By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – A defiant Sepp Blatter opened arguably the most tension-filled congress of his 17 years in charge of FIFA with a rallying cry clearly designed to sway any wavering voters his way after a tumultuous 48 hours in the history or world football’s governing body.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – In the face of the worst crisis to hit FIFA under his leadership, Sepp Blatter called a meeting of his emergency committee today and came face to face with his nemesis, UEFA boss Michel Platini.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – Western-led calls for Sepp Blatter to resign as FIFA president in the wake of the gravest corruption crisis to hit his organisation were described today as “blasphemy” by one of Africa’s federation presidents who said his continent was more firmly behind the veteran Swiss than ever.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – Visa has issued the most critical statement yet from any major World Cup sponsor in response to the spate of arrests of past and present FIFA officials on racketeering and bribery charges that have made worldwide headlines.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has broken his silence over the stunning corruption claims that have sent shockwaves through the sport by claiming that he personally welcomed efforts taken to clean up the sport.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – Accusing FIFA of indulging for two generations in a “World Cup of Fraud”, US justice authorities today laid bare the full and sensational extent of corruption at the heart of football’s world governing body in the Americas. Those indicted by the US authorities are accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than $150m over a 24-year period.
By Paul Nicholson in Zurich
May 27 – More details surrounding the seven arrests in Zurich this morning have been releasesd by US law authorities who have stepped up their assault on CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, its executives and associated marketing parties. The information details the nine FIFA officials and five company executives who have been “indicted for racketeering, conspiracy and corruption”.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 27 – Neither FIFA president Sepp Blatter nor his number two Jerome Valcke are implicated in either of the corruption cases that have plunged world football’s governing body into fresh crisis just 48 hours from its presidential election.
By Andrew Warshaw and Paul Nicholson in Zurich
May 27 – Dawn raids at a Zurich hotel have plunged FIFA into crisis with the reported arrest of six officials by Swiss law enforcement authorities. No sooner had news of the arrests been made than FIFA was hit by a second bombshell within a few hours when the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) announced it has opened criminal proceedings in connection with the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups “against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and money laundering”.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 26 – Michel Platini has launched arguably his most strongly-worded attack on Sepp Blatter’s FIFA tenure with a remarkable outburst, including accusing the veteran Swiss of lying about standing again, that has cranked up the tension and divisions ahead of Friday’s presidential election.
By David Owen
May 26 – FIFA is to conduct an inspection in earthquake-stricken Nepal to better evaluate the assistance to be given in the wake of the two devastating quakes in three weeks that have left more than 8,000 people dead.
By Andrew Warshaw and Samindra Kunti
May 22 – Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein insists it not a foregone conclusion that his own confederation will vote against him at next week’s FIFA presidential election.
By Samindra Kunti and Andrew Warshaw
May 22 – Michael van Praag says it was always the plan to end up with one candidate to go against Sepp Blatter for FIFA president and that it gradually became apparent he could not poll as much global support as Prince Ali bin al-Hussein.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 21 – Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, the young reformist who entered the FIFA presidential race knowing it was win or bust, will go head-to-head with Sepp Blatter next week after Luis Figo joined Michael Van Praag on the sidelines as both dramatically withdrew on the same day.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 21 – Visa has expressed its “grave concern” over the plight of migrant workers in Qatar in the strongest reaction to date by any of FIFA’s commercial partners over an issue that continues to plague organisers of the 2022 World Cup.