And now we wait...
Verdicts are promised on July 2. It might be a shame if all defendants go to jail. Five of the six were victims of parasitical, lying senior sports officials. Maybe Jean-Marie Weber should be locked up because nobody accepts there is anything ‘honourable’ in his refusing to name the bribe-takers in blazers. We hear the stories of who is funding him now and the large bag of cash waiting of his release if he is incarcerated.
And we also note that he appears to have stolen SF90,000 for himself.
Weber collaborated in ISL paying sports federations less than sports were worth so that bribes could be kicked back. Weber and the men he protects are enemies of sport.
As the first stage of the trial ended in mid-March FIFA executive members were flying into Zurich for their first meeting of the year. But tragedy had struck Nicolas Leoz – he needed some unspecified surgery - and he wouldn’t be coming. The surgery was brilliant because his backbone implant was so successful that within days he was attending official FIFA meetings in Latin America.
At his press conference after the ExCo meetings Blatter fended off questions saying he can’t possible comment until after the verdict. That’s nonsense. There’s nothing to stop him commenting on the documented evidence of Leoz taking money (Blatter has known since at least September 2006 that Leoz would be named in court), the money going to the company owned by Havelange and Teixeira – and Malms’ electrifying claim that both Blatter and Havelange forced ISL to keep Weber in place to ensure bribes were delivered on time.
Yet again, too many in the media have let Blatter dodge corruption issues at FIFA.
What we heard in Zug should provide plenty of work for Lord Sebastian Coe and his FIFA Ethics Committee. Will he summon his members into emergency session, interrogate Blatter and Havelange and recommend to the Executive Committee that these two rogues are hounded out of the world game? Along with the rest of the gang?
Don’t hold your breath.
While Coe stands back, the splendid Investigating Magistrate Thomas Hildbrand is still pursuing his second investigation, into who repaid 2.5 million francs of the bribes to the liquidator of the ISL company. He’s using evidence he unearthed in the investigation that brought the ISL Six to the Zug court and again when he raided FIFA HQ in November 2005.
On December 19 the Federal Appeal Court in Bellinzona threw out attempts by Blatter’s lawyers to get him removed from the case. More patience.
Video of the courtroom is at:
http://uk.youtube.com/user/InsideSport
Read the Bill of Indictment in German in Word Format
The bribes evidence is Section 12, pages 146 - 156
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 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 the 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
'No foreigner, particularly a white foreigner, will come to my country and harass me, intimidate me and push me around.'
Jack Warner, May 9, 2006 after the author attempted to interview him for BBC-TV about his ticket rackets
'The evidence ... would and should make any company have grave concerns about doing business with FIFA.'
Adam C. Silverstein, a lawyer for MasterCard in their successful action against FIFA
New York, December 1, 2006
'We must have a woman on the executive committee.'
Sepp Blatter, campaigning to become president of FIFA
May 30, 1998, Agence France-Press
'FIFA ... a graft-ridden autocracy.'
The New Yorker, June 26, 2006
'Among the tasks of a politics of morality [is] to work incessantly toward unveiling hidden differences between official theory and actual progress, between the limelight and the backrooms of political life.'
Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002)
'FIFA's latest actions demonstrate that it still does not govern itself by its slogan "Fair Play."'
Judge Loretta Preske, dismissing a FIFA appeal
New York, February 28, 2007
'I still believe that the future of football is feminine.'
President Sepp Blatter, FIFA press release
Zurich, 2 February 2007
'We are more important than the Catholic Church.'
IOC President Juan Antonio 'Jackboots' Samaranch
HBO Real Sports, June 1996
'MacDonald's has supported the Olympic Movement for more than 30 years and we share many of the same ideals.'
IOC President Jacque Rogge
Turin, February 7, 2006
If you see a quote that should be here, please send it to me.