..... as SEVEN executives including vice president are held in Zurich hotel raid over £100m bribes claim
- Two separate investigations have been launched in FIFA corruption
- Seven football officials were arrested on Wednesday by Swiss police
- FIFA vice president Jeffrey Webb among those detained in 6am raid
- American case involves bribes 'totaling more than $150m (£97m)' linked to deals in North and Latin American dating back to the 1990s
- Criminal proceedings also launched into award of 2018 & 2022 World Cups
- Electronic data and documents also seized in raid on FIFA headquarters
- FIFA confirm Friday's presidential election will go ahead as planned
- Sepp Blatter is expected to win a fifth term in office
- His election opponent Prince Ali: 'This is a sad day for football'
Electronic data was seized in a raid on FIFA's headquarters and bank documents have also been obtained from financial institutions and some accounts frozen as part of the inquiry.
FIFA spokesman Walter de Gregorio said this week's congress and Friday's presidential election will continue as planned. President Sepp Blatter is expected to win a fifth term in office.
De Gregorio said Blatter, who was not detained, is 'relaxed' about the situation and claimed this was a 'good day' for world's football's governing body.
Two separate proceedings are now underway, plunging FIFA into chaos.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAS) is conducting the probe regarding the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The second criminal investigation is being led by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York concerning the allocation of media, marketing and sponsoring rights for football tournaments staged in North and Latin America dating back to the 1990s.
The seven arrested in the dawn raid at the five-star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich at the request of the US were:
- Jeffrey Webb - the FIFA vice-president and executive committee member from the Cayman Islands
- Eugenio Figueredo - FIFA vice-president and executive committee member from Uruguay
- Eduardo Li - current FIFA executive committee member-elect and Costa Rica Football Association president
- Julio Rocha - FIFA development officer and president of the Nicaragua FA
- Costas Takkas - attache to the CONCACAF president
- Rafael Esquivel - CONMEBOL executive committee member and Venezuela FA president
- Jose Maria Marin - former president of the Brazilian FA
The two indicted defendants who were not among the seven arrested in Zurich this morning are former FIFA vice president and executive committee member and CONCACAF president Jack Warner and former FIFA executive committee member and CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz.
Remarkably, FIFA have not yet said any of these figures will be suspended.
The convicted defendant are Chuck Blazer, former member of the FIFA executive committee, Jose Hawilla (owner and founder of Brazilian sports marketing conglomerate the Traffic Group) and Jack Warner's sons Daryll Warner and Daryan Warner. The convicted corporations are Traffic Sports International Inc and Traffic Sports USA Inc.
FBI director James B 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.
'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.'
PROFILES OF THE FIFA OFFICIALS INDICTED
Jeffrey Webb - FIFA vice-president and president of CONCACAF. The 50-year-old was born and lives in the Cayman Islands and is the Cayman Islands Football Association president.
Eugenio Figueredo - Former footballer and now Uruguayan FA executive. A former president of CONMEBOL, the South American football federation.
Jack Warner - Former FIFA vice-president and president of CONCACAF from Trinidad and Tobago until he resigned from all his positions in international football in 2011.
Eduardo Li - president of the Costa Rican Football Association.
Julio Rocha - president of the Nicaraguan Football Federation.
Costas Takkas - a former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association.
Rafael Esquivel - president of the Venezuelan Football Federation since 1988.
Jose Maria Marin - vice-president of the Brazil Football Federation and its former president. The CBF were the football organisation who handed out controversial £16,000 Parmigiani watches at their congress in Sao Paulo a year ago, when Marin was the overlord of the association.
Nicolas Leoz - Former CONMEBOL president between 1986 and 2013. He allegedly wanted the FA Cup named after him in exchange for a vote for England in their attempts to host the 2018 World Cup.
Much of the evidence has come from Blazer, a former member of the FIFA executive committee who turned 'supergrass' for the FBI and has repaid $1m.
US Attorney General Lynch added that the corruption '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'.
A simplified procedure will apply for those who agree to be immediately extradited and this will be approved by US authorities straight away.
If one of those arrested opposes their extradition, the US will submit a formal request for their extradition.
The FBI raiding party arrived at the hotel at 6am and the last arrest was of Li, who was led from the building with a sheet over his head at 6.45am.
FIFA President Blatter was scheduled to make an appearance at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) congress at 10.30am on Wednesday morning but did not show up.
His next scheduled appearance is at a FIFA medical conference at 9.15am on Thursday.
PROFILES OF THE OTHER FIGURES ARRESTED
Alejandro Burzaco - chief executive of an Argentine sports communications firm 'Torneos y Competencias'. TyC purchased the broadcasting rights for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Aaron Davidson - chief executive of the North American Soccer League, a professional league in the US and Canada.
Hugo Jinkis - President of Full Play Group, a sports marketing company in Argentina formed in 1998.
Mariano Jinkis - Vice-president of Full Play Group, a sports marketing company in Argentina formed in 1998.
Jose Margulies - charged as an intermediary who facilitated illegal payments.
In a hastily convened press conference FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, spokesman De Gregorio said: 'FIFA initiated this process. The timing may not be the best, but FIFA welcomes this process and co-operates fully with the authorities.
'There are two separate investigations. It was a question of co-ordination. They had to co-ordinate and be as efficient as possible. The fact it happened two days before the congress, everyone is here and we have good international coverage.'
De Gregorio then claimed that FIFA is the 'damaged party' in this process. He said: 'This for FIFA is good. It's not good in terms of image or reputation., but in terms of cleaning up.
'For us once again, it is not a nice day and we have other things to do as well but in other words it is also a good day. The process goes on and we are looking forward to have the results.'
The FBI will hold a press conference at 3.30pm British time.
FIFA Presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, reacting to the news, said: 'Today is a sad day for football. Clearly this is a developing story, the details of which are still emerging. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.'
In a statement, Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said: 'We should stress this morning's developments are very serious for FIFA and its current leadership.
'As one of the associations who nominated 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.'
It is believed UEFA's executive committee will hold an informal meeting to discuss the developments ahead of Wednesday evening's Europa League final in Warsaw.
Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko claimed the arrests were not linked to his country's successful bid to stage the 2018 World Cup.
Damian Collins, the British MP who founded the reform group New FIFA Now, said the news was hugely significant for FIFA and could have a massive impact on the governing body.
'The chickens are finally coming home to roost and this sounds like a hugely significant development for FIFA,' he told Reuters.
'It proves that Sepp Blatter's promises over the last few years to look into corruption at FIFA have not materialised and because he has totally failed to do this, it has been left to an outside law enforcement agency to do the job and take action.'
Costa Rica Football Association president Eduardo Li has also been arrested
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 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 kick-backs between the early 1990s and now.
'The US authorities suspect them of having received bribes totalling in the USD millions,' said the statement.
'The 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 kick-backs 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 officials -- delegates of FIFA and other functionaries of FIFA sub-organizations -- totaling more than $100 million.
'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 statement said the detainees would be questioned by Zurich police regarded the US request.
'A simplified procedure will apply for wanted persons who agree to their immediate extradition. The Federal Office of Justice (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.'
LUXURY AND LOBBYINGThe five-star Baur au Lac hotel, which has been a landmark of Zurich for 170 years, is a popular place for FIFA officials to stay.
Set in its own park, the luxury hotel boasts view over the Zurichsee and the Alps. It is a few minutes' walk from the city centre and shopping areas.
It was the stage for intense lobbying for votes ahead of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting decisions in December 2010.
