FIFA Scandal Rocks the Latin World
The recent FIFA Scandal has rocked the entire soccer-loving world.
As reported by the BBC, Prince William addressed the recent drama in a speech given before the cup final at Wembley, saying, "There seems to be a huge disconnect between the sense of fair play that guides those playing and supporting the game, and the allegations of corruption that have long lingered around the management of the sport internationally.”
Two U.K. banks, Standard Chartered and Barclays, are launching internal reviews to find out whether they were used for corrupt payments by FIFA officials, according to the BBC.
On Wednesday the U.S. Justice Department announced that 10 presidents of the South American Football Confederation were set to receive bribes from a company called Datisa in exchange for transmission rights to games of the Copa America, which is the tournament of the continent's national soccer teams.
Though not even accused of any wrongdoing Sergio Jadue, the president of Chile's soccer federation, preemptive declared his innocence, saying, "I don't even have to be worried."
As reported by Fox News, Jadue explained to La Tercera newspaper, "This won't affect at all the work of the federation or its president."
Jadue stated a sum of $1.5 million was in fact transferred in late 2013 from the confederation, known as CONMEBOL, but that money was an advance on a contract for Copa America.
Argentina and Brazil are now launching investigations into possible corruption.
Christopher Gaffney, the author of "Temples of the Earthbound Gods," a book which examines the history of soccer in Argentina and Brazil, is not at all optimistic about what will be uncovered.
"We are looking at a game that has been mismanaged for so long, and so many were implicit," said Gaffney. “Once you start pulling on the strings, the whole thing could start to unravel."
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