“For the Game, For the World”: Swiss Police Raid FIFA Meeting And Arrest Senior Officials in Corruption Investigation

For those of us who have been vocal critics of the flagrant and open corruption of FIFA, there is finally some good news. Swiss authorities swooped into a hotel Wednesday and arrested some of the top soccer officers on corruption charges in the United States. The police notably went to one of the most expensive hotels in the world where these officials were treating themselves to another gold-plated over-the-top meeting with views of the Alps and Lake Zurich. They were led from the five-star hotel in an early morning raid, but many will be disappointed that one official remained in his luxury hotel room untouched: Sepp Blatter (right), FIFA’s longtime president who has ruled over one of the most corrupt organizations in sports for years. While the slogan of FIFA is “For the Game. For the World,” it has been run for the benefit of its leadership for decades. This prosecution, not FIFA, can be properly embraced as “For the Game. For the World.” Blatter became president of FIFA in 1998 after rising through the ranks of this infamous organization. His chief ethics investigation, Michael J. Garcia, resigned in frustration and declared that the organization was so thoroughly corrupt that it was incapable of reforming itself. That is why Americans can take such pride in the work of the FBI in this case. This include new allegations of dirty dealing over the plans for the 2018 (in Russia) and 2022 (in Qatar) world cups. However, just Friday, Blatter announced that those votes would not be reopened. He and his band of sports felons then went off to Zurich to enjoy their customary five-star accommodations . . . until the police showed up. The first to be led out of the hotel was Eduardo Li of Costa Rica. Other senior officials include Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Jack Warner, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin and Nicolás Leoz. The indictment names 14 people on charges including racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The New York Times also reports that the defendants will include sports-marketing executives from the United States and South America who are accused of paying more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for media deals associated with major soccer tournaments. The large number of defendants raises the chances of a cooperation agreement and the possibility that Blatter might still be charged. What is clear is that the United States appears ready to do what no country has succeeded in doing: cleaning up FIFA. It is a prosecution that will be cheered by millions who have watched this arrogant and seemingly untouchable organization for years. While I admit that I am an American football fan who has struggled to watch soccer, this sport is suddenly getting much much more interesting. Perhaps we might even see some of the practices at the NFL reviewed as they fleece cities for Superbowl rights to benefit top officials. Nevertheless, FIFA makes the NFL look like amateurs and pikers when it comes to corruption. Part of the reason is that so many officials come from countries with lax corruption laws or enforcement. The Olympic Committee has been previously subject to such investigations for obscene corruption and continues to draw the ire of reformers. The international work of FIFA, including meetings and activities in the United States, allows the U.S. to enforce our own laws over the dealings of FIFA. The result could be what this organization has long need — in addition to the obvious need for Blatter to resign. What is fascinating is that Blatter has been a disaster on almost every level from mismanaging accounts to remarkably moronic public comments to even disrespecting the memory of Nelson Mandela. Yet, FIFA has always operated like it is composed of “made men” who are accountable to no one but themselves. That assumption however appears to be proven incorrect as over a dozen senior officials face extradition orders to the United States.