Soccer bosses from across South and Central America were among 16 people charged on Thursday with multimillion-dollar bribery schemes for marketing and broadcast rights, in a dismantling of a Latin American soccer network by U.S. prosecutors.

Court documents showed that the heads of the CONMEBOL and CONCACAF associations that run soccer in the Western Hemisphere and others with top jobs in the world governing body FIFA were charged along with current and former chiefs of the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF), which hosted the 2014 World Cup finals.

A former president of Honduras, Rafael Callejas, and a judge on Guatemala’s constitutional court, Héctor Trujillo, were named in the indictment. A source in the court said Trujillo was on vacation in the United States.

Callejas, also a former Honduran soccer federation chief, said he was ready to defend himself in court.

CONCACAF acting president Alfredo Hawit of Honduras, a vice president of FIFA, and CONMEBOL head Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay were arrested in a pre-dawn raid by Swiss police at a hotel in Zurich near the headquarters of FIFA, which has been in turmoil since a first round of indictments and arrests last May.

Hawit was appointed by the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football to replace Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands who was himself arrested in Zurich in May.

Webb, a former FIFA vice president, pleaded guilty last month to racketeering and other charges and agreed to forfeit $7.6 million, prosecutors said on Thursday.

A total of eight people had agreed to plead guilty since May, U.S. authorities said, pointing to progress in the investigation.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said at a news conference in Washington that corruption had become deeply ingrained in the business of soccer.

She said “the betrayal of trust that is set forth here is truly outrageous, and the scale of corruption alleged herein is unconscionable.”

For others who remain “in the shadows” of soccer, Lynch said, the message is: “You will not wait us out, and you will not escape our focus.”

The United States is a member of CONCACAF and it was a longtime American soccer official, Chuck Blazer, who became an important cooperating witness after secretly pleading guilty in 2013 to criminal charges. Blazer was once CONCACAF general secretary and a former FIFA executive committee member.

The United States Soccer Federation said in a statement on the new charges that its hosting of the 2016 Copa America Centenario tournament would go ahead as planned. It said a committee created to govern the tournament “does not include these individuals and they were never in a position to make decisions that would adversely impact” the competition.

Brazilians charged

The new indictment identified Brazil Football Confederation chief Marco Polo del Nero and former CBF head Ricardo Teixeira in the list of defendants, both former FIFA executive committee members.

Teixeira is the former son-in-law of longtime FIFA president Joao Havelange.

In 2012, Swiss prosecutors said Teixeira and Havelange took millions of dollars in bribes in the awarding of marketing rights for World Cup finals tournaments.

The Justice Department said that the new charges bring the total number of people and entities charged to 41.

The soccer officials were charged with running schemes designed to solicit and receive more than $200 million in bribes and kickbacks to sell media and marketing rights for soccer tournaments and matches.

Ironically, a FIFA executive committee approval of a package of reforms in Zurich to clean up the scandalized organization was overshadowed by the arrests and new charges.

The former head of Panama’s federation, Ariel Alvarado, was among those charged, according to the indictment, as was Reynaldo Vasquez, former soccer federation president of El Salvador.

Alvarado served on the executive committee of CONCACAF and on FIFA’s disciplinary committee.

Alvarado said in a statement later on Thursday that he is “convinced that every one of the charges against me will be cleared up.”

Argentine nationals Jose Luis Meiszner and Eduardo Deluca, current and former secretary generals of South America’s confederation, were also charged, along with officials from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia’s Romer Osuna, member of the FIFA audit and compliance panel and former CONMEBOL treasurer.

CONMEBOL said it would “continue co-operating at all times with the investigation of authorities, and will continue deepening administrative reforms…”

In a similar statement, CONCACAF said the developments strengthened its “resolve in continuing to enact significant structural and governance changes…”

FIFA said it would continue to cooperate fully with U.S. and Swiss justice authorities.

Miami raid

In Miami on Thursday, FBI agents searched the office of Media World, an affiliate of Spanish media giant Imagina Group. Media World was one of the unidentified sports marketing companies mentioned in a U.S. indictment in May as having agreed to pay a bribe to a high-ranking soccer official in the Americas, sources told Reuters in July.

