What a day. A refresher:
- Nine Fifa officials and four executives of sports management companies were arrested on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100m (£65m), according to the US Department of Justice.
- Fifa president Sepp Blatter was not among the accused. Fifa spokesman Walter de Gregorio told the Associated Press: “He is not involved at all.”
- The officials are accused of taking in excess of $150m in bribes stretching back 24 years. US prosecutors said the officials conspired with sports marketing executives to “shut out competitors and keep highly lucrative contracts for themselves through the systematic payment of bribes and kickbacks”.
And in the words of acting US attorney Currie at today’s press conference in New York: “It’s only just beginning.”
Dominic Rushe, US business correspondent for the Guardian, on the sponsor impact:
Soccer’s biggest sponsors have so far been largely silent on the Fifa news but that is unlikely to last. In 2014 Coca-Cola took the unusual step of publicly criticising Fifa’s own investigation into corruption allegations surrounding Russia and Qatar’s bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. After Fifa cleared those bids its ethics chief Michael Garcia said he had been “misrepresented” and the report contained “numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of facts and conclusions”.
“Anything that detracts from the mission and ideals of the Fifa World Cup is a concern to us. The current conflicting perspectives regarding the investigation are disappointing. Our expectation is that this will be resolved quickly in a transparent and efficient manner,” Coke said at the time. The “real thing’s” Fifa sponsorship is worth $475m.
The Coca-Cola Company has not responded to an email requesting comment.
Jackie Kucinich, senior politics editor for the Daily Beast, is drawing a line between Bill Clinton, Fifa and Qatar’s World Cup bid.
The Clinton global charity has received between $50,000 and $100,000 from soccer’s governing body and has partnered with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association on several occasions, according to donor listings on the foundation’s website.
...
When the U.S. lost the 2022 bid to Qatar, Clinton was rumored to be so upset he shattered a mirror.
But apparently Qatar tried to make it up to him.
The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, partnering with the State of Qatar, “committed to utilizing its research and development for sustainable infrastructure at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to improve food security in Qatar, the Middle East, and other arid and water-stressed regions throughout the world,” according to the Clinton Foundation website.
The cost of the two-year project is not listed on the Clinton Foundation website, but the Qatar 2022 committee gave the foundation between $250,000 and $500,000 in 2014 and the State of Qatar gave between $1 million and $5 million in previous, unspecified years.
Here’s the Fiver’s take on today’s happenings:
As you’ll probably know, it all kicked off at Fifa on Wednesday morning. Nine of the governing body’s assorted wonks have been indicted by the frankly terrifying-sounding USA! USA!! USA!!! Department of Justice, on charges including but not limited to “racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies”. The lucky chaps are: Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin, Nicolás Leoz and, of course, our old friend Jack Warner.
In addition, the Swiss authorities will be conducting their own investigation, during which they will have a word on the QT with 10 members of the Fifa ExCo who took part in that lovely old World Cup vote back in 2010. Those are: Issa Hayatou (Cameroon), Vitaly Mutko (Russia), Angel María Villar Llona (Spain), Michel D’Hooghe (Belgium), Senes Erzik (Turkey), Worawi Makudi (Thailand), Marios Lefkaritis (Cyprus), Jacques Anouma (Ivory Coast), Rafael Salguero(Guatemala) and Hany Abo Rida (Egypt). The Swiss attorney general says they’ll be asked about “criminal mismanagement and money laundering”, having seized assorted electronic data and documents from Fifa HQ.
So, all in all, quite a day, and quite a collection of dignitaries. And a day you would think is, to say the least, not ideal for Fifa given that the coronatio … sorry, election of Sepp Blatter as top dog, major domo and El Presidente is due to take place on Friday. Not a bit of it, mind, according to Fifa human shield Walter de Gregorio, who stepped up to face the world’s press as their collective jaw swung on its hinges: “This for Fifa is good. It is not good in terms of image or reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, this is good … It is not a nice day, but it is also a good day.” And on Sepp’s state of mind, for that is what we were all wondering about, De Gregorio repeatedly made clear that has boss had absolutely nothing to do with the officials he oversaw as president being arrested, and that he was “relaxed” but not “dancing in his office”.
He wasn’t the only one declaring that there was nothing to see here. Warner released a statement saying: “I have fought fearlessly against all forms of injustice and corruption. I have been afforded no due process and I have not even been questioned in this matter. I reiterate that I am innocent of any charges. I have walked away from the politics of world football to immerse myself in the improvement of lives in this country where I shall, God willing, die.”
It’s also worth noting what a few of those who are to be asked for their views on all of this had to say before about such allegations:
- Leoz, in 2013: “A while ago the press in England were at it, now the German press do it. I don’t know. What is it that drives these people?”
- Mutko, who in 2010 attacked the British press for “portraying Russia as a hotbed of corruption”, said: “We’re prepared to show everything. We’ve always acted within the law.”
- And in January, Webb said: “I believe that the tremendous work that our integrity committee did in bringing a level of transparency to our confederation … we will have implemented every single one of their recommendations for transparency in governance.”
Five days on from Sepp declaring that “the next two months will showcase some of our key events”, the investigation continues.
Elsewhere, the show must go on.
Meanwhile Fifa TV is pressing on with their medical conference. Admirable persistence. pic.twitter.com/AlX6AbEYXS
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
It’s made clear there’s no information in the indictment that indicates “any games or tournaments themselves” were subject to bribery. The corruption only extended to hosting, media and sports marketing rights.
And that’s it for the Department of Justice press conference.
Updated
Jonathan Watts, the Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, has this on the reaction in Brazil to the arrest of former FA president José Maria Marin:
Few people in Brazil are likely to mourn the arrest in Zurich today of José Maria Marin, the dictatorship-era politician and former head of the Brazilian Football Confederation.
Swiss police detained the 83-year-old as part of their swoop on Fifa officials allegedly involved in money laundering and bribery.
It is far from the first controversy surrounding the CBF president, who is from the same clique of Brazilian football kingpins as his predecessor Ricardo Teixeira and FIFA president João Havelange - both of whom were embroiled in corruption scandals.
