FIFA panel bans three former soccer officials for life

ZURICH – FIFA’s ethics watchdogs have banned three former soccer officials from Guam, Nicaragua and Venezuela for life as part of efforts to address widespread corruption in the sport, the world football governing body said on Tuesday.

The latest officials to be hit by FIFA bans are Richard Lai, the former Guam Football Association president and a former member of the FIFA audit and compliance committee; Julio Rocha, the former Nicaraguan Football Association president and a former FIFA development officer; and Rafael Esquivel, former Venezuelan Football Association president.

All three men had pleaded guilty in the United States to separate federal charges ranging from wire fraud to racketeering and money laundering.

(Reuters)

FIFA vice-president and head of Spain’s soccer federation arrested

Madrid: The head of Spain’s soccer federation (RFEF) Angel Maria Villar, a FIFA vice-president, was arrested on Tuesday after a raid on several offices in Madrid as part of an anti-corruption investigation, police said.

Villar, his son — named by Spanish media as Gorka — and several other Spanish soccer federation members were detained on allegations of collusion, fraud and embezzlement, the police said in a statement.

Spain’s High Court said one of its investigating magistrates and anti-corruption prosecutors were leading the investigation.

The RFEF could not be reached for comment.

Villar, a one-time midfielder for Athletic Bilbao, has been at the head of the federation for nearly 30 years.

He was fined 25,000 Swiss francs ($26,000) last year by FIFA’s Ethics Committee for failing to co-operate with an investigation into the contest to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups that triggered the worst crisis in the soccer world governing body’s history.

Villar is also a vice-president of UEFA and ran for the presidency of that body last year to replace Frenchman Michel Platini before withdrawing, after being asked to stand for re-election at the RFEF.

FIFA and UEFA said in separate statements they were aware of media reports surrounding Villar but had no further comment.

The investigation into Villar is already several months old and stems from claims raised by the Spanish state’s sports body in early 2016, police said.

At least four people were arrested in Tuesday’s raids, according to police.

They included another member of the RFEF and an executive from the Tenerife soccer association, who are accused of misappropriating funds and siphoning them off to a company they both manage, police said.

The RFEF is due to hold an assembly on July 20 to approve the match schedule for Spain’s next La Liga soccer season, a meeting usually presided over by Villar.

Football – Pakistan to face suspension from FIFA

KARACHI: The world Football governing body, FIFA, has given a final ultimatum to authorities in Pakistan for handing over Football affairs to elected-president-PFF Faisal Saleh Hayat or face suspension from membership.

An official of FIFA confirmed that matters related to Pakistan Football Federation were discussed at the meeting of its Members’ Association Committee on July 4th.

“The Committee pointed out that, while court proceedings are still ongoing, the court appointed administrator continues to occupy the PFF offices and to control its accounts,” said the FIFA spokesman.

“Therefore, the Committee decided that if the PFF offices and access to the PFF accounts aren’t returned to the PFF Ieadership – Ied by Mr Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat – by 31 JuIy it would recommend to the FIFA Council to suspend the PFF for contravening its obligations under articles 14 & 19 of the FIFA Statutes,” the spokesman added.

Faisal Saleh Hayyat was re-elected as President of PFF for a third time in a controversial election in June 2015, but he was never allowed to resume charge and the matters were dragged in court, which FIFA terms as against its statues.

The article 19 of FIFA statues directly deals with independence of elected national federations.

“Each member association shall manage its affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties,” reads article 19.1 of FIFA’s statue.

“A member association’s bodies shall be either elected or appointed in that association. A member association’s statutes shall provide for a democratic procedure that guarantees the complete independence of the election or appointment,” FIFA adds in article 19.2 of the statue.

Clauses 3 and 4 of article 19 confirm that any decision made by bodies which are not democratically elected shall not be recognized by FIFA.

“Any member association’s bodies that have not been elected or appointed in compliance with the provisions of par. 2, even on an interim basis, shall not be recognized by FIFA,” says 19.3

“Decisions passed by bodies that have not been elected or appointed in compliance with par. 2 shall not be recognized by FIFA,” states article 19.4 of FIFA’s statue.

The tussle between two different fractions of the Pakistan Football Federation has forced footballers in the country to remain stranded without any activity. The country hasn’t been able to take part in any international tournament since mid-2015 and its international ranking has continuously been falling.

This is not the first time that FIFA has directly intervened in matters of Pakistan Football. It earlier warned Pakistan authorities of same while also acknowledging shortcomings in the Faisal-led-PFF constitutions.

In September 2015, the world body, while recognizing Faisal Saleh Hayat as President of PFF, had recommended PFF to revise its statutes, reform disciplinary bodies, and hold new elections in two years.

“The FIFA Executive Committee decided that the current PFF leadership – led by Mr Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat – would be given two years (until September 2017) to revise the PFF statutes and organise elections accordingly,” FIFA had said.

The AFC had, earlier this year, requested FIFA to extend the said deadline for PFF by two years. The matter was also discussed in FIFA’s members’ association committee meeting.

However, no final decision was taken and extension was made conditional to “the strict implementation of an action plan and a regular reporting mechanism.”

CAS alllowes Real Madrid youth players to play despite transfer ban

Lausanne – The Spanish club Real Madrid CF has informed the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that it will file an appeal within the next days against the decision rendered by the FIFA Appeals Committee on 8 September 2016, confirming the decision previously taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 23 July 2015, following an alleged breach of the FIFA Rules concerning the transfer of minor players.

 

Pursuant to such FIFA decision, Real Madrid is prevented from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods. Prior to the filing of the appeal, Real Madrid CF has requested urgent interim measures from CAS in order to stay the execution of Point 6 of the FIFA decision. Such request was granted by CAS earlier today. Accordingly, only Point 6 of the decision is suspended, pending the outcome of the appeal due to be filed with the CAS in the coming days. The other elements of the FIFA decision remain in force for the time being.

 

Point 6 of the FIFA decision reads as follows.

 

Real Madrid CF is granted with a term of 90 days to regularize the situation of the minors within the club. In particular the club shall present, without further delay, the relevant requests to the Subcommittee appointed by the Player’s Status Committee and comply with all the relevant rules and regulations with respect to the specific cases. Should the club obtain the approval of the subcommittee for registration/transfer of a player, the club shall be exempt of the prohibition imposed by the present decision for the registration/transfer of the authorized minor