Imagina said in a statement it was cooperating.

The raid on the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich echoed arrests at the same place in May that plunged FIFA into crisis. The avalanche of corruption allegations prompted FIFA President Sepp Blatter to say he would resign, only days after being re-elected to a fifth term.

Blatter, his deputy Jerome Valcke and European soccer boss Michel Platini have all been suspended by an internal ethics watchdog. None of them has been charged with a crime, and all deny any wrongdoing.

Leading FIFA sponsors Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, Adidas, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s Corp and Visa Inc on Tuesday published an open letter demanding independent oversight of the reform process.

In parallel investigations, Swiss and U.S. authorities are focusing on whether certain business contracts or the World Cup hosting rights for 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar were won with the help of bribery.

($1 = 1.0234 Swiss francs)

Source Reuters

Soccer bosses from across South and Central America were among 16 people charged on Thursday with multimillion-dollar bribery schemes for marketing and broadcast rights, in a dismantling of a Latin American soccer network by U.S. prosecutors.

Court documents showed that the heads of the CONMEBOL and CONCACAF associations that run soccer in the Western Hemisphere and others with top jobs in the world governing body FIFA were charged along with current and former chiefs of the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF), which hosted the 2014 World Cup finals.

A former president of Honduras, Rafael Callejas, and a judge on Guatemala’s constitutional court, Héctor Trujillo, were named in the indictment. A source in the court said Trujillo was on vacation in the United States.

Callejas, also a former Honduran soccer federation chief, said he was ready to defend himself in court.

CONCACAF acting president Alfredo Hawit of Honduras, a vice president of FIFA, and CONMEBOL head Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay were arrested in a pre-dawn raid by Swiss police at a hotel in Zurich near the headquarters of FIFA, which has been in turmoil since a first round of indictments and arrests last May.

Hawit was appointed by the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football to replace Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands who was himself arrested in Zurich in May.

Webb, a former FIFA vice president, pleaded guilty last month to racketeering and other charges and agreed to forfeit $7.6 million, prosecutors said on Thursday.

A total of eight people had agreed to plead guilty since May, U.S. authorities said, pointing to progress in the investigation.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said at a news conference in Washington that corruption had become deeply ingrained in the business of soccer.

She said “the betrayal of trust that is set forth here is truly outrageous, and the scale of corruption alleged herein is unconscionable.”

For others who remain “in the shadows” of soccer, Lynch said, the message is: “You will not wait us out, and you will not escape our focus.”

The United States is a member of CONCACAF and it was a longtime American soccer official, Chuck Blazer, who became an important cooperating witness after secretly pleading guilty in 2013 to criminal charges. Blazer was once CONCACAF general secretary and a former FIFA executive committee member.

The United States Soccer Federation said in a statement on the new charges that its hosting of the 2016 Copa America Centenario tournament would go ahead as planned. It said a committee created to govern the tournament “does not include these individuals and they were never in a position to make decisions that would adversely impact” the competition.

Brazilians charged

The new indictment identified Brazil Football Confederation chief Marco Polo del Nero and former CBF head Ricardo Teixeira in the list of defendants, both former FIFA executive committee members.

Teixeira is the former son-in-law of longtime FIFA president Joao Havelange.

In 2012, Swiss prosecutors said Teixeira and Havelange took millions of dollars in bribes in the awarding of marketing rights for World Cup finals tournaments.

The Justice Department said that the new charges bring the total number of people and entities charged to 41.

The soccer officials were charged with running schemes designed to solicit and receive more than $200 million in bribes and kickbacks to sell media and marketing rights for soccer tournaments and matches.

Ironically, a FIFA executive committee approval of a package of reforms in Zurich to clean up the scandalized organization was overshadowed by the arrests and new charges.

The former head of Panama’s federation, Ariel Alvarado, was among those charged, according to the indictment, as was Reynaldo Vasquez, former soccer federation president of El Salvador.

Alvarado served on the executive committee of CONCACAF and on FIFA’s disciplinary committee.

Alvarado said in a statement later on Thursday that he is “convinced that every one of the charges against me will be cleared up.”

Argentine nationals Jose Luis Meiszner and Eduardo Deluca, current and former secretary generals of South America’s confederation, were also charged, along with officials from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia’s Romer Osuna, member of the FIFA audit and compliance panel and former CONMEBOL treasurer.

CONMEBOL said it would “continue co-operating at all times with the investigation of authorities, and will continue deepening administrative reforms…”

In a similar statement, CONCACAF said the developments strengthened its “resolve in continuing to enact significant structural and governance changes…”

FIFA said it would continue to cooperate fully with U.S. and Swiss justice authorities.

Miami raid

In Miami on Thursday, FBI agents searched the office of Media World, an affiliate of Spanish media giant Imagina Group. Media World was one of the unidentified sports marketing companies mentioned in a U.S. indictment in May as having agreed to pay a bribe to a high-ranking soccer official in the Americas, sources told Reuters in July.

Imagina said in a statement it was cooperating.

The raid on the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich echoed arrests at the same place in May that plunged FIFA into crisis. The avalanche of corruption allegations prompted FIFA President Sepp Blatter to say he would resign, only days after being re-elected to a fifth term.

Blatter, his deputy Jerome Valcke and European soccer boss Michel Platini have all been suspended by an internal ethics watchdog. None of them has been charged with a crime, and all deny any wrongdoing.

Leading FIFA sponsors Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, Adidas, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s Corp and Visa Inc on Tuesday published an open letter demanding independent oversight of the reform process.

In parallel investigations, Swiss and U.S. authorities are focusing on whether certain business contracts or the World Cup hosting rights for 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar were won with the help of bribery.

($1 = 1.0234 Swiss francs)

Law enforcement officials made more arrests on Thursday in the ongoing investigation of soccer’s world governing body FIFA, at least some of them in a pre-dawn raid on a hotel in Zurich, Swiss authorities and the New York Times said.

A journalist walks in front of FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland December 2, 2015. Photo: Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann

Authorities were targeting current and former senior soccer officials on charges that included racketeering, money laundering and fraud, the New York Times said.
Zurich police, asked by Reuters about more arrests in the FIFA case, said they took action at the request of Swiss federal justice authorities, but gave no other details.
The Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich closed its gates after a group of four people, believed to be plainclothes police, went in shortly before 6 a.m., a Reuters witness said. Another group of police then went in through the rear entrance and left half an hour later.
Shortly afterwards, two cars with tinted windows were seen leaving the hotel. Reporters could not see who was inside.
FIFA said it was aware of the arrests but did not give details.
“FIFA became aware of the actions taken today by the U.S. Department of Justice. FIFA will continue to cooperate fully with the U.S. investigation as permitted by Swiss law, as well as with the investigation being led by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General,” a statement said.
Authorities have said for months to expect a second wave of corruption charges in soccer following U.S. charges in May against 14 officials and sports marketing executives with paying and taking bribes.
U.S. Department of Justice officials were expected to appear at a news conference in Washington as soon as Thursday to discuss the case, people familiar with the plans said.
Parallel probes
Swiss and U.S. authorities are conducting parallel investigations of corruption in soccer, focusing on whether certain business contracts or the World Cup hosting rights for 2018 and 2022 were won with the help of bribery.
The leaderships of several South American national soccer organizations have been upended. Last week, Marco Polo Del Nero, the head of the Brazilian Football Confederation, resigned his post on FIFA’s executive committee amid criticism of his leadership.
Also last month, the president of the Colombian Football Federation, Luis Bedoya, resigned unexpectedly as a government source said Bedoya had flown to New York. The president of Chile’s ANFP national football association, Sergio Jadue, resigned his post and went to the United States to talk to the FBI, Chilean media reported.
The U.S. and Swiss investigations have breathed new life into efforts to overhaul FIFA. A reform committee is expected to present recommendations on Thursday to FIFA’s executive committee at a meeting in Zurich, where FIFA has its headquarters.
On Tuesday, leading FIFA sponsors Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, Adidas, The Coca-Cola Company, McDonald’s Corp and Visa Inc published an open letter demanding independent oversight of the reform process.