Marin’s appointment in 2012 was controversial as a result of his support for the country’s military dictatorship and his alleged association with the torture and killing of a journalist, Vladimir Herzog.
Herzog’s son, Ivo has said Marin should take some responsibility for the death of his father because in 1975, when the future head of the CBF was still a state congressman, he publicly denounced Herzog and called for the authorities to take action. The journalist was arrested soon after on the orders of police chief Sérgio Fleury and died in prison tafter undergoing repeated electric shocks. A year later, an unrepentant Marin praised Fleury for fulfilling his duties “in the most praiseworthy manner.”
In 2013, the former Brazil striker Romario joined Ivo in presenting a petition to the CBF and Sepp Blatter urging Marin’s appointment be referred to the Fifa ethics committee for conduct unbecoming a football official.
Romario had previously called Marin a thief and said he should “spend 100 years in prison” for taking a medal from a Corinthians player at a junior cup match. Marin responded by filing a lawsuit, but Romario was aquitted by the Supreme Court in April this year.
Marin is a former São Paulo state governor, a post he won with the support of one of the most corrupt politicians in Brazil, Paulo Maluf who has been found guilty of taking hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes.
(As an aside, here’s a look at the key figures in the indictment, including the nine indicted parties: Jack Warner, Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Julio Rocha, Eduardo Li, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin, Costas Takkas, Nicolás Leoz.)
Updated
FBI director Comey is asked why it took so long for Fifa to be called out on the carpet. He cites the the complexity of the case in addition to the international component.
“You don’t want to bring a case until you have the goods and that takes time,” he says.
Lynch says the indictment was not timed to coincide with the Fifa presidential election.
Lynch is now taking questions. The first query is about the status of Fifa president Sepp Blatter: “Are you today giving [Blatter] a clean bill of health?”
The attorney general says the investigation is ongoing and she’s “not going to comment on the status of any individual”.
“I’m not able to comment further on Mr Blatter’s status,” she says in closing.
Updated
Richard Weber, chief of the IRS criminal investigation, now at the dais.
“This really is the World Cup of fraud,” he says, “and today we are issuing Fifa a red card.”
FBI director James Comey now at the podium: “This may be the way things are, but this is not the way things have to be.”
James Comey, director of the FBI: "The game... was hijacked." pic.twitter.com/s5yi8axzlM
— RupertNeate (@RupertNeate) May 27, 2015
He adds: “This hijacking is being met with a very aggressive prosecutorial response in order to change behavior and send a message.”
Updated
Currie says Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb “used his positions of trust” to “solicit and collect bribes from sports marketing executives who needed his support to get contracts.”
“This sort of corruption and bribery in international soccer has been going on for two decades,” he says, adding the investigation leading to these indictments took years. “This is only the beginning.”
Kelly T Currie, acting US attorney in the Eastern District of New York, is now at the podium addressing further details of the indictments.
“All of these defendants abused the US financial system and violated US law,” Currie says, “and we intend to hold them accountable.”
Updated
Lynch says $110m in bribes related to next year’s Copa América Centenario in the United States alone:
For instance, in 2016, the United States is scheduled to host the centennial edition of the Copa America – the first time that tournament will be held in cities outside South America. Our investigation revealed that what should be an expression of international sportsmanship was used as a vehicle in a broader scheme to line executives’ pockets with bribes totaling $110m – nearly a third of the legitimate costs of the rights to the tournaments involved.
Updated
Lynch says Fifa officials used their positions of trust within their respective organizations to solicit bribes from sports marketers: “They did this over and over. Year after year. Tournament after tournament.”:
Beginning in 1991, two generations of soccer officials, including the then-presidents of two regional soccer confederations under Fifa – the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, known as Concacaf, which includes the United States, and the South American Football Confederation, or Conmebol, which represents organized soccer in South America – used their positions of trust within their respective organizations to solicit bribes from sports marketers in exchange for the commercial rights to their soccer tournaments. They did this over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament.
Updated
The press conference is under way, and US attorney general Loretta Lynch has taken the podium outlining the charges. She says the accused held important responsibilities at every level and were expected to uphold the rules that keep soccer honest. Instead they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to enrich themselves, Lynch says:
Many of the individuals and organizations we will describe today were entrusted with keeping soccer open and accessible to all. They held important responsibilities at every level, from building soccer fields for children in developing countries to organizing the World Cup. They were expected to uphold the rules that keep soccer honest, and protect the integrity of the game. Instead, they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and enrich themselves. This Department of Justice is determined to end these practices; to root out corruption; and to bring wrongdoers to justice.
Updated
The news conference should begin momentarily. Rupert Neate offers a look at the thick press pack distributed among the many correspondents in attendance. Refresh the page to watch the presser in the window above.
The DoJ indictment. #FIFA pic.twitter.com/eaegQLN5Ig
— RupertNeate (@RupertNeate) May 27, 2015
"The Conspirators' Corruption of the Enterprise" DoJ's 47-count indictment on #FIFA officials pic.twitter.com/4GyGvXlpGv
— RupertNeate (@RupertNeate) May 27, 2015
Updated
As we await the US Department of Justice press conference scheduled to begin in 10 minutes, here’s a look into the plight of the migrant workers in Qatar – and what’s been called an unholy matrimony between Fifa and the Gulf state hosting the 2022 World Cup.
I’m handing over to Bryan Armen Graham in our US office for the live press conference – and Rupert Neate will be tweeting from the venue.
The FBI’s director James B Comey said earlier: “As charged in the indictment, the defendants fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world. Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks and bribes became a way of doing business at Fifa. When leaders in an organisation resort to cheating the very members that they were supposed to represent, they must be held accountable. Whether you call it soccer or football, the fans, players and sponsors around the world who love this game should not have to worry about officials corrupting their sport. This case isn’t about soccer, it is about fairness and following the law.”
More images via the Guardian’s Rupert Neate from the US Department of Justice press conference on today’s arrests, which is due to start at 3.30pm(BST)/10.30am(ET).
