Chuck Blazer confessed that he and “others on the FIFA Executive Committee agreed to bribes” for the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.
Blazer is the super informant who provided the FBI with large amounts of the evidence used in their investigation into FIFA. He famously had an apartment in New York's Trump Tower just for his cats.
Sepp Blatter surprisingly announced last night he would be stepping down as President and many expected there to be a huge revelation to prompt this turnaround.
Chuck Blazer confessed that he and “others on the FIFA Executive Committee agreed to bribes” for the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.
Blazer is the super informant who provided the FBI with large amounts of the evidence used in their investigation into FIFA. He famously had an apartment in New York's Trump Tower just for his cats.
Sepp Blatter surprisingly announced last night he would be stepping down as President and many expected there to be a huge revelation to prompt this turnaround.
In fact, the United States Department of Justice published some of Blazer’s testimony and it is explosive stuff.
“I and others on the FIFA Executive Committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup.
“I agreed with other persons in ‘92 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with selection of host nation for the ’98 World Cup.”
Those tournaments were eventually held in France (1998) and South Africa (2010).
However, the testimony also shows the 1998 bribe was from Morocco, not eventual winners France.
“During my association with FIFA and CONCACAF, among other things, I and others agreed that I or a co-conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity.
“Among other things, I agreed with other persons in or around 1992 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with the selection of the host nation for the 1998 World Cup.
“Beginning in or about 1993 and continuing through the early 2000s, I and others agreed to accept bribes and kickbacks in conjunction with the broadcast and other rights to the 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2003 Gold Cups.
“Beginning in or around 2004 and continuing through 2011, I and others on the FIFA Executive Committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup.
“Among other things, my actions described above had common participants and results.”
There is a large chunk of the testimony that has been redacted. It is at the end, after the court asked: "Is there anything else?"
Today FBI sources confirmed the investigation also includes the process of assigning the 2018 World Cup to Russia and 2022 tournament to Qatar.