Since May there has also been a shakeup of FIFA’s leadership. President Sepp Blatter and Secretary General Jerome Valcke were both suspended by an internal ethics watchdog, although neither has been charged with a crime and both say they have done nothing wrong.
Blatter said in June he would resign more than three years early, and FIFA’s congress is scheduled to elect his successor in February.
Wednesday marked five years since the Dec. 2, 2010, vote in which the FIFA executive committee awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals hosting rights to Russia and Qatar. The choice of Qatar, a small desert state where summer daytime temperatures rarely fall below 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), was especially contentious and went against the advice of FIFA’s own technical committee.

Source Reuters

Divock Origi plundered a hat-trick and Daniel Sturridge claimed a brace as Liverpool came from behind to destroy Southampton 6-1 on Wednesday and reach the League Cup semi-finals.

SOUTHAMPTON: Divock Origi plundered a hat-trick and Daniel Sturridge claimed a brace as Liverpool came from behind to destroy Southampton 6-1 on Wednesday (Dec 2) and reach the League Cup semi-finals.

Sadio Mane headed Southampton in front after 39 seconds, but Sturridge marked his first start since Oct 4 with a four-minute brace and 20-year-old Belgian striker Origi opened his Liverpool account with a treble as the visitors roared back, with substitute Jordon Ibe also on target.

The result continued the resurgence that has taken hold at Liverpool since the appointment of manager Jurgen Klopp, whose side have lost just one of the 11 games since he took over, winning seven of the last eight.

Liverpool fell to eventual winners Chelsea in last season’s semi-finals, but with belief now coursing through the team again, their fans’ thoughts will already be turning to the final on February 28.

Southampton had been bidding to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1986-87, but dreams of a first major final since 2003 will now be put on hold until the FA Cup comes around in January.

Ronald Koeman’s team were seeking a reaction to successive defeats by Manchester City and Stoke City and they wasted no time getting started at St Mary’s.

After Dusan Tadic’s shimmying had moved young Liverpool right-back Connor Randall out of the way, Ryan Bertrand curled a cross in from the left and Mane met it with a firm header into the bottom-right corner.

With jeers ringing in the ears of former Saints Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana, it threatened to be a long night for the visitors, but in the 25th minute they levelled.

Sturridge wiggle

Joe Allen’s first-time pass over the top released Sturridge and although the striker’s first touch allowed Steven Caulker to get back into position, he quickly shifted the ball onto his left foot and drilled home.

Cue the Sturridge wiggle – last glimpsed in the 3-2 home win over Aston Villa on Sep 26 – and four minutes later he was celebrating again.

This time Emre Can was the architect, catching the home defence square from mid-way inside the Southampton half with an exquisite 40-yard pass using the outside of his right foot.

Haring in at the back post, Sturridge met the ball on the half-volley and steered it beneath Maarten Stekelenburg.

Southampton felt they should have been given a chance to level shortly after when Tadic’s volleyed pass struck Randall’s arm, but referee Robert Madley was unmoved.

Liverpool extended their lead on the cusp of half-time, former Lille striker Origi getting the faintest of touches to Alberto Moreno’s 20-yard drive for his first Liverpool goal on his 11th appearance.

Southampton switched to a back three at half-time, Victor Wanyama dropping back between the centre-backs, but although they initially succeeded in keeping Liverpool at arm’s length, it did not last.

Sturridge departed just before the hour, with Ibe coming on, while Koeman threw on James Ward-Prowse and Shane Long.

Within minutes it was all over, however, as Origi lashed home from Ibe’s pass and headed in a left-wing cross from substitute Brad Smith, either side of a drilled effort from Ibe.

Draw for the English League Cup semi-finals:

Everton vs Manchester City

Stoke City vs Liverpool

First leg: Week starting Jan 4

Second leg: Week starting Jan 25

Source AFP