At the DoJ for FIFA fraud press conference. Lot of people here already & it doesn't official start til 10:30 #FIFA pic.twitter.com/MxUtUrGINI
— RupertNeate (@RupertNeate) May 27, 2015
This is the press pack for DoJ #FIFA press conference pic.twitter.com/qw9yY3aP8i
— RupertNeate (@RupertNeate) May 27, 2015
The BBC’s Richard Conway has tweeted images of the visual aids being used by the US Attorney’s press office to explain the investigation, complete with topical clipart.
U.S. Attorney press office using these pictures to explain today's Fifa arrests: pic.twitter.com/YOoDibaYnF
— Richard Conway (@richard_conway) May 27, 2015
Being kicked out of Fifa media room as, and I quote, "we need to clean this place." It writes itself sometimes...
— Richard Conway (@richard_conway) May 27, 2015
Damian Collins, the Conservative MP and Fifa reform campaigner, has called for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes to be re-run. He told the BBC that Sepp Blatter – who he called “the most despicable man in sport” – should stand down.
“Over the years they’ve sought to dismiss out of hand any suggestion of widespread wrongdoing in the organisation ... and here we are today in this terrible mess they have created themselves. This is doing immense damage to world football and it has to stop, with Blatter going and a re-run of the World Cup rights vote. People within Fifa should not be surprised at all. This is the end for them, and the end of their total failure of the reform they promised.”
The new sports minister Tracey Crouch said in a statement: “I fully back the FA’s position that change and reform is urgently needed at the top of Fifa, including its leadership. I welcome the investigations that are now underway into the allegations of bribery and corruption.”
Updated
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Blatter’s challenger in Friday’s election, has added to his earlier debatable claim that this was “a sad day for football”. He says Fifa now needs leadership “that governs, guides and protects”.
We cannot continue with the crisis in FIFA, a crisis that has been ongoing and is not just relevant to the events of today.
— Ali Bin Al Hussein (@AliBinAlHussein) May 27, 2015
FIFA needs leadership that governs, guides and protects our national associations.
— Ali Bin Al Hussein (@AliBinAlHussein) May 27, 2015
Leadership that accepts responsibility for its actions and does not pass blame.
— Ali Bin Al Hussein (@AliBinAlHussein) May 27, 2015
Leadership that restores confidence in the hundreds of millions of football fans around the world.
— Ali Bin Al Hussein (@AliBinAlHussein) May 27, 2015
Another of those due to be questioned by Swiss authorities is Russia’s sports minister and Fifa executive Vitaly Mutko, who says “we’ve got nothing to hide.” He told Associated Press: “We’re prepared to show everything. We’ve always acted within the law.” He also said preparations for the 2018 tournament would not be “obstructed” by the criminal proceedings. “We have a contract with Fifa and we’re getting ready to hold the draw. We operated within the regulations that existed at that time.”
In 2010 Mutko attacked the English press ahead of the vote for “portraying Russia as a hotbed of corruption”. Days later a Russian federal audit chamber report on spending at his ministry alleged he had claimed expenses for 97 breakfasts eaten during a 20-day trip to Vancouver. Mutko called the report “utter bullshit and complete nonsense”.
Transparency International, the campaigning NGO, are calling for Sepp Blatter to stand down, and for the presidential election to be suspended.
Managing director Cobus de Swardt said in a statement: “The warning signs for Fifa have been there for a long time. Fifa has refused to abide by many basic standards of good governance that would reduce the risk of corruption.
“These scandals have taken place under Sepp Blatter’s watch, which spans almost two decades. For the sake of the fans, and good governance of football, it is time for him to step down. The elections for president are not credible if they are tainted with these allegations by the highest prosecuting authorities.
“Blatter must stand down and new elections called to mark a new era of Fifa leadership. At the same time there must be full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest and the pay of the executive committee members. Their hands need to be clean and seen to be clean.”
More from FA chairman Greg Dyke. “When I went to bed last night I thought it might be quite a boring congress. Now I think it might be quite lively.”
Our latest story on the arrests includes US attorney general Loretta Lynch’s striking assessment: “The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States. It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.”
Some more background material on how we got to this point. Owen Gibson’s profile of Blatter from June 2014, and this from Tariq Panja, Andrew Martin and Veron Silver for Bloomberg, which includes the year’s defining Fifa quote so far:
It can be hard to find the perfect way to describe Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, the head of Fifa. The Daily Mail has called him a “smug, self-righteous Zurich gnome.” The Guardian has called him “the most successful non-homicidal dictator of the past century.” In April, at the annual meeting of Fifa’s North and Central American representatives, Osiris Guzman, president of Dominican Republic soccer, goes in another direction, comparing Blatter to Jesus Christ, Nelson Mandela, and Winston Churchill. “Why is he different from these other men?” demands Guzman, whom Fifa banned from soccer for 30 days in a 2011 vote-buying scandal. For good measure, he adds Moses, Martin Luther King Jr., and Abraham Lincoln.
Required reading for those looking to make sense of events in Zurich and the US pic.twitter.com/W588ATlhgW
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
Here’s some topical-again analysis about Fifa’s mechanics for a US audience, from John Oliver in June 2014. “Think of money as pubic hair, and Fifa as wax.”
Meanwhile, Sunshine Newspaper’s Jack Warner has issued a statement about “certain developments in world football”. He writes:
It has been reported that a number of Fifa officials have been arrested in Switzerland and that at least one raid conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigators in Miami is being executed at what I presume to be Concacaf offices. My name is being reported by international media as being one of those persons sought in connection with the probe.
The people of Trinidad and Tobago will know that I quit Fifa and international football more than four years ago and that over the past several years I have recommitted my life to the work of improving the lot of every citizen of every creed and race in this nation. This is where I have let my bucket down.
I have fought fearlessly against all forms of injustice and corruption.
I have been afforded no due process and I have not even been questioned in this matter. I reiterate that I am innocent of any charges. I have walked away from the politics of world football to immerse myself in the improvement of lives in this country where I shall, God willing, die.
The actions of Fifa no longer concern me. I cannot help but note however that these cross-border coordinated actions come at a time when Fifa is assembled for elections to select a President who is universally disliked by the international community. At times such as this it is my experience that the large world powers typically take actions to affect world football. World football is an enormous international business.
