FIFA wars flare again: Will

Asia unseat Blatter?

Sunday August 15, 2010

The longstanding war between Sepp Blatter and Korea’s Chung Mong-joon has flared up again following the President’s confession that some of his closest allies took huge bribes [More]

Scoop! Did a FIFA ticket office employee sell clients’ confidential personal files?

FIFA’s 10 Commandments:

Does Sepp Blatter obey them?

Thursday June 3, 2010

Andrew Jennings poses the questions - filmed in a church by the Rhine for the ARTE channel.

Earlier, viewers enjoyed a screening of BBC Panorama’s 2006 classic report ‘The Beautiful Bung’ – English slang for a bribe. [More]

We name the 2010
World Cup Winners!

Saturday June 5, 2010

The view from South Africa’s investigative – and satirical - Noseweek magazine. Sorry, these winners aren’t footballers, they’re FIFA officials and relatives, friends and freeloaders. There’s Leo Mugabe and his cousin Phillip, Franco the IOC man who counts money, our old friend Tricky and Michal who can flag for offside every time the wrong team scores . . .[More]

Sunday June 6, 2010

If Sepp Blatter is telling the truth when he claims ‘The FIFA family is united and happy’ why is he promising unexpected lavish handouts to national associations? [More]

Now South African press
dumps
on Blatter

Saturday May 22, 2010

In Afrikaans and English, posh and tabloid, popular anger grows at how their country is being screwed. The press are using Freedom of Information to dig out contracts that were signed in secret. Cartoonists attack Blatter for corruption and exploiting their country. Columnists mourn FIFA’s greedy grip on their country. [More]

Blatter’s ploy to dump shamed Warner

Photo of Jack Warner Tuesday May 18, 2010

FIFA president threatens legal action against Miami fraud conference – guaranteeing global interest in corruption allegations against Jack Warner. Also: Hear the full presentation online. [More]

Blatter takes off his tie: reporters swoon

Sunday March 28, 2010

Our FIFA reporters are too polite to investigate Blatter’s nephew and his cronies – so they won’t tell us who is responsible for the World Cup tickets disaster. [More]

The Autumn of Football’s Patriarch

Sunday February 14, 2010

As the conspirators plan how to rid football of the ageing dictator, he dictates his obituary as he wants to be remembered. And his private policeman (left) has quit. [More]

Olympic Bosses try to ban Katia’s book

February 10, 2010

Criminal threat to Brazilian scholar who warns kids against drugs - but praises Olympic Idealism.

She says, ‘They want to go back to the time of the Inquisition.’ [More]

Blatter threat to ban critical reporters from World Cup

Photo of FIFA president Sepp Blatter Sunday January 24, 2010

FIFA’s Blatter is threatening to ban South African reporters from the World Cup if they write stories ‘bringing FIFA into disrepute.’ But having defeated cruel apartheid laws, the media are preparing for battle with the Zurich censors.[more]

Blatter ‘hits the bottle’ as fans boycott overpriced tickets

Sunday January 17, 2010

Rip-off World Cup ticket and hotel prices were intended to enrich Sepp Blatter’s friends and family at the expense of fans. But they’ve had enough of being exploited and are staying home. The majority of early ticket purchases were by travel agents who had booked rooms – and now can’t find buyers. Will this scandal end Blatter’s corrupt reign at FIFA? [more]

Rogge bans The Bagman but Blatter makes him welcome

Sunday January 17, 2010

Exclusive! At last Rogge acts and Weber gets the Olympic Order of the boot! [more]

Is FIFA’s Hargitay secret phone tapper?

July 30, 2009: His lawyer issues warning.

Blatter praises another thug

But Natalia is still a prisoner

Photo of Moldovian reporter Natalia Morar

June 28, 2009 FIFA President Blatter, forever chasing votes, was in Moldova last month sucking up to the President with some of the nastiest riot police in Europe. Ace reporter Natalia Morar would have liked to ask Blatter why. But she was under house arrest. [More]

Is Euro 2012 in the Grip of the Mob?

March 22, 2009: These are very strange people

Swiss won’t give up on Blatter Crash

February 28, 2009: Now Lovely Andrea is upset

Gotcha, 'Sir' Allen Stanford

February 22, 2009: We were there 5 years ago

How long can Blatter hold on to power?

February 15, 2009: The plotters circle FIFA’s throne

Did Blatter lie to Judge?

