1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: This is today, friends. The dollar bills, hundreds of them, 2 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: gently cascaded down on the head of FIFA's disgrace, seventy 3 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: nine year old president Well the money shower, looking like 4 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: something out of a strip club fantasy, was an act 5 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: of public shaming. British comedian Simon Broadkin, posing as a 6 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: North Korean soccer official, made it rain just seconds after 7 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,959 Speaker 1: Set Bladder, the godfather of international soccer in FIFA's long 8 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: time but in battled president, sat down to discuss his 9 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: resignation and the upcoming vote to replace him. It was 10 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 1: two thousand and fifteen, just two months before FIFA had 11 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: been rocked by the arrest of half a dozen soccer 12 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: officials at the Barlack Hotel and blindsided at the realization 13 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: that one it's loyal confidence Chuck Blazer and Josie Avila, 14 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: had provided US prosecutors with a roadmap to FIFA's criminal empire. 15 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: I'm Connor Powell. This is episode four, The Fall of SEC. 16 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:24,199 Speaker 1: But it's my sec. Bladders sat there, covered in cash, confused, angry, 17 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: and looking every bit the butt of the joke. He 18 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: and FIFA had become the root of all of FIFA's problems. Instead, 19 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: Bladder's long rain has been money, and the British comedian 20 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: who beat security at their headquarters provided a stark visual 21 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: representation of the corruption years Have you made his point? 22 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: Broadkin was led away by security. A clearly stunned Bladder 23 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: promised to return once the mess was cleaned up. Ladies 24 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: and gentlemen, we have to clean here at first, all 25 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: the ways. I will not be able to speak your, 26 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: ladies and gentlemen. Then vsp about football. He says, nothing 27 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: to do with the football. I'll be back in a 28 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: few minutes, thank you. Oh and what a mess it was? 29 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: Of course, Bladder meant the one left by Broadkin's prank, 30 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: not the one left by his seventeen years as FIFA president. 31 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: Bladder returned later that afternoon to answer questions from reporters. 32 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: He remained defiant, contending until the very end he was 33 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,119 Speaker 1: a hero, not a villain, and that FIFA was as 34 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: beautifully managed under his watchful eye as the game that 35 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: was played on the pitch. Whatever his claims, bladders days 36 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: as FIFA's ruling godfather were numbered. So how did we 37 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: get here? How did set Bladder the Swiss sports marketing 38 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 1: executive with an Elvish grin get the job in the 39 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: first place. The blue ballot box on the stage was 40 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 1: only slightly larger than a shoebox. It was stuffed and 41 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: overflowing with pieces of small yellow paper. A half dozen 42 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: or so FIFA officials, all men, of course, furiously sorted 43 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: and then counted the ballots. This was the scene at 44 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: FIFA presidential election. It looked more like something from a 45 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: high school student body contest than a multibillion dollar international 46 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: sporting organization choosing its next president. Despite its simplicity, the 47 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: campaign to replace FIFA's outgoing president, Jao Havalanche had been 48 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: as fevered as any political election. The horse trading had 49 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: been going on for months. Havalanch had been in control 50 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: of FIFA since nineteen seventy four, almost twenty five years. 51 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: But it was time for a new president, and the 52 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: one hundred and nine member nations that made up FIFA 53 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: would choose the Brazilian successor. The front runner to succeed 54 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: Havalanche European Soccer Association President Leonard Johansson of Sweden. He 55 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: had locked up most of Europe's fifty votes with a 56 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: message of reform and transparency, and you can see what 57 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: kind of people is surrounding me and supporting me and 58 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: helping me. I am very confident about tomorrow's election. The 59 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: imposing yet jovial Swede was the driving force behind the 60 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: Champions League UEFA's annual club football tournament. He was well 61 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: respected and seen us relatively honest rare qualities in FIFA's 62 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: governing structure, which had a reputation for dodgy business practices 63 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: during the twenty five years Havalanche was president. I think 64 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: there was always sort of an undercurrent of discussion of 65 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: like FIFA's kind of shady. That's journalist Grant Wall who 66 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: covered the nine election. For me, that was probably the 67 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: first time that I sort of paid attention to what 68 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: was being said about corruption in FIVA. Indeed, battling corruption, 69 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 1: even the appearance was at the heart of election. Many 70 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: soccer insiders believe the sport was in desperate need of 71 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 1: a new brand of leadership. Among those backing Johansson the 72 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: retired Brazilian superstar Pale, perhaps the most recognizable name in 73 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: the sport at the time. Paley also happened to be 74 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: one of Jao Havalanch's most vocal critics. Once friends, the 75 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: two Brazilians had a falling out and by were let's 76 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 1: just say, running in different crowds. Havalanche had cozied up 77 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: to dictators and South American gangsters as a way to 78 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: build FIFA's global influence, a practice that would have a 79 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: lasting impact on FIFA, but more on that later. Here's 80 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 1: Pale on why he supported Johansson though, I just to 81 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: because I like his program. I like democracy, like an 82 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: opening to discussing the problem of the spot and it's different, 83 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: the different division. Peleey feared Johanson's challenger, and he wasn't alone. 