That is no longer my concern. My sole focus at this stage of my life is on the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
I wish to advise the hundreds of thousands of persons who support the ILP that my commitment to them and to the people of Trinidad and Tobago is undaunted and can never be broken.
Updated
Owen Gibson has the names of the 10 individuals, all currently listed as current Fifa executive committee members, who will now be questioned by Swiss authorities over the 2018/22 World Cup bids. Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, as Swiss residents, are not included, but will also presumably be questioned.
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 sports minister).
Meanwhile, a search is under way in Miami at the Concacaf headquarters.
#BREAKING: Federal agents are executing a search warrant at CONCACAF soccer organization headquarters on Miami Beach. pic.twitter.com/bRsrRnZvIQ
— WSVN-TV (@wsvn) May 27, 2015
Updated
What we know so far
• On a devastating day for Fifa, 24 hours before their congress opens, Swiss authorities in Zurich arrested seven officials for alleged racketeering, conspiracy and corruption. The US Department of Justice said the Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb was among those arrested, alongside Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel and José Maria Marin.
• In total nine Fifa officials and five corporate executives have been indicted.
• The US attorney general Loretta Lynch said the indictment alleged “corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States” and that it “spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks”.
• In a separate move, Swiss authorities opened criminal proceedings over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. A statement from the Swiss attorney general said they seized electronic data from Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich and opened criminal proceedings against individuals on “the suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups”.
• Fifa spokesman Walter de Gregorio faced the press alone and said the congress and the presidential election were due to go ahead as planned, and there was no question of restaging the votes for the World Cup hosting rights. He said Sepp Blatter was feeling “relaxed” about the day’s developments because he was “not involved in them at all”, before clarifying: “Well he is not dancing in his office. He is very calm, he is fully co-operative with everything. That’s what I meant. He’s not a happy man, saying wow wow.”
• De Gregorio concluded: “This for Fifa is good. It is not good in terms of image or reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, this is good … It is not a nice day, but it is also a good day. The process goes on and we are looking forward.”
Updated
Fifa, meanwhile, has issued its own statement on today’s events, mirroring Walter de Gregorio’s press conference line that this is, despite what you might read elsewhere, a really good day for Fifa.
Fifa welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football ... We are pleased to see that the investigation is being energetically pursued for the good of football and believe that it will help to reinforce measures that Fifa has already taken.
Updated
The FA’s chairman Greg Dyke has issued a statement, calling today’s arrests “very serious for Fifa and its current leadership”.
As one of the associations who nominated [presidential election challenger] Prince Ali it will not surprise you to learn that if the election for president goes ahead the FA will be voting for him. However, there must be a question mark over whether the election should take place in these circumstances. Clearly things are changing very quickly and our delegation to the Fifa congress in Zurich, which I am leading, will discuss the position and what we should do about it with our colleagues in Uefa when we meet tomorrow morning.”
Meanwhile, here’s how the news of the dawn raids was broken earlier today by the New York Times journalist Matt Apuzzo.
Updated
Among those on the charged list, 86-year-old Nicolás Leoz, the former Fifa executive and Conmebol president. Leoz - named in court in 2008 as having received bribes in Fifa’s unrelated ISL scandal - spoke in 2013 about the new allegations he faced related to his World Cup bid conduct: “A while ago the press in England were at it, now the German press do it. I don’t know. What is it that drives these people?”
Retiring from football that year he said: “I’m retiring with the tranquility and knowledge of having done a sincere, honest job … I’ve not stolen so much as a cent.”
Updated
Among the other key lines from the US Department of Justice’s statement on the charging of 14 defendants with “racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, among other offences, in connection with the defendants’ participation in a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer”:
- The guilty pleas of four individual defendants and two corporate defendants were unsealed today - including that of Chuck Blazer.
- Besides football executives, the list includes “US and South American sports marketing executives who are alleged to have systematically paid and agreed to pay well over $150 million in bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative media and marketing rights to international soccer tournaments.”
US attorney general Loretta Lynch added that the pattern of alleged corruption had “profoundly harmed a multitude of victims, from the youth leagues and developing countries that should benefit from the revenue generated by the commercial rights these organisations hold, to the fans at home and throughout the world whose support for the game makes those rights valuable. Today’s action makes clear that this Department of Justice intends to end any such corrupt practices, to root out misconduct, and to bring wrongdoers to justice – and we look forward to continuing to work with other countries in this effort.”
FBI Director James Comey said: “As charged in the indictment, the defendants fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world. Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks, and bribes became a way of doing business at Fifa. I want to commend the investigators and prosecutors around the world who have pursued this case so diligently, for so many years.”
Updated
More from the US Department of Justice’s statement, which revealed that Fifa’s vice-president Jeffrey Webb was among those arrested early this morning. The US attorney general Loretta Lynch said the indictment alleged “corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States” and that it “spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks”.
Today’s developments follow yesterday’s news that 69.2% of 35,000 fans polled by Transparency International and Forza football have no confidence in Fifa. Or maybe more interestingly, 30.8% do.
6 FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges. Shocking? Our poll said 69.2% of fans have no confidence in FIFA: http://t.co/dXzeJ6qXcc
— Transparency Int'l (@anticorruption) May 27, 2015
- To clarify that - of the 30.8%, 14% answered “don’t know”.
Updated
Attorney General Lynch says indictments suggest Fifa corruption "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the US".
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
Meanwhile, the number of defendants arrested in Zurich has increased to seven, according to the US Department of Justice.
Earlier this morning, Swiss authorities in Zurich arrested seven of the defendants charged in the indictment, the defendants Jeffrey Webb, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel and José Maria Marin, at the request of the United States. Also this morning, a search warrant is being executed at CONCACAF headquarters in Miami, Florida.
Jack Warner appearing on the US Department of Justice list is another blow for one of Fifa’s most got-at ex-officials. He denies wrongdoing, and he’s been consistent on that. Last year he called bribery allegations “press foolishness” – a repeat of 2010’s “BBC foolishness”, 2013’s speculation over his future: “You asked me once and I said that is foolishness. I will say again, that is foolishness”; and 2012’s early rumours of an FBI inquiry: “It’s damn foolishness … I will sue to the high heavens … It will be court after court after court.”
