The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina • 15

Sunday, May 31, 2015 Index-Journal, Greenwood, S.C. 5B Soccer Soccer IGGING IN Blatter says FIFA corruption probe lead to him ZURICH Having come through another FIFA election largely unscathed, Sepp Blatter was in a typically defiant mood Saturday when addressing the challenges that still lie ahead. The 79-year-old FIFA president dismissed suggestions that a United States government investigation of corruption in global football could lead to his door. Several senior FIFA officials have been arrested already, but Blatter shrugged off the notion that he could be next. for what? Next Blatter said curtly when meeting international media for the first time since American and Swiss federal cases rocked home city on Wednesday.

forgive but I Blatter also said at FIFA headquarters, referring to a European-led attempt to oust him after 17 years in office. A busy first day of his new four- year presidential term saw the leader of the most popular sport scold critics and take acclaim from allies. Blatter criticized U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and received a congratulatory telegram from Vladimir Putin, president of 2018 World Cup host Russia. Gone was the tension which put a tremor in his voice after Swiss police raided favorite luxury hotel in Zurich early Wednesday.

Blatter insisted he had nothing to fear from the U.S. federal case which alleged a $150 million bribe scheme linked to broadcast rights for tournaments in North and South America. Two FIFA vice presidents were among seven men arrested. do not see how FIFA could be directly affected by Blatter said. He was equally adamant when responding to questions about whether the probe still directly affect him.

Was he the FIFA mentioned in the Depart- ment of Justice indictment who wired $10 million to corrupt North American officials? The apparent bribes were paid from a FIFA account in exchange for voting for South Africa as the 2010 World Cup host. that is not Blatter said. have no $10 It was clear that, after winning a closer vote than he would have liked Friday, Blatter wanted to come out fighting first criticizing Lynch in an interview with his local Swiss broadcaster. Lynch said Wednesday that FIFA and marketing officials 14 indicted and four who made guilty pleas had the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich was shocked by what she Blatter told French-language broadcaster RTS. a president I would never make a statement about another organization without Blatter suggested the U.S.

Department of Justice went too far on turf. Associated Press ASSOCIATED PRESS FIFA president Joseph S. Blatter, left, walks past Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, left, and UEFA President Michel Platini, center, during the 65th FIFA Congress held Friday at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland. Small clubs, youth teams victimized by FIFA scandal RIO DE JANEIRO The accused in the FIFA scandal are easy to spot: globe-trotting executives charged with diverting millions meant to build the game to their personal accounts. Those who feel victimized as obvious: Youth players with hand-me- down equipment, semi-pro clubs that afford to travel and developmental leagues that pay referees.

Players and coaches can only dream about millions reportedly siphoned off by top soccer officials. reason that these people were able to make so much money corruptly goes to the love that people have for the Kelly Currie, the acting U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, said as 14 top world soccer officials were indicted. so taking that love and skimming off the marketing rights that allowed these people to enrich themselves and line their Take Fabio Braz, a 36-year- old defender on lower-division America Football Club, which is deep in debt and having trouble paying for basics. He see money trickling down from powerful Brazilian Football Confederation, whose new $35 million headquarters is a monument to wealth and power and whose former president was arrested Wednesday.

The indictment claimed Brazilian soccer officials took bribes for decades, selling off TV rights and marketing agreements while millions were delivered to them personally. take away our Braz told The Associated Press after Friday practice. are here daily working our butts off, earning our keep, defending our families, fighting for our Narinder K. Bhatia, the vice president of Delhi Soccer Association, said little money trickles down to the grassroots. been very difficult to run the Bhatia said.

are unable to provide nutrition. A cup of tea and a snack is not enough for players during In South Africa, revelations that bribes were paid to get the 2010 World Cup have angered millions. The indictment said leagues and development were hit hardest by corruption. FIFA spent $1 billion on development projects the last three years. But unclear how much of that money got to players and clubs, or ended up in the bank accounts of FIFA officials.

Christopher Gaffney, who studies global sports events at the University of Zurich, said the victims stretch beyond field, pointing to businesses involved or hurt by the schemes: Employees making shoes in Asian sweatshops who went underpaid, while their companies paid millions in bribes; Nepalese workers who died building massive stadiums so tiny Qatar can host the 2022 World Cup. victims are hidden by the Gaffney said in an email. crime has its greatest impacts on those who own a Brazil A worker leaned a ladder on a wall at dawn Thursday and pulled down letter by letter a sign on the Brazilian Football Confederation building that read: Jose Maria Jose Maria Marin Building. was among those arrested in Switzerland and is charged with taking millions in bribes from multiple companies. He stepped down in April to become a CBF vice president.

