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FIFA now subject to federal probes in US, Switzerland

Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs, addresses the media during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Swiss federal prosecutors opened criminal proceedings related to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, throwing FIFA deeper into crisis only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested and 14 indicted Wednesday in a separate U.S. corruption probe. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP)
Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs, addresses the media during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Swiss federal prosecutors opened criminal proceedings related to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, throwing FIFA deeper into crisis only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested and 14 indicted Wednesday in a separate U.S. corruption probe. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP)

By Associated Press 4 min read

ZURICH (AP) – FIFA’s reputation for corruption has reignited spectacularly two days before a presidential election expected to give Sepp Blatter four more years at the head of world soccer.

Dawn raids by Swiss federal authorities on FIFA headquarters and a luxury hotel in Zurich supported separate federal cases in the United States and Switzerland.

The U.S. probe relates to racketeering, money laundering and kickbacks in marketing deals for soccer tournaments in the U.S., Brazil and across Latin America.

Two of FIFA’s eight vice presidents and a new member of its executive committee were among officials arrested in Zurich.

The Swiss investigation is about wrongdoing in the controversial 2018-2022 World Cup bidding contests which gave hosting rights to Russia and Qatar.