February 8 ,2009: He gets derisory fine

Warner wants his own World Cup

February 8, 2009: It’s the Mexican Wave goodbye for England

Sepp and the Russian Mobster

January 25, 2009: Just good friends

Gangsters take over football

January 11, 2009: FIFA looks the other way

IOC favourite clubs protestors

December 14, 2008: Thug bans Human Rights demo

IOC honours brutal dictator

December 7, 2008: Special award for Lukashenko

Blatter fraud probe continues

November 2, 2008: It’s the third anniversary of police raid on FIFA House

‘Tax-Dodging’ Aussie takes 2018 lead

September 28, 2008: Blatter gets cozy with Fast Frank

Beijing’s best friends – the IOC

August 5, 2008: Funny people with odd friends

Spies behind a two-way mirror

July 13, 2008: IOC and FIFA back voyeurs who filmed women athletes

New Warner family tickets racket

June 8, 2008: Daryan rips off English fans

Blatter’s dirty tricks Hargitay erupts

April 6, 2008: Conman outed, turns nasty

FIFA’s World Cup shame?

May 14, 2004: Has Morocco paid bribes?

Just Another Warner Scandal

September 3, 2003: How to steal $1 million

Blatter used FIFA money to win

April 16, 2003: His expenses reveal the truth

Australia’s Easy Route to Glory

December 18, 2002: Blatter pays his debts

The Blatter Sleaze never stops

September 23, 2002: More ticket rackets

FIFA Votes for Sleaze

May 30, 2002: Blatter’s landslide

Who got the Big Bribe?

May 25, 2002: An ISL Kickback

It can pay to help Blatter

May 7, 2002: TV Rights for Billionaire

Call for Blatter Crime probe

May 4, 2002: ‘Biggest crisis in 98 years’

Blatter loses Audit Battle

March 8, 2002: Rivals close to finance facts

FIFA Close to Bankruptcy

March 1, 2002: Scandals Pile Up

Blatter pledges Blazer Probe

December 19, 2001: Code of Conduct Row

How Warner Batters his Critics

November 1, 2001: More FIFA Shame

Giving in to Doping Cheats

October 10, 2001: Can we Trust the Blazers?

Blatter denies bribes

May 26, 2001: Blatter Kickbacks in Play

FIFA greed and scandal

April 20, 2001: ISL collapses

Andrew’s first sports investigation book - The Lords of the Rings – revealing systemic corruption at the International Olympic Committee was declared, ten years after publication, to be one of the Top 100 Sports Books of all Time by Sports Illustrated.
It’s at Number 89

Andrew presented at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Norway in September and again at the European Conference in Brussels in November.

Enjoy Andrew’s interview with Soccerlens – and read and listen to more about the craft of investigative journalism.

The things they say...

‘Neither FIFA nor its President have anything to hide, nor do they wish to.’

Blatter press release, 28 January, 2003

BBC Panorama Reporter Andy Davies:

‘A one million franc bribe … is it not correct that Mr Blatter asked that it be moved to the FIFA official who was named on the payment slip?’

FIFA Director of Communications Markus Siegler:

‘If you do not stop now, then we call the security and we put you out.’

FIFA Press conference, Zurich, Tuesday, 11 April 2006

‘I am deputy chairman of the finance committee of FIFA. I oversee a budget of US$2 billion and I have never seen one iota of corruption.’

Jack Warner, Trinidad Express 12 December 2004

‘Lying and deception and bad faith are standard operating procedure at FIFA.’

Adam C. Silverstein, a lawyer for MasterCard in their successful action against FIFA, New York, December 1, 2006

‘I do not believe a Jew can ever be a referee at that level (Argentine Premier League) because it’s hard work and, you know, Jews don’t like hard work.’

FIFA senior vice-president and chair of Finance Committee, Julio Grondona, 5 July 2003. Buenos Aires

‘FIFA is a healthy, clean and transparent organisation with nothing to hide. There is huge public interest in FIFA, therefore we have to be as transparent as possible. We will try to communicate in a more open way so the world can believe us and be proud of their federation.’

FIFA General Secretary Urs Linsi, January 2003, on fifa.com

'Soccer chief's plan to boost women's game? Hotpants' ‘They could wear tighter shorts. Female players are pretty, if you excuse me for saying so.’