Warner set up his own newspaper in Trinidad in 2013 to counter what he called years of “unholy”, “dirty” press smears. He said at the launch: “Truth, when crushed to the ground, will always rise … A new weekly newspaper shall be launched – Sunshine Newspaper – bringing new hope to your lives.” Enjoy the back issues here.
Updated
The press conference is over - we’ll have more analysis of what was said shortly. De Gregorio, sent out to face the media on his own, concludes by thanking journalists for coming “at such short notice”. His main message: “Today is a good day for Fifa”.
Updated
Among the arrests, as a side-note:
As @kemenzerem points out Concacaf president Jeffrey Webb is head of Fifa's internal audit committee.
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
Webb was re-elected unopposed at last month’s Concacaf congress, attended by Blatter. Also at that event, the confederation’s vice-president Captain Horace Burrell was re-elected unopposed. It meant that Burrell, banned for six months in the 2011 bribery scandal, kept his committee roles, including chair of Concacaf’s finance committee; chair of the legal committee overseeing compliance and integrity; and vice‑chair of the security and fair play committee, “supervising the conduct of everyone involved in football within the Concacaf region”.
Updated
Is Blatter really relaxed? “Well he is not dancing in his office. He is very calm, he is fully co-operative with everything. That’s what I meant. He’s not a happy man, saying wow wow.”
So none of this then.
.@owen_g @changeFIFA @david_conn https://t.co/fBjR3N9zcV
— David Hills (@d_hills) November 13, 2014
And back in Zurich...
Incredible chutzpah from De Gregorio to claim this is all somehow part of Fifa's "reform process". He's earning his considerable salary.
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
The US Department of Justice statement names nine Fifa officials and five “corporate executives” who have been indicted for “racketeering conspiracy and corruption”. The statement lists the individuals as:
Jeffrey Webb: Current Fifa vice-president and executive committee member, Concacaf president, Caribbean Football Union (CFU) executive committee member and Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) president.
Eduardo Li: Current Fifa executive committee member-elect, Concacaf executive committee member and Costa Rican soccer federation (FEDEFUT) president.
Julio Rocha: Current Fifa development officer. Former Central American Football Union (UNCAF) president and Nicaraguan soccer federation (FENIFUT) president.
Costas Takkas: Current attaché to the Concacaf president. Former CIFA general secretary.
Jack Warner: Former Fifa vice-president and executive committee member, Concacaf president, CFU president and Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) special adviser.
Eugenio Figueredo: Current Fifa vice-president and executive committee member. Former Conmebol president and Uruguayan soccer federation (AUF) president.
Rafael Esquivel: Current Conmebol executive committee member and Venezuelan soccer federation (FVF) president.
José Maria Marin: Current member of the Fifa organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments. Former CBF president.
Nicolás Leoz: Former Fifa executive committee member and Conmebol president.
Four of the defendants were sports marketing executives:
Alejandro Burzaco: Controlling principal of Torneos y Competencias SA, a sports marketing business based in Argentina, and its affiliates.
Aaron Davidson: President of Traffic Sports USA Inc (Traffic USA).
Hugo and Mariano Jinkis: Controlling principals of Full Play Group SA, a sports marketing business based in Argentina, and its affiliates.
Updated
Meanwhile, as the press conference continues, this from the US:
Names of 9 Fifa officials indicted from US DoJ, supergrass Chuck Blazer pleads guilty: http://t.co/GPE1i9a4OW
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
How can Sepp Blatter continue in power? “He is not involved. That is important information.” Have you spoken to him since the arrests? “He is focused on the congress. Let’s put it like this. The stress factor is higher today than yesterday but he is relaxed. He is not involved. All the rest, he’ll accept what will happen.”
Walter rows back a bit: "Russia and Qatar will be played, this is fact today. I can't go into speculation about what will happen tomorrow."
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
De Gregorio is asked: is this the lowest moment in Fifa’s history? “This for Fifa is good. It is not good in terms of image or reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, this is good … It is not a nice day, but it is also a good day. The process goes on and we are looking forward.”
Updated
De Gregorio says he cannot confirm how many serving executives have been arrested, and says there will be no re-vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. “The World Cups will be played in Russia and Qatar.”
Fifa spokesman says definitively that the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will take place in Russia and Qatar. Right.
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
Updated
Fifa’s spokesperson says world football’s governing body will respond to all requests for information, and draws attention to the attorney general’s line that “Fifa is the damaged party” in the World Cup investigation. Walter de Gregorio repeats that Fifa’s general secretary Jérôme Valcke and president Sepp Blatter are not involved. He adds: “Fifa are suffering in these circumstances. It is a difficult moment for us.”
"Fifa welcomes this process and co-operates closely with the AG of Switzerland and the federal office of justice"
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
Fifa’s congress will go ahead as planned - and De Gregorio says there is “no plan” to postpone the presidential election.
Fifa spokesman: "Of course, Congress will take place. One thing has nothing whatsoever to do with the other."
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
Updated
Follow Fifa’s delayed press conference here.
Updated
As we wait for the conference, some background on one of those detained in the FBI inquiry, the former Brazil FA president José Maria Marin. In 2012 Marin faced more awkward headlines after footage showed him apparently pocketing a medal during a presentation ceremony. He denied wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, our lead story has been updated with the latest developments from a dramatic morning.
Updated
Fifa’s press conference in Zurich - which was due at 10am - has been delayed by ten minutes. Spokesperson Walter de Gregorio will face questions over the multiple arrests in two different criminal investigations, and over the status of Friday’s presidential election, amid reports that Sepp Blatter is now lobbying for a postponement.
Awaiting Fifa's director of communications Walter de Gregorio. pic.twitter.com/Si8tvx1g4l
— Richard Conway (@richard_conway) May 27, 2015
Footage is coming in of this morning’s arrests.
Along with some reaction.
