Yesterday, several FIFA officials were arrested by Swiss authorities in Zurich yesterday with allegations of corruption which included money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) have expressed their shock regarding the incident, claiming that there’s a grave need for FIFA to be revamped and restructured.
“Today’s events are a disaster for FIFA and tarnish the image of football as a whole,” UEFA stated.
“These events show, once again, that corruption is deeply rooted in FIFA’s culture. There is a need for the whole of FIFA to be ‘rebooted’ and for a real reform to be carried out.”
However, South Africa has also been dragged into the drama as they have been accused of bribing a former FIFA Vice President to secure the rights to host the 2010 World Cup.
While there has been no confirmation or official statement on the matter, the indictment from USA’s attorney general claims that South Africa paid USD $10 million as bribe and the cash was transferred through a FIFA account. The money was reportedly paid to Jack Warner and Chuck Blazer, two former FIFA members.
Blazer has pleaded guilty to 10 criminal charges, whilst Warner has denied all the allegations thus far.
Photo credits: static1square
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