Fifa dogged by scandal

(FILE) Combo of file pictures shows from top left: Rafael Esquivel, current CONMEBOL executive committee member and Venezuelan soccer federation (FVF) president; Jose Maria Marin, current member of the FIFA organizing committee for the Olympic football tournaments; Eduardo Li, current FIFA executive committee member-elect, CONCACAF executive committee member and Costa Rican soccer federation (FEDEFUT) president; Eugenio Figueredo, current FIFA vice president and executive committee member. Bottom from left: Nicolas Leoz, former FIFA executive committee member and CONMEBOL president; Jack Warner, former FIFA vice president and executive committee member; Jeffrey Webb, current FIFA vice president and ecutive committee member and CONCACAF president; Julio Rocha, current FIFA development officer. Nicaragua's Soccer Federation President Julio Rocha, current FIFA development office.

(FILE) Combo of file pictures shows from top left: Rafael Esquivel, current CONMEBOL executive committee member and Venezuelan soccer federation (FVF) president; Jose Maria Marin, current member of the FIFA organizing committee for the Olympic football tournaments; Eduardo Li, current FIFA executive committee member-elect, CONCACAF executive committee member and Costa Rican soccer federation (FEDEFUT) president; Eugenio Figueredo, current FIFA vice president and executive committee member. Bottom from left: Nicolas Leoz, former FIFA executive committee member and CONMEBOL president; Jack Warner, former FIFA vice president and executive committee member; Jeffrey Webb, current FIFA vice president and ecutive committee member and CONCACAF president; Julio Rocha, current FIFA development officer. Nicaragua's Soccer Federation President Julio Rocha, current FIFA development office.

Published May 27, 2015

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Cape Town - World football’s governing body is no stranger to scandal. The organisation has been dogged by allegations, accusations and rumours of institutionalised corruption.

Accusations of deep-seated corruption at FIFA first received widespread public attention in 2006, when British journalist Andrew Jennings published “Foul! The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote-Rigging and Ticket Scandals”. In it, Jennings detailed an alleged cash-for-contracts scandal, how some administrators were urged to pay back bribes in secret, and vote-rigging in Sepp Blatter’s bid to remain at the helm of the association.

1974- João Havelange, is appointed president, promising to grow the reach of the sport by securing lucrative sponsorship and broadcasting deals. Later, Havelange would draw the ire of football administrators for th make-up of his executive committee and backing Sepp Blatter as his preferred candidate in the 1998 election.

1998- Sepp Blatter is elected as successor to Havelange.

1999- Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reports that Havelange had accepted bribes in connection with the Netherlands’ failed bid to secure the 1992 Olympic Games. The Guardian reports that at least 20 top football officials accepted “a million dollars in bribes” in order to back Blatter in the 1998 election.

2002- CAF vice-president Farra Ado claims he had been offered US$100 000 to vote for Blatter. 66 of FIFA’s 207 members nominate Blatter for a second term in office.

October 2010- Two members of FIFA’s executive committee, Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu, are suspended for reportedly offering to sell their votes in the 2018 and 2022 hosting campaign.

November 2010- Temarii, Adamu and four others are banned from all football after an investigation by FIFA’s ethics committee finds them guilty of vote-selling. The men are also fined.

December 2010- Russia is awarded hosting rights for 2018, with the 2022 World Cup being awarded to Qatar. This despite FIFA’s technical committee advising against Qatar as a host, saying the high temperatures would pose a threat to spectators, players and officials.

May 2011- The United Kingdom orders a parliamentary inquiry into why England failed to secure the 2018 World Cup. The inquiry is told that four more senior FIFA members, including vice-president Jack Warner had solicited bribes in exchange for their votes. Allegations of bribery are levelled against another executive member, Charles “Chuck” Blazer during a Caribbean Football Union meeting. In response, Blazer orders an investigation of Warner and presidential hopeful, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hammam. Bin Hammam withdraws his candidacy hours before an ethics committee hearing. He is later suspended.

June 2011- Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International and the English Football Association call for a postponement of FIFA’s presidential elections. FIFA goes ahead with its elective congress and Blatter is elected for a fourth term as FIFA president.

July 2011- Bin Hammam is banned for life from all football activities. The ban was later overturned (in 2012), but was later handed a second life ban by FIFA due to “conflicts of interest” relating to his role as AFC president.

August 2011- British newspaper, The Independent, reports that the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.) is investigating claims of corruption involving several senior FIFA executives.

April 2013- The Confederation of North Central American and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF) publishes its integrity report, fingering Warner as the culprit in massive fraud against CONCACAF and FIFA.

May 2013- Blazer is suspended for 90 days.

May 2015- Warner is among several high-ranking FIFA officials arrested days before the association’s 65th congress in Zurich, Switzerland. President Sepp Blatter and General Secretary Jerome Valcke are not among those arrested. Blatter has said the congress will go ahead, and is standing for a fifth consecutive term as president.

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