This is extraordinary! FIFA is imploding. The best thing that could possibly happen to the beautiful game. https://t.co/l5Hiwp0WxZ
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 27, 2015
Updated
What we know so far
Fifa are facing an unprecedented crisis on the eve of their congress in Zurich after Swiss authorities made early-morning arrests of six officials and opened separate criminal proceedings over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
- Officers carried out a dawn raid on the five-star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich and arrested a number of officials on corruption charges, including Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb from the Cayman Islands.
- In a separate move, officers raided Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich, seized electronic data and opened criminal proceedings “against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups,” said a statement from the Swiss attorney general.
- Authorities have confirmed that today’s developments involve two separate proceedings.
Here's the statement from the Swiss prosecutor. Explosive stuff: https://t.co/0g8vv45HR3
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
Updated
World Cup votes - criminal proceedings
The office of the Swiss attorney general has announced it is now questioning 10 Fifa executives who took part in voting on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids. A statement says criminal proceedings have opened “against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups”.
Updated
You’ll be able to follow a stream of Fifa’s press conference here at 10am, and we’ll pull out some of the choice quotes. Fifa’s spokesman is about to face a room full of reporters variously written off as “racists” and “colonialists” by Blatter, so it should be lively.
Updated
Sepp Blatter – who is “not involved at all”, according to Fifa’s spokesperson Walter de Gregorio – had been due at an early morning Confederation of African Football meeting at a different Zurich hotel. Meanwhile, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, his rival for the presidency, has arguably misjudged the public mood by calling this “a sad day for football”. His statement added: “Clearly this is a developing story, the details of which are still emerging. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Earlier in the week Prince Ali’s election team contacted police after claiming it had been approached by an individual who said he could deliver 47 votes at Friday’s election, and provide them with “what appeared to be illegally obtained” information relating to Blatter’s personal financial activities. The votes offer was rejected, the campaign added, and Fifa’s ethics committee was not informed.
The Guardian’s Josh Halliday has this summary of today’s developments, including details of those arrested.
Jeffrey Webb, president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and a major figure in Fifa politics, was among those detained. His predecessor, Jack Warner, was also arrested, according to the New York Times. The others held by Swiss police are: Eugenio Figueredo, a Uruguayan Association football executive and former footballer; Eduardo Li, president of the Costa Rican football federation; Julio Rocha, a Fifa development officer; Rafael Esquivel, president of the Venezuelan Football Federation; José Maria Marin, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, and Nicolás Leoz, the former South American football president. Another suspect was named as Costas Takkas. Up to 15 officials are understood to be under investigation worldwide, so the arrests on Wednesday morning may be just the start.
Updated
The arrest of Concacaf’s president Jeffrey Webb comes a month after Blatter’s visit to the confederation’s congress in the Bahamas. The event made headlines for a speech by one of the delegates in support of Blatter’s re-election: the Dominican Republic FA head Osiris Guzman, back in the game after his ban in the 2011 Concacaf bribery scandal, compared Blatter to Moses, Jesus and Nelson Mandela. The Turks and Caicos FA vice-president Olive Smith called for delegates to vote for Sepp “en bloc, to continue this mutually beneficial journey”, and Webb summed up by telling the hall: “Concacaf is – more than ever – united by one vision.”
Updated
Details of the FBI investigation which led to today’s arrests emerged in November last year via the New York Daily News - headline “Soccer Rat!” - which claimed Chuck Blazer, the former Fifa executive turned FBI informant, had used a bugging device to record meetings with his Fifa colleagues at the London 2012 Olympics.
The paper claimed how, faced with a multimillion-dollar bill for unpaid tax on hidden earnings, Blazer agreed to cooperate with an investigation by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service. He then recorded meetings with Fifa colleagues on a bug hidden inside a key fob while staying at a Mayfair hotel during the Olympics.
The investigation into Blazer’s tax affairs turned up some choice claims about his lifestyle - including the revelation that Concacaf paid $18,000 a month for his Trump Towers apartment, and another $6,000 a month for a second Trump Towers flat, used mainly by his cats.
Updated
The Guardian’s Owen Gibson is outside the hotel – he was inside it until the press were cleared out “to protect the privacy of our guests”. Fifa are due to hold a press conference at 10am, with no word yet on whether Blatter will be there. But here’s how he saw Fifa’s congress shaping up in a tweet last week. He wasn’t wrong.
FIFA is 111 years old today. The next 2 months will showcase some of our key events. http://t.co/JHChnlFW3p pic.twitter.com/e3POqKodwY
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) May 21, 2015
Updated
What we know so far
• 24 hours before the start of Fifa’s Congress in Zurich, six senior Fifa officials have been arrested in early-morning raids by Swiss authorities - with 14 people understood to be facing corruption charges worldwide. Officers carried out the dawn raid at the five-star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, with the Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb understood to be among the six detained.
• Sepp Blatter was not one of those arrested. Fifa’s spokesman Walter de Gregorio told the Associated Press: “He is not involved at all.”
• The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said the officials were arrested pending extradition to the US on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100m. The New York Times reported that the charges arising from an FBI inquiry include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering, with the US attorney general Loretta Lynch due to hold a news conference later on Wednesday.
Updated
I’m handing this live blog over to my colleague David Hills now; he’ll take you through the rest of the morning, including the upcoming Fifa press conference at 11am Zurich time (10am BST).
Thanks for reading.
Journalist Heidi Blake, who worked on the Sunday Times’ investigation into alleged Fifa corruption, the Fifa Files, has welcomed today’s arrests:
US really earning its spurs as world's policeman today after utter failure by any other authority to get FIFA's rampant corruption in check.
— Heidi Blake (@HeidilBlake) May 27, 2015
And NBC’s Bill Neely makes this observation after it emerged that the US charges relate to alleged offences connected to tournaments in the US and Latin America:
Charging #FIFA officials on minor tournaments,not #Qatar2022 is like arresting Al Capone on tax charges. #getyourman
— Bill Neely (@BillNeelyNBC) May 27, 2015
Fifa has said it will hold a press conference at 11am (10am BST) at its Zurich headquarters.
Fifa executives (who have not been arrested) are currently meeting at HQ to discuss the morning’s developments.
