its corruption crisis. FIFA revealed details of the contracts of its former president Blatter, fired former secretary general Valcke and fired finance director Kattner one day after police raided FIFA to seize evidence for the Swiss investigation.

Blatter got a 12 million Swiss francs ($12 million) bonus after the successful 2014 World Cup in Brazil and would have been due another 12 million Swiss francs for completing his 2015-19 presidential term. The secretly agreed bonuses were significantly more than Blatters base salary 3 million Swiss francs ($3 million) in 2015 which was published by FIFA in March. Valcke got a $2 million base salary in 2015 before being fired, but got a $10 million World Cup bonus for 2014 and was due $11 million from the 2018 tournament in Russia. The police raid Thursday included searches in the office of Kattner who was fired last week. Documents and electronic data were seized and will now be examined to determine their relevance to the ongoing proceedings, the Swiss federal prosecution office said Friday.

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 FIFAs ethics committee. No criminal proceedings have yet 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. Any ethics investigation could affect two senior officials at the heart of FIFAs financial operation. Finance committee chairman Issa Hayatou, the interim FIFA president while Blatter was suspended, and former audit panel chairman Domenico Scala both approved at least one of the contracts revealed Friday.

Three weeks after new FIFA President Gianni Infantino claimed that the crisis is over, the turmoil rocking soccers world governing body continues. Infantino has been criticized for a breakdown in his relationship with Scala, who resigned on May 14. The FIFA president privately described as insulting a salary offer from Scala, reported as $2 million without bonuses. Since Kattners firing on May 23, German language newspapers have been fed a series of leaked minutes from meetings and FIFA emails which sought to turn scrutiny on Infantino. Elected four months ago to replace Blatter, Infantino pledged reform and a changed culture at FIFA was expected to face resistance from insiders. The 45-year-old Swiss official also arrived with a reputation as a critic of FIFA during seven years as secretary general of European soccer body UEFA.

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cerberus · Jun 7, 2016

What on earth can be going through the mind of a 80-year old man as he seeks to add millions of euros to the millions he already has? Looks like he's so deluded he thinks he's gonna live for ever?

Ritter · Sep 13, 2017

Is this really even shocking to anyone at all? I really do not understand when people get full crazy over the "revelation" that FIFA is corrupt because to me it has been the most given of truths since the beginning of times. This kind of corruption is reality in all democratic and supranational organisations and anyone who believes anything else is not only naive but also stupid.

Lennart Johansson, the Swede who was Vice President of FIFA for years has in recent interviews claimed he had absolutely no idea about the ongoing bribing and that he is absolutely shocked by the news. Best of all, journalists believe him and don't qeven uestion him one bit.

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Soccer: Blatter, FIFA, and the US

Tommy Palven Active Member Past Donor

straight ahead Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

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cerberus Well-Known Member Past Donor

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Soccer: Blatter, FIFA, and the US

Tommy Palven Active Member Past Donor

straight ahead Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

cerberus Well-Known Member Past Donor

Ritter Well-Known Member

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