Blatter bonuses match those in pro-leagues worldwide, says lawyer

Sepp Blatter 20

June 7 – Sepp Blatter’s lawyers say his compensation payments were completely above board despite the furore over revelations last week by FIFA’s American lawyers that Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner paid themselves millions of dollars in bonuses that hardly anyone else was aware of.

The trio awarded themselves salary increases and future golden handshakes totaling tens of millions of dollars over just five years, it was disclosed. FIFA said prior to 2013,

Read more …

FIFA bosses bagged $80m bonus booty, say US lawyers

FIFA-headquarters

By Andrew Warshaw

June 3 – With precision timing just when the organisation’s new president Gianni Infantino was under mounting scrutiny for a raft of allegedly suspect manoeuvres to boost his authority, FIFA’s American lawyers hit back today by revealing that Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves pay rises and bonuses worth $80 million over five years.

Read more …

News Analysis: Infantino has a problem

By James Dostoyevsky

Yesterday, Switzerland’s staunchly conservative daily, known as ‘NZZ’ among Zurich’s intelligentsia, headlined its back page: ‘Gianni Infantino has a problem’. The paper proceeded to list a host of “problems”, all of which look to be self-inflicted. And some of which will lead (have led) to an Ethics investigation by a man who cannot be bought: Cornel Borbély is a strong fighter for the good, and has no worries about being asked to leave.

Read more …

FIFA clamps down on discrimination with seven sanctions

FIFA-headquarters

May 30 – FIFA has punished seven nations – including Mexico, Chile and Croatia – for discriminatory behaviour from supporters, including homophobic chants.

Croatia, whose fans have a track record of incurring the wrath of the authorities, have been ordered to play their first two 2018 World Cup qualifiers behind closed doors and have been fined SFr150,000 for incidents which took place in friendly matches against Israel and Hungary last month.

Chile have been barred from playing at their Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos home for two official matches,

Read more …

News analysis: Who will run UEFA?

uefa flag

By James Dostoyevsky

UEFA is in a quagmire of its own making and one that is much welcomed by Gianni Infantino, the ‘little child’, who ascended to the FIFA Emperor’s Throne, only to stumble from blunder to blunder, with no end in sight.

Read more …