Updated
The BBC is now reporting that it has confirmed the names of four of those arrested today:
- Eduardo Li
- Jeffrey Webb
- Jose Maria Marin
- Eugenio Figueredo
Webb and Figueredo are Fifa vice-presidents. Li was due to join the executive committee on Friday and Marin is a former member of the executive committee.
Fifa arrests: Eduardo Li, Jose Maria Marin, Jeffrey Webb and Eugenio Figueredo all confirmed by BBC as arrested in Zurich this morning.
— Richard Conway (@richard_conway) May 27, 2015
Updated
The 14 people charged – reports
The New York Times is now reporting 14 names of people it says have been charged in the US indictments.
It is not clear how this list corresponds to the six people arrested in Zurich today, although it is believed that Jeffrey Webb and Eduardo Li were among those taken into custody:
The 14 people are:
Fifa
- Jeffrey Webb
- Eugenio Figueredo
- Jack Warner
- Eduardo Li
- Julio Rocha
- Costas Takkas
- Rafael Esquivel
- José Maria Marin
-
Nicolás Leoz
Others
The New York Times says charges “were also expected against” sports marketing executives Alejandro Burzaco, Aaron Davidson, Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis.
It said José Margulies has also been charged with facilitating illegal payments.
Updated
We have more from our chief sports correspondent Owen Gibson, who is now outside the hotel:
The handful of reporters outside the Bauer au Lac has now swelled as more details emerge.
The arrests began around 6am, with Fifa officials being ushered into unmarked cars covered by sheets.
The six arrested include Jeffrey Webb, the Concacaf president, who is a major figure in Fifa politics.
Webb has been a key figure at Concacaf for years, but has more recently positioned himself as a reformer following the endless corruption claims that dogged his predecessor Jack Warner, who is also among those arrested according to the New York Times.
pack of media outside hotel as the day gets going here in Zurich. We think all arrests at hotel have been completed. pic.twitter.com/MONsJITkFE
— Michael S. Schmidt (@MichaelSSchmidt) May 27, 2015
Updated
Here’s a short video clip apparently showing one of the arrested officials being shielded by a sheet as he is taken to an unmarked car outside the hotel:
Hotel staff trying to use sheets to hide officials as they exit. pic.twitter.com/o0VFKuFnQi
— Sam Borden (@SamBorden) May 27, 2015
Reporters have been asked to leave the Bauer au Lac hotel, where the arrests took place, says the Guardian’s Owen Gibson:
We've been booted out of the lobby of the Bauer au Lac: "We must protect the privacy of our guests". Might be a bit late for that.
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
And other Fifa officials seem also to have been taken by surprise by this morning’s arrests:
MIchel D'Hooghe, longstanding Belgian exco member, said he had "no idea" what was going on as he hurried to a Fifa medical conference.
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
Fifa members are in Zurich – where the organisation is headquartered – for the annual meeting taking place on Friday.
Incumbent Fifa president Sepp Blatter is seeking a fifth term, after 17 years in charge.
His opponent, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, said this week that his election team had been in contact with the police after claiming it had been approached by an individual who said he could deliver 47 votes at Friday’s election.
Prince Ali is the only challenger to Blatter in Friday’s election after the Dutch FA president Michael van Praag and former Portugal forward Luís Figo withdrew. Blatter is the runaway favourite to secure a fifth mandate.
We now have the full statement from the Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), confirming six arrests in Zurich today on suspicion of accepting bribes.
It says that if those arrested agree to be extradited to the US, this can be approved “immediately”.
If they don’t agree, the US will need to submit a formal extradition request.
The six soccer functionaries were arrested today in Zurich by the Zurich Cantonal Police.
The FOJ’s arrest warrants were issued further to a request by the US authorities.
The US attorney’s office for the eastern district of New York is investigating these individuals on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes and kickbacks between the early 1990s and the present day.
The bribery suspects – representatives of sports media and sports promotion firms – are alleged to have been involved in schemes to make payments to the soccer functionaries – delegates of Fifa (Federation Internationale de Football Association) and other functionaries of Fifa sub-organisations – totalling more than US$100m.
In return, it is believed that they received media, marketing, and sponsorship rights in connection with soccer tournaments in Latin America.
According to the US request, these crimes were agreed and prepared in the US, and payments were carried out via US banks.
The Zurich Cantonal Police will question the detainees today on behalf of the FOJ regarding the US request for their arrest.
A simplified procedure will apply for wanted persons who agree to their immediate extradition. The FOJ can immediately approve their extradition to the US and order its execution.
However, if a wanted person opposes their extradition, the FOJ will invite the US to submit a formal extradition request within the deadline of 40 days specified in the bilateral extradition treaty.
Updated
Fifa: Sepp Blatter 'not involved at all'
Associated Press sends this round-up of what has happened so far in Zurich:
Six soccer officials were arrested and detained by Swiss police on Wednesday pending extradition at the request of US authorities after a raid at a luxury hotel in Zurich.
The officials are in Switzerland for the Fifa congress and presidential election, where Sepp Blatter is widely expected to win a fifth term at the helm of the governing body of world soccer.
Blatter was not among the men arrested, Fifa spokesman Walter de Gregorio told the Associated Press.
“He is not involved at all,” De Gregorio said.
Blatter is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Confederation of African Football at 10.30am local time in a different downtown Zurich hotel.
The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said in a statement that US authorities suspect the six officials of having received or paid bribes totalling millions of dollars and that the crimes were agreed to and prepared in the US, and payments carried out via US banks.
The FOJ said the US attorney’s office for the eastern district of New York is investigating the individuals on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes and kickbacks between the early 1990s and now.
“The bribery suspects – representatives of sports media and sports promotion firms – are alleged to have been involved in schemes to make payments to the soccer functionaries [Fifa delegates] and other functionaries of Fifa sub-organisations totalling more than US$100m,” the FOJ statement said.
“In return, it is believed that they received media, marketing, and sponsorship rights in connection with soccer tournaments in Latin America.”
The Zurich Cantonal Police were questioning the detainees.
Updated
Although Swiss authorities have confirmed six arrests took place in Zurich this morning, the Guardian understands as many as 15 people worldwide might have been taken into custody.
