BROOKLYN — The beautiful game was dealt an ugly blow Wednesday morning after federal investigators announced a 47-count indictment charging top officials from soccer’s governing body in a widespread corruption scheme that spanned more than two decades.
Nine FIFA officials, including two vice presidents, were arrested on charges including racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering for their roles in corrupting the sport to put extra money in their pockets.
“The game was hijacked,” FBI Director James Comey said. “That field that is so famously flat was tilted.”
The FIFA officials were charged in Brooklyn for engaging in fraud, bribery and money laundering through alliances with sports marketing executives over 24 years.
They're also accused of conspiring to solicit and receive more than $150 million in under-the-table payments for their support of the marketing executives.
Five corporate executives were also charged for their involvement in paying the bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative marketing rights to global soccer tournaments, officials said.
The sports marketing companies often sold the rights to TV and radio networks to cover the events as well as to sponsors to promote their brands, prosecutors said.
“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said. “Today’s action makes clear that this Department of Justice intends to end any such corrupt practices, to root out misconduct and to bring any wrongdoers to justice.”
IRS Chief Richard Weber insisted the case wasn’t as much about soccer as obeying the law.
“This really is the World Cup of fraud,” he said. “Today, we’re issuing FIFA a red card.”
