FIFA Issues Statement Regarding Switzerland Arrests

World | May 27, 2015, Wednesday // 14:58
Bulgaria: FIFA Issues Statement Regarding Switzerland Arrests Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs, speaks during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Photo: EPA/BGNES

FIFA's spokesperson Walter De Gregorio deemed the unexpected arrests of the organization's officials to be a positive event.

"This for FIFA is good," De Gregorio said in a news conference following the scandalous arrests, as quoted by the Business Insider."It’s not good in terms of image, it’s not good in terms of reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, everything we did in the last four years, this is good."

Meanwhile, the names of the arrested FIFA members also became evident. They are Issa Hayatou (president of the Confederation of African Football), Angel Maria Villar Llona (Spain), Michel D’Hooghe (Belgium), Senes Erzik (Turkey), Worawi Makudi (Thailand), Marios Lefkaritis (Cyprus), Jacques Anouma (Ivory Coast), Rafael Salguero (Guatemala), Hany Abo Rida (Egypt) and Vitaly Mutko (Russia – head of the 2018 World Cup and sport’s minister), the Guardian reported.

According to information of the US Justice Department, the main ground has been a "24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer."

There are two main events of concern that have served as grounds for the international investigation - the upcoming 2018 World Cup in Russia, and the 2022 World Cup set to take place in Qatar.

Meanwhile, a search operation is currently ongoing at the FIFA headquarters in Miami's Concacaf. 

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

World » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: FIFA, investigation, operation, Swiss, corruption, allegations, Switzerland, US, Miami, Concacaf, Walter De Gregorio, world cup

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria