Top FIFA Officials Arrested On Corruption And Racketeering Charges

14 senior officials of World Football’s governing body have been arrested by Swiss officials and extradited to the United States as a major corruption investigation yields fruit.

They’re alleged to have accepted kickbacks and bribes in regards to their work at FIFA, totalling $150m over an astonishing 24 year period, according to the BBC.

The officials are incredibly high ranking, with a former vice president and several regional heads. Unsurprisingly, FIFA President Sepp Blatter , who’s fought more corruption allegations than anyone else on this planet, was not part of the sting.

Officials conducted an early morning raid on a five star hotel in Zurich, arresting 7 of those charged. All fourteen officials would be tried in US courts.

FIFA is set to hold presidential elections on Friday, in which Sepp Blatter is standing for a fifth term- the elections would go on as scheduled, notwithstanding this scandal.

Some of the officials implicated include…

Jeffrey Webb: head of the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, Concacaf, and Fifa vice-president

Jack Warner, former FIFA vice-president and former CONCACAF President

Costa Rica’s national football chief Eduardo Li, who was due to join FIFA’s executive committee on Friday

Uruguay’s Eugenio Figueredo, president of South American football governing body COMMEBOL

Brazil’s Jose Maria Marin, a member of FIFA’s club committee