FIFA Gate practical guide: 7 keys to understanding the case that shook the foundations of the world of football

On May 27, 2015, the culminating point of an investigation was marked, which was later called fifa gate. The arrest of various senior officials at the Mother House of world soccer revealed a plot of bribes and spurious agreements years after the election of Russia and Qatar such as the 2018 and 2022 World Cup venues. A few days after the eighth anniversary of these raids in different parts of zurichthese are the most important keys of the case in which the protected witness Alejandro Burzaco He was sentenced this Friday in the United States although he received the benefit of not going to prison.

The corruption plot behind the accusations for the choice of venues in the last World Cups has chuck blazer as the person who started collaborating with the fbi in the first details of the case. The United States Department of Justice gathered all the evidence and, for the first time, scored formally to the payment of bribes by Russia and Qatar. According to the specialized journalist Ken Bensingerthere were Latin American leaders who received millions of dollars to vote for these two nations.

“Several members of the Executive Committee were offered and received bribes linked to their votes. For example, Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolás Leoz and Co-Conspirator 1 were offered and received payments in exchange for their votes in favor of Qatar, to host the 2022 World Cup,” a prosecutor’s document stated. It should be noted, the identity of “co-conspirator 1” was never disclosed, although the existing information in the file points against Julio Humberto Grondona, late president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and former vice president of FIFA.

Besides, Teixeira I become President of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) from 1989 to 2012. Five years after his departure, he was banned for life by the FIFA after being found guilty of accepting improper payments of television companies that sought to keep the rights to Conmebol competitions. At 75, he remains in Brazil, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.

In the same tune, the Paraguayan Nicolás Leoz was the boss of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) between 1986 and 2013. He left the organization after being found guilty of taking bribes in the early 2000s from companies seeking to televise tournaments belonging to the Confederation he presided over. Died in 2019 within Paraguaywhile under house arrest and fighting extradition to the United States.

The court brief points against other directors: “In addition, defendant Jack Warner was promised and received bribes totaling $5,000,000 and Rafael Salguero was promised $1,000,000 in exchange for his pro-Russia votesto host the 2018 World Cup.” Warnerfrom Trinidad and Tobago, became vice president and member of the FIFA Executive Committee, president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Football (Concacaf) and president of the Caribbean Soccer Union, and was sued by Concacaf to pay USD 79,000,000 because of “unfair, fraudulent and illegal acts”. On the other hand, salgueroformer Guatemalan soccer president and former member of the FIFA Executive Committee, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in December 2018 before the US courts that are conducting the trial.

The prosecution also accused two former Century Fox executives. On the one hand, Hernán López was found guilty of paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes to obtain the rights to broadcast the World Cup and other prestigious tournaments.while carlos martinez he was found not guilty last March. Both were in charge of the company’s business in Latin America.

All these accusations occurred in the framework of the historic election of the venues for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, since two elections of this nature had never been held at the same time. Since that meeting of the Executive Committee, several European federations, such as the English one, pointed out that there had been black money in votes.

The entire investigation is being conducted by the US Attorney, loretta lynchbut another of the voices that got involved was that of the New York prosecutor Richard Donoghue: “The accusations spread reflect the prosecution’s ongoing commitment to rooting out corruption at the highest levels of international football and in companies committed to the promotion and transmission of sport”.

The North American government accused a total of 45 people, including several sports companies, of more than 90 crimes and of paying or accepting more than $200 million in bribes. Of those defendants, eight have died, while more than 20 people have pleaded guilty and the passing of the years begins to finalize each of the pending sentences. A dozen are still in their countries, where they were prosecuted by the local Justice or are free while they fight extradition. In contrast, the former head of Brazilian soccer Jose Maria Marin and the former head of Conmebol, the Paraguayan Juan Angel Napoutwere found guilty and convicted to jail terms. The former head of Peruvian soccer, manuel burgawas acquitted.

The 7 keys to understanding FIFA Gate

1 – The “mole”

Chuck Blazer was the tip of the ball of wool. The American was leader of his country’s federation, secretary general of Concacaf and member of the FIFA Executive Committee until 2013. That year he was suspended by the parent entity for receiving illegal money on behalf of Concacaf. In turn, the Justice of his country was investigating money laundering maneuvers from bribes in exchange for the TV rights of the most important competitions carried out in North American territory. Overwhelmed by the evidence, Blazer agreed to collaborate with the FBI with the recording of meetings with FIFA leaders. This facilitated the collection of evidence, enough to involve various names in the leadership and businessmen.. The calculation of the amount of the bribes amounts to around 150 million dollars. Blazer passed away in July 2017.

2 – Raids and arrests at dawn in Switzerland

On May 27, 2015, at various luxury hotels in Zurich, Seven senior FIFA officials were arrested and there are a total of 14 defendants. Five of them were businessmen; three, Argentines: Alejandro Burzaco, CEO of tournaments and Competitions, and Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, of the Full Play company, who was later sentenced for paying bribes related to the Copa América or matches related to the World Cup qualification. Simultaneously to what was happening in Switzerland, the headquarters of Concacaf in the United States was raided.

3 – The earthquake is placed in the FIFA elections

The arrests and searches took place during the activities of the FIFA Congress that came together in the elections, in which Joseph Blatter was seeking re-election. From Michel Platini, head of UEFA, through heads of state such as François Hollande (France) and David Cameron (Great Britain) they asked for the elections to be postponed. However, on May 29, the elections were held anyway and Blatter was re-elected. Three days later, he gave in to the pressure and announced his resignation for February 2016. That date was brought forward, since in September the Swiss Justice opened criminal proceedings against him and in October FIFA suspended him for 90 days. Platini, the main candidate to succeed him, was also suspended for having received a “unfair payment”. FIFA recently normalized with the elections that consecrated Gianni Infantino as the new head of the entity.

4 – Psychosis in South America and Concacaf due to new arrests

The detainees continued to “collaborate” and the network focused heavily on Latin America. US attorney loretta lynch pointed to 16 new managers of the football world in the corruption network, all from our continent. On December 3 they were arrested Juan Ángel Napout, head of Conmebol, and Alfredo Hawit Banegas, president of Concacaf. Besides, Argentine Jose Luis Meiszner, secretary of the South American entity, left his post and called for his international capture. At that time, the name of Julio Grondona as “co-conspirator 1″ in the investigation of fifa gate.

6 – Two years later, the first sentenced

On October 25, 2017, the first sentence arrived: Hector Trujilloformer general secretary of soccer in Guatemala, was sentenced in New York to eight months in prison. A week later, takkas shoresa manager from the Cayman Islands, received a sentence of 15 months for money laundering and bribery.

7 – The role of Alejandro Burzaco in the dock of the accused

Former CEO of Tournaments and Competitions, Alejandro Burzacoheard this Friday the verdict of the judge Pamela Chenof the Eastern District of New York. The former manager pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy on November 16, 2015 and returned $21,600,000 Dollars, according to the judicial authorities. He was sentenced in the North American court, but the Justice took into account the amount of data that he provided as a protected witness and gave him the benefit of not going to jail. In fact, the information provided in the two trials held so far was crucial in involving various leaders of the AFA and Conmebol, such as the late Julio Grondona, Nicolás Leoz, Romer Ozuna, José Luis Meiszner, Eduardo Deluca and Eugenio Figueredo. Beyond the South American leg, he also stated that Leoz, Grondona and Teixeira They received money to vote for the election of the last World Cup at the hands of Qatar. About 20 people are still awaiting their sentence in the fifa gatea case that stained the ball for life.

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