“This is a difficult time for football, the fans and for FIFA as an organisation. We understand the disappointment that many have expressed and I know that the events of today will impact the way in which many people view us.
As unfortunate as these events are, it should be clear that we welcome the actions and the investigations by the US and Swiss authorities and believe that it will help to reinforce measures that FIFA has already taken to root out any wrongdoing in football.
While there will be many who are frustrated with the pace of change, I would like to stress the actions that we have taken and will continue to take. In fact, today’s action by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General was set in motion when we submitted a dossier to the Swiss authorities late last year.
Let me be clear: such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game. Following the events of today, the independent Ethics Committee – which is in the midst of its own proceedings regarding the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups – took swift action to provisionally ban those individuals named by the authorities from any football-related activities at the national and international level. These actions are on top of similar steps that FIFA has taken over the past year to exclude any members who violate our own Code of Ethics.
We will continue to work with the relevant authorities and we will work vigorously within FIFA in order to root out any misconduct, to regain your trust and ensure that football worldwide is free from wrongdoing.”
Well, this couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
With the FIFA presidential elections just days away, several of the organisation’s top officials have been arrested on corruption charges in Zurich, Switzerland.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter was not among the officials arrested.
The FIFA officials were in the Swiss city for the organisation’s annual meeting.
According to reports, 12 plain-clothed policeman made the arrests at the Baur au Lac hotel. It is thought that the FBI and the US tax authorities were behind the arrests, although neither have made any comment on the situation.
According to the New York Times, the arrests were carried out peacefully, and at least two men were ushered out of the hotel without handcuffs. One of the agents brought out what appeared to be evidence bags containing medication and money. One FIFA official, Eduardo Li, was led by the authorities through a side-door exit of the hotel, and was allowed to bring his luggage, which was emblazoned with FIFA logos.
The charges allege widespread corruption in FIFA over the past 20 years, involving World Cup bids, as well as marketing and broadcast deals. The charges include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering, and the authorities claim they targeted members of FIFA’s powerful executive committee in this operation, which wields enormous power and does most of its business in secret.
One law enforcement official admitted being shocked over what authorities uncovered.
“We’re struck by just how long this went on for and how it touched nearly every part of what FIFA did. It just seemed to permeate every element of the federation and was just their way of doing business. It seems like this corruption was institutionalized.”
Hotel staff trying to use sheets to hide officials as they exit. pic.twitter.com/o0VFKuFnQi
— Sam Borden (@SamBorden) May 27, 2015
UPDATE 7:42 –
New York Times are claiming that 14 people have been arrested in Switzerland in connection with the alleged FIFA corruptions.
These include: Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Jack Warner, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, Jose Maria Marin, Nicolas Leoz, and sports-marketing executives Alejandro Burzaco, Aaron Davidson, Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis.
Authorities also charged another person named as José Margulies, who, they allege, acted as an intermediary to facilitate the illegal payments.
UPDATE 19:17
Sepp Blatter has finally made a statement on today’s controversy almost 12 hours after it broke.
He wants Friday’s presidential election postponed if possible and wants a reboot of FIFA.
Like the new Spiderman films or something.
Read the full ramblings of a ‘Mr.Football’ below
Hat-tip to Fox Sports
