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27 May 2015

Fifa thrown into turmoil as seven officials arrested

Football's governing body has been thrown into chaos by two anti-corruption inquiries.

By New Statesman

(Photo By A police officer outside Fifa's Brazilian headquarters. Photo: Getty Images)

Football’s world governing body Fifa has been thrown into crisis after the controversial body was hit by two corruption inquiries in the space of 24 hours.

Seven Fifa officials have been arrested in Zurich at the request of US authorities, with a further seven indicted on corruption charges. Meanwhile, Swiss police have opened an investigation into the award of the 2018 and 2022 to Russia and Qatar. Although Sepp Blatter, Fifa’s much-maligned President, is not among those arrested, Jeffrey Webb, a Fifa vice-president who was widely tipped as Blatter’s chosen successor, is among those charged.

Read our editor Jason Cowley’s essay on corruption and the World Cup here.

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