US Department of Justice awards US$201 million in compensation to FIFA

Published by BBNTEAM at August 25, 2021

Tags

Posted: Wednesday, August 25, 2021. 7:56 pm CST.

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: FIFA is getting US$201 million in compensation according to a decision by the United States Department of Justice.

FIFA reported on Tuesday, that the US Department of Justice awarded the amount to the FIFA Foundation to compensate for the losses suffered by FIFA, Concacaf, and CONMEBOL due to acts of corruption committed by high-ranking officials within these organizations throughout several decades.

The money was seized by the US Government which investigated, arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned several high-ranking officials who were involved in widespread corruption schemes.

FIFA said the money will be deposited into the World Football Remission Fund which will be administered by the FIFA Foundation that has been charged with financing football-related programs around the world.

“I am delighted to see that money that was illegally siphoned out of football is now coming back to be used for its proper purposes, as it should have been in the first place,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“I want to sincerely thank the US Justice authorities for their efforts in this respect, for their fast and effective approach in bringing these matters to a conclusion, and also for their trust in general. The truth is that, thanks to their intervention back in 2015, we have been able to fundamentally change FIFA from a toxic organization at the time to a highly esteemed and trusted global sports governing body.

“Thankfully, we are well past that unfortunate period in history now and it’s great to see significant funding being put at the disposal of the FIFA Foundation, which can positively impact so many people across the football world, especially through youth and community programmes.”

Infantino said that since 206, FIFA has been cooperating closely with the US Department of Justice. He said he believes that the decision was made because FIFA has shown that they have made significant progress in terms of good governance and transparency.

“Today, they know that with the FIFA Foundation this money is in good hands and will serve the purpose it is intended for,” Infantino said.

“We will make sure that these funds are used properly and bring tangible benefits for people who really need it.”

FIFA said the FIFA Foundation is an independent organization that has the objective of promoting “positive social change around the world through football”.

The Fund is intended to focus on youth and community programs, particularly within Concacaf and CONMEBOL, the regions that were most affected by the corruption scandals that rocked the world body.

“All projects will be submitted to strict monitoring, auditing and compliance checks to guarantee full transparency and accountability,” FIFA said.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.