FIFA HAS CONFIRMED that their presidential elections will go ahead as planned despite the opening of two separate criminal investigations on Wednesday.
Six Fifa officials were arrested at a hotel in Zurich, where members of the football governing body are gathering for their Congress.
The US Attorney General’s case centres on alleged corruption in commercial deals for football tournaments in the United States and Latin America.
Separately, Swiss federal prosecutors opened an investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Qatar and Russia.
Sepp Blatter, who is expected to be elected to a fifth presidential term on Friday, is not one of those involved in the investigation, Director of Communications and PR Walter de Gregorio said.
Here are the most important points from Fifa’s press conference:
- Fifa initiated the Swiss Attorney General’s investigation with a request on 18 November 2014
“The timing may not be obviously the best but definitely Fifa welcomes this process and cooperates fully with the Attorney General of Switzerland and the Federal Office of Justice,” de Gregario said.
“In this case Fifa is the damaged party. This leads to the fact that there were no searches in the offices of Fifa. The people of the Federal Attorney are here, we cooperate with them, we provide all the information requested by them. This is for our own interest.”
- Fifa President Sepp Blatter and General Secretary Jerome Valcke are not involved in the investigations
De Gregorio declined to confirm the names or any further information regarding the Fifa officials involved.
- This week’s Fifa Congress and Friday’s presidential election will take place as planned
“There was never an idea to postpone the Congress nor the election. One thing has nothing to do with the other. We go on with the agenda and the election will take place as it was planned.”
- There will be no re-vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups
“The World Cup in 2018 and 2022 will be played in Russia and Qatar.”
- But that position could change
“What do you expect from us — that we start to speculate and say that with Russia and Qatar we will have to re-do the voting. Russia and Qatar will be played. This is what is fact today and I don’t go into speculation what will happen tomorrow.
- This does not affect Blatter’s position – de Gregario
“The President is not involved so how can you say whatsoever that he has to step down. He is the President and in two days, there is an election. If the 209 member associations re-elect him, then he is the President for the next four years.”
- Blatter is ‘relaxed’
“First of all he is focused on the Congress. For everybody involved, the stress factor is a little bit higher today than it was yesterday.
“He is quite relaxed because he knows and he knew before that he is not involved. All the rest, he can accept what will happen.”
– First published 11.11
