Page 22 - Aruba Today
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SPORTSTuesday 29 December 2015
Extra Time:
Soccer’s dark year: From bribery arrests to suicide attacks
ROB HARRIS Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter arrives prior to his press conference to respond to the FIFA ecutors’ sights, Blatter
AP Sports Writer ethics committee’s verdict, at former FIFA’s headquarters Hotel Sonnenberg in Zurich, Switzerland. stunned the world on Tues-
LONDON (AP) — Dawn had day June 2 by announcing
just broken in Zurich when (Patrick B. Kraemer/Keystone via AP) plans to resign, accept-
a man was spotted being ing he lacked the game’s
dragged out of an opulent A fifth VP, Michel Platini, happy” as he relaxed in a Saturday morning when he backing.
hotel’s side entrance. Rais- was banished by FIFA from Northern Ireland hotel ac- was asked whether some Blatter hoped to hand over
ing a single white sheet, soccer until 2023 along with companied by a girlfriend of the accusations were power in February, but the
hotel staff made an inad- Sepp Blatter — the man almost 30 years his junior at indicative of his “incompe- Swiss attorney general in-
equate attempt to shield he was expected to suc- a FIFA meeting. tence or intentional negli- tervened by raiding FIFA’s
the guest being forced to ceed as president — after And Blatter managed to gence.” HQ in September and
check out early after being their dealings became the brush off the anger that Blatter was defiant, vow- questioning the president.
arrested in his bedroom. subject of a Swiss criminal greeted revelations about ing to see out his four-year Years of suspicions about
Eduardo Li was in clear case. the scale of bribery and term. The bravado quickly Blatter’s integrity were con-
view on the quiet side After 40 years at FIFA, 17 kickbacks — corruption evaporated. firmed when he was ban-
street as he was bundled as president, the reign of that mostly occurred within “Then came the different ished by FIFA’s ethics judge
into an unmarked police the seemingly immovable confederations rather than information from the U.S. for unethical conduct over
car, one of seven FIFA of- Blatter ended in disgrace involving FIFA HQ in Zur- with this and that,” Blatter a financial transaction with
ficials arrested as Swiss po- in 2015. Few lamented his ich — to be voted in for a aide Walter Gagg told the Platini, who received the
lice swooped on the Baur downfall. fifth term by federations on AP. same eight-year ban from
au Lac hotel at the behest The 79-year-old Blatter did May 29. After being warned in soccer.
of American authorities. not see it coming in Feb- Batter subjected himself to meetings with associates The Swiss investigation —
Years of investigations into ruary when he beamed: a bruising encounter with that he could be the next like the parallel American
soccer corruption burst into “Now you see why I am the media the next day, a FIFA executive in the pros- case — will continue into
public view on the morning 2016 as trials begin and
of May 27 as the so-called more officials fear their il-
“World Cup of fraud” was licit profiteering from sport-
exposed and FIFA would ing contracts is uncovered.
be coerced into cleaning At the same time, FIFA will
up its act. implement reforms de-
Li, the Costa Rican federa- signed to clean up the
tion president who was in organization and elect a
Zurich expecting to join new president on Feb. 26.
FIFA’s elite executive com- Perhaps what surprised
mittee, was a lesser-known soccer fans in 2015 as
target of the U.S. case. But much as the arrests was
his arrest, which was cap- the interest of U.S. Attorney
tured on video by The As- General Loretta Lynch in
sociated Press was the such sleaze.
most visible. But the significant role
By the end of 2015, four the world’s most popu-
FIFA vice presidents had lar sport plays in the U.S.
been indicted in the United was confirmed not only by
States, including two swept Lynch but by Americans
up in a second wave of at, of all things in this year,
arrests in December after a FIFA event. When the
being chosen to replace U.S. won a third Women’s
those from the Americas World Cup title in July, the
indicted in May. victory over Japan was
watched by more than 25
Court rejects Madrid’s appeal of Copa del Rey case million American television
viewers.
HAROLD HECKLE from the competition. Madrid was expelled from further dented Madrid’s im- The wrong side of passion
Associated Press In a statement, Madrid said the competition for field- age this season and deep- for soccer in the U.S. was
MADRID (AP) — Real Ma- it “respects but does not ing Denis Cheryshev in a ened a crisis sparked by a also displayed this year
drid has refused to con- agree with the court’s rul- first-leg 3-1 win over Cadiz demoralizing 4-0 home loss when the AP filmed fans
cede defeat in its disquali- ing and as such announces on Dec. 2 in the Spanish gi- to bitter rival Barcelona. from New York rivals City
fication from the Copa del its decision to pursue a ju- ant’s opening round. However, the sports court and Red Bulls clashing be-
Rey for fielding an ineligible dicial-administrative course Cheryshev was carrying a left Madrid with an option fore their derby in New Jer-
player. of action, along with oth- one-match suspension for to appeal the disqualifica- sey in August, hooliganism
The club said Monday it er possible legal options, yellow cards received last tion, but said it would need previously associated with
will switch to the country’s which are currently being season while on loan at to take its case to Spain’s European supporters.
regular law courts to chal- studied.” Villarreal, a fact that Ma- regular law courts — ef- One of the enduring im-
lenge the Spanish soccer The Administrative Court drid seemed unaware of fectively starting litigation ages, though, of a soccer
federation’s decision. of Sport said it had “ana- until halftime in the Cadiz against Spain’s soccer fed- year scarred by wrongdo-
Spain’s top sports tribunal, lyzed all the parties’ argu- match. eration. ing was of the game’s abil-
the Administrative Court ments” and dismissed Ma- Spain’s soccer federation There’s not much time. The ity to provide a powerful
of Sport, had earlier Mon- drid’s appeal because it published its decision to first leg match in the last 16 platform for unity after be-
day dismissed Madrid’s ap- had fielded an “improper bar Madrid on Dec 4. between Cadiz and Celta coming a target for Islamic
peal against its exclusion lineup.” The embarrassing mistake Vigo is set for Jan. 7.q extremists in last month’s
Paris attacks. q