About 45 kilometers (25 miles) north of the lavish CBF headquarters, Braz practiced Friday at Giulite Coutinho stadium, the home of America Football Club on the gritty outskirts of Rio. The stadium is surrounded by dilapidated cinderblock houses, abandoned factories and mountains of trash strewn at every corner. The club was one of best 40 years ago, but now plays three levels below top teams. Braz has played for top Brazilian clubs and probably earns twice the average of 5,000 reals ($1,650) monthly salary for players on the team. majority of soccer clubs in Brazil have big Braz said.

paid, and then you see how the CBF benefits with so much money and Africa Revelations of bribes from the indictment have been front-page news in South Africa, where soccer clubs are crying out for funding. South northern neighbor Zimbabwe is a stark example in Africa of how soccer still struggles in poorer countries. The Zimbabwe Football Association recently had to auction off an artificial-surface training field for $115,000 to pay down its debt. In West Africa, FIFA has funded the Guinea Football new headquarters, with gleaming offices and boardrooms, a reward for top officials who keep FIFA President Sepp Blatter in office. Critics say that money would have been better spent on fields and equipment.

has become a danger for small nations like Guinean political analyst Aliou Diallo said. heads there butter themselves up with the misery of our fragile Associated Press ASSOCIATED PRESS FIFA president Sepp Blatter after his election as President is greeted by UEFA President Michel Platini, right, at the Hallenstadion Friday in Zurich, Switzerland. Want more? See Money, 1E for a look at the financial aspects of the FIFA corruption scandal. What would happen if Western powers boycotted World Cup? NEW YORK What would happen if Sepp Blatter hosts a World Cup and most of Europe, several South American powers and the United States show up? Blatter was voted to a fifth term as FIFA president on Friday, but the governing bodies of wealthiest region, the biggest economy and several nations in soccer-crazed South America opposed him following a string of scandals. As the 79-year-old was celebrating defeating Prince Ali bin al-Hussein 13373 for another four-year term, his opposition was figuring out how to pressure him for change.

The Union of European Football Associations could threaten become known as nuclear option: prominent nations breaking away and holding their own tournament, call it a Clean Cup. At World Cup qualifying draw on July 25 in St. Petersburg, Russia, there could be scores of empty seats in the Constantine Palace. supporters are Vladimir Putin, the invader; the Qatari government and their supposed slave employees to build the facilities; and about 80 or 90 tiny countries that he has given each one a vote and a ton of money said Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based consulting firm SportsCorp. needs to be careful not to overplay his Ganis said.

was given an opportunity to do what he said, which is reform FIFA. If he uses that opportunity to extract retribution against those who are opposed to him, setting up a confrontation that if it goes all the way to the end, he win. never demonstrated that level of ignorance, so I expect that he will do With a one-nation, one-vote system, Blatter has support of a majority of 209 nations. But most of the best clubs, the strongest economies and the most lucrative television audiences are in countries that want Blatter out $5.72 billion in revenue from 2011-14 included $4.23 billion from last World Cup in Brazil of which $2.43 billion was generated by television rights sales and $1.58 billion from market- ing agreements. The majority of money came from deals in Europe and the United States, where governments other than Russia are pressing for reform.

Visa has threatened to our if changes are not made. The Coca- Cola Co. expressed concern, saying the controversy the mission and of the World Cup. do have tremendous leverage, but it remains to be seen whether they have legal grounds to abrogate their said former CBS Sports President Neal Pilson, who runs a media consulting firm. UEFA President Michel Platini, the former French national team star, did not applaud Blatter after the election.

He said before the vote UEFA would be to all if Blatter gained reelection, and UEFA will meet in Berlin ahead of the Champions League final on June 6. Europe supplies 13 of the 32 teams for the World Cup (plus Russia as the host in 2018), and UEFA holds eight of the 25 voting seats on executive committee. Blatter said after his victory that FIFA have a better representation of the confederations and the number of on the executive committee. need more respect for the Oceanian he added. Solomon Islands are going to have a spot? But Germany, nah, not so Ganis said.

Blatter can get 140 votes from the Trinidad and Tobagos of the world, these island nations whose FIFA representative is one of the wealthiest persons on the island in part because the FIFA representative. And be able to hold onto power as long as he wants in part because of the voting FIFA could be headed toward an internal fight, much as college sports in the United States went through last year when the NCAA the body that oversees competition agreed to give its five biggest conferences greater autonomy. World is trademarked, but if UEFA boycotts the tournament or breaks away from FIFA, and it is backed by the United States and South top powers, the World Cup would be about as interesting as the African Cup of Nations or the Asian Cup. Associated Press 864-229-6512 www.palmettosystemsinc.com 510 Panola Ave Greenwood, SC Quick, dependable service backed by over 100 years of Lennox innovation. Only from Palmetto Systems, Inc.

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