An extraordinary image of the arrests:
FIFA officials were escorted out behind sheets at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich http://t.co/LCuxIyugth pic.twitter.com/1M8SuQMSUu
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 27, 2015
Fifa spokesman: 'We are seeking clarity'
Richard Conway, sports news correspondent for BBC 5Live, has this comment from a Fifa spokesman:
We have seen the media reports and and are seeking clarity in this matter.
We will make no further comment at this stage.
Jeffrey Webb, Fifa vice-president, arrested – reports
No names have yet been confirmed by Swiss authorities, but among those arrested this morning is reported to be Jeffrey Webb, a Fifa vice-president and president of the Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) federation formerly controlled by Jack Warner.
Jeffrey Webb, Concacaf president, understood to be among those arrested sources close to Fifa confirm.
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) May 27, 2015
Updated
Analysis: the day Fifa executives have long dreaded
The Guardian’s Owen Gibson is outside the the Bauer au Lac, the hotel from where the officials were escorted by police in an early-morning swoop:
This is the day that Fifa executives have long dreaded. The cosy, luxurious world they have enjoyed for decades, stretching back beyond the 17 years in which Sepp Blatter has been president to the era of Joao Havelange has been shattered.
It is symbolic that the arrests were made in the lobby of the Bauer au Lac hotel, which down the years has become the residence of choice for this peculiar class of cosseted captains of world football.
The FBI has been probing Fifa for at least three years, its investigations centring on the likes of Jack Warner and Ricardo Teixeira and informed by Chuck Blazer, the former Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) general secretary who opted to co-operate with the investigation after being threatened with prosecution over a huge unpaid tax bill.
The rumours that are now swirling around outside the hotel suggest that those arrested are mainly officials from the Concacaf region, the former fiefdom controlled by Warner.
Some more details here, via Associated Press, of the arrests:
The Swiss Federal Office of Justice says six soccer officials have been arrested and detained pending extradition at the request of US authorities ahead of the Fifa congress in Zurich.
In a statement Wednesday, the FOJ says US authorities suspect the officials of having received or paid bribes totalling millions of dollars.
It says the US attorney’s office for the eastern district of New York is investigating these individuals on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes and kickbacks between the early 1990s and now.
Fifa, soccer’s world governing body, is holding a presidential election in Zurich on Friday, when Sepp Blatter has been widely tipped to stay in the job.
Updated
The BBC’s sports editor, Dan Roan, reports that the US attorney-general is due to hold a press conference later – mid-afternoon UK time – to give more details of the indictments:
Understand US Attorney-General & FBI to hold press conference on FIFA in Brooklyn, New York at 3.30 GMT
— Dan Roan (@danroan) May 27, 2015
The Guardian’s chief sports correspondent, Owen Gibson, is in Zurich and sends this dispatch:
We’ve just been turfed out of the opulent lobby of the Bauer au Lac hotel where Fifa’s top brass habitually gather when they come to Zurich. Yesterday, the likes of Michel Platini held court – today it has been sealed off to press and public after this morning’s drama.
All is quiet now after the drama of this morning’s dawn arrests. Michel d’Hooghe, a veteran Belgian executive committee member, hurried off to a Fifa medical conference without comment. ‘I heard something was happening, but I don’t want to say any more.’
There are lots of rumours about exactly who has been taken away by police but no confirmation on the ground.
Updated
Six officials arrested
The Associated Press says Swiss authorities have confirmed that six Fifa officials have been arrested on suspicion of receiving and/or paying millions in bribes.
The New York Times has more detail on the possible indictments to be laid out by US prosecutors:
The charges allege widespread corruption in Fifa over the past two decades, involving bids for World Cups as well as marketing and broadcast deals, according to three law enforcement officials with direct knowledge of the case.
The charges include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering, and officials said they targeted members of Fifa’s powerful executive committee, which wields enormous power and does its business largely in secret.
There has been much scrutiny, for example, of the process by which Qatar was awarded the right to host the World Cup in 2022.
In November last year, Fifa’s ethics committee closed its investigation into the controversial bidding process that saw Qatar named as host of the 2022 World Cup, ruling that any breaches of the rules were only of “very limited scope”.
The decision to award Qatar the tournament was hugely controversial, prompting an avalanche of allegations about the way it won the bid and concerns about the searing heat in which it would be played and the treatment of migrant workers building the infrastructure underpinning it.
But Fifa said an investigation did not find any direct link between the World Cup bid and illicit payments made by the disgraced former Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam, a Qatari who was banned for life for paying bribes during a campaign to unseat Sepp Blatter as Fifa president.
Updated
New York Times reporters Michael Schmidt and Matt Apuzzo are on the scene at the hotel in Zurich:
Swiss law enforcement getting room numbers for FIFA execs they are heading upstairs to arrest pic.twitter.com/F69djqpcu5
— Michael S. Schmidt (@MichaelSSchmidt) May 27, 2015
FIFA execs not being led out in handcuffs. Very peaceful. Hotel staff meanwhile is freaking out.
— Michael S. Schmidt (@MichaelSSchmidt) May 27, 2015
One FIFA official, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, was led from his room. http://t.co/3OXtYMwLj6
— Matt Apuzzo (@mattapuzzo) May 27, 2015
Summary
Several top Fifa officials have been arrested on corruption charges in an early-morning police operation in Zurich, according to reports.
The New York Times reports that more than a dozen plain-clothed officers descended on the five-star Baur au Lac hotel very early on Wednesday morning.
The Swiss city is the setting for this year’s annual meeting of football’s world governing body.
It’s reported that multiple arrests were made on allegations of widespread corruption.
Those arrested could now face extradition proceedings to the US, where federal corruption charges may follow.
The charges stem from a joint investigation by the FBI and US tax authorities that has been ongoing since at least 2011, according to the New York Daily News website.
According to the reports, more than 10 Fifa officials may be indicted as part of the investigation.
Not all of the officials are believed to be in Zurich at present. But it is reported that Sepp Blatter, the president of Fifa, is not one of those arrested in the morning raids.
We will have the latest on this live blog as the story develops
Updated
