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Former FIFA executives accused of bribing for World Cup bid


Former FIFA executives accused of bribing for World Cup bid

According to US prosecutors, former FIFA executives took bribes in order to vote for Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.


A new indictment was revealed in the US District Court on Monday, as the FBI continues to investigate the constant football corruption that has been ongoing in recent years.


Documents put forward by the FBI claim that several former members of the FIFA executive committee were "offered or received bribes in connection with their votes".


The Department of Justice has made allegations against former president of Conmebol, Nicolas Leoz, and against ex-Brazil federation member Ricardo Teixeira.


Both Leoz and Teixeira are accused of accepting money to put "their votes in favour of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup".


On the other hand, former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago was also allegedly paid £4 million by several companies in order to support Russia's bid to host the last World Cup in 2018, fighting off competition, with England being the other main competitor.


At the time, Warner was president of Conacaf, the Central American and Caribbean football confederation.


Guatemala football chief, Rafael Salguero, was also allegedly bribed to vote for Russia.


Leoz was undergoing house arrest, until he died last year, whilst Teixeira, Warner and Salguero have all been banned from any football activity for life. Salguero admitted corruption last year.


In a statement, the FBI have declared that they are "investigating the illicit handshakes and backroom deals" that are "hidden in the infrastructure" of all football "events, venues and marketing contracts".


It is five years since the disgraced FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, was forced to leave his role, and during that time, 42 people have been indicted, with 26 of them pleading guilty to corruption.

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