Sepp Blatter, Former President of the World Society of Friends of Suspenders: Sonntagsblick 11 January, 2004

Photo of Sepp Blatter and Charles Taylor standing to attention

Blatter & the Serial Murderer

Blatter’s pal Charles Taylor, former Liberian President and monster, is testifying currently at his human rights abuse trial in The Hague. Will Blatter send him a ‘Good luck’ message? We’ve found this print – and more - in a long-forgotten African archive. [More]

**FIFA boss Grondona & his Serial Murderer**

More disgusting pictures

**Havelange & his Serial Murderer**

See FIFA boss sucking up to Pinochet

The Bagman and FIFA’s Bosses

Meet Jean-Marie Weber, aka ‘The Bagman'. For 20 years he delivered millions of dollars in bribes to FIFA’s most senior officials. In return they gave his company billion-dollar contracts. Andrew Jennings was the only English reporter to attend the 2008 trial Photo of the "Bagman" Jean-Marie Weber in Switzerland where The Bagman was questioned about who got kickbacks. Havelange and Blatter were named. Additionally, FIFA was fined by the judges for misleading the court.

See new pictures of the Bagman with Havelange and Blatter. [More]

Is FIFA an Organised Crime Family?

Wednesday May 19, 2010

Blatter’s ‘football family’ ticks all the boxes that define organised crime. Their rackets are well-known – and crucially, they also have official protection from prosecution. [More]

Greedy IOC let Nazi Juan destroy the Games

Tuesday May 18, 2010

Ignore the gushing tributes, here’s the truth about the man who made right-arm raising the IOC’s favourite sport. [More]

Kickbacks & match-fixing: An everyday story of Olympic handball

Sunday April 18, 2010

Is Eygpt’s Hassan Moustafa the right man to lead handball? Will he clarify why he trousered that €600,000 – and why he didn’t turn up to give evidence to the CAS investigation into bent refereeing at the federation he presides over? [More]

Billionaire Lowy hires another Bagman: Is Oz 18/22 now ‘The Dirty Bid?’

Monday February 22, 2010: Exposed! Frank Lowy’s secret weapon to bring the World Cup to Australia. Germany’s ‘Mr Fixit’ Fedor Radmann, veteran of previous dodgy bids, is never far from scandal, conflicts of interest, confidential payments to ‘Trust accounts’ of powerful football officials . . . and suitcases of the folding stuff. [More]

Photo of Nicole Kidman and Fedor Radmann

Now Corporate Fat Cats say No to Blatter’s Rip-offs

Plus South African media takes on
‘Dictator’ Blatter

FIFA in turmoil as Blatter fires his last clean aide

Sunday January 17, 2010

Sepp Blatter’s FIFA is in chaos following the frenzied sacking of Jerome Champagne, one of the few clean senior executives remaining at the highest level of world football. If Blatter cannot resolve the growing problems of fans not being able to afford to travel to this year’s World Cup - his may be the next head on the block. [more]

The Bagman is welcome at IOC congress - but he still won't say who got the $100 million kickbacks

Sunday October 18, 2009

• The ‘reformed’ IOC

gives accreditation to

Mr Big Bribes

• Did Rio pay bribes?

• All the Olympic stories

the ‘respectable’

reporters refuse to tell

you

• Exclusive pix and videos

All this and [more]

BREAKING NEWS!

Jack Warner changes the law to avoid paying T&T Soca Warriors their 2006 World Cup bonuses. And a picture of his son Daryll spending the money on champagne! And the Chronology of Deceit: Warner’s manipulations. [More]

Kick Racism out of Football – and Racist Jack Warner as well

Photo of FIFA vice president Jack Warner accusing Andrew Jennings of intimidation Sunday August 30, 2009

FIFA president Sepp Blatter claims he fights racism – but looks the other way when Jack Warner screams racist insults at a political meeting in Trinidad. Watch the shocking video.

And we reveal – Warner still refuses to pay millions of pounds owing to the 2006 Soca Warriors World Cup team. [More]

Olympic Reporters' Secret Club

June 21, 2009: Best friends with the Bagmen

Who Poisoned AFC Voting?

Sunday 31 May, 2009

Will FIFA’s Ethics probe discover who planted the dirty rumours that FIFA boss Mohammed Bin Hammam’s opponents were offering bribes to vote him out? It could not have been Hammam’s ‘special advisor’ Peter Hargitay (left) because he doesn’t do that kind of thing. [Meet Peter]