84 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: His has been a long career, if not always distinguished. 85 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: Set Bladder, then FIFA's General Secretary, was on the ballot. 86 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: It was widely believed he would simply be a continuation 87 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 1: of Havalanche and if elected that nothing would change. But 88 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: Bladder wasn't simply a clone of FIVA's long ruling monarch. 89 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 1: While Havalanche ruled FIFA with an iron fist, Bladder would 90 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: rule with the combination of an iron fist and handouts. 91 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: From the start, he saw the power of using financial 92 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: enticements to secure support, like sending payments to help national 93 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: federations boost soccer and developing nations. Bladder also promised to 94 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: expand the World Cup and share FIVA's growing revenues with 95 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:55,839 Speaker 1: nations in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The Caribbean itself 96 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,799 Speaker 1: has twenty five votes, Africa has more than fifty votes. 97 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 1: And if you increase the ability for these countries to 98 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:08,280 Speaker 1: compete in the World Cup, to partake in the revenues 99 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: of FIFA, which were growing during this time frame, you 100 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: can make promises and give out money to the member 101 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: federations and you'll get their vote. To win the election, 102 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: Bladder would need a two thirds majority, or one hundred 103 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: and twenty eight votes. The Caribbean and African delegations had 104 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: seventy seven alone. Well, neither was guaranteed the vote as 105 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: a whole block, they often did so. Bladder's campaign promise 106 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: was essentially, here's a million for you Burkina Fosso, here's 107 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: a million for you Paraguay, and here's a million for 108 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: you Trinidad and Tobago. Do what the money as you please, 109 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: just don't forget where it came from. It's patronage politics 110 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: where if you give money to each member nation, you'll 111 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: get their vote and it helps also that there was 112 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: never a lot of due diligence from FIFA's side into 113 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: where that money they gave these individual federations was going. 114 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: As noble as this strategy appeared on the surface, a 115 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: promise to expand opportunities in poorer countries, grant Wall says 116 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: it was only a part of Bladder's campaign. There were 117 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: all sorts of allegations in the media at that point 118 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: in time that votes were being bought for that presidential election, 119 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: and talk of envelopes full of cash in Paris. Behind 120 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: the scenes, Bladder supporters, aided by Havalanche, placed envelopes stuffed 121 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: with fifty dollars each into the hands of voters from 122 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: African and Caribbean countries. Those helping hands are believed to 123 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: have belonged to Mohammed bin Hammam, a Guitari billionaire and 124 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: a FIEFA executive committee member. He's denied buying any votes, 125 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:58,959 Speaker 1: but was undeniably a staunch Bladder supporter. Mohammed been ha 126 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 1: Mom name sound familiar, well, you'll remember him as the 127 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: architect of Qatar's World Cup winning bid in two thousand 128 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: and ten and the man who a year later would 129 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 1: challenge Bladder for FIFA's presidency and who was then accused 130 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: of giving conquer Cap president Jack Warner the money he 131 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: needed to buy off Caribbean voters in that dodgy meeting 132 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: held in Port of Spain. That meeting, you might also remember, 133 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: was videotaped capturing Warner doing his best impersonation of a 134 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: mafia boss nudging his foot soldiers to do what's expected 135 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: of them. You want to use it if if anybody 136 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: is who was unconscious, I wish money a ticket. But 137 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: back ben Ha Mom and Warner were anything but adversaries 138 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: the Bladder. They played a crucial role in distributing payments 139 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: to boost Bladders campaign. Now I have to point out 140 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: both Bladder and bin Hammam deny doing this, but the 141 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: evidence really does suggest otherwise. In return, Warner was given 142 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,199 Speaker 1: access to thousands of World Cup tickets, which he then 143 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: resold and was able to purchase TV rights for the 144 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: two thousand and two World Cup for his home country 145 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: of Trinidad and Tobago for just one dollar. That's right, 146 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 1: one dollar. He went on to allegedly sell those TV 147 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: rights for an incredible profit. In the end, financial enticements 148 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: beat out ethics and transparency. It was a lesson set 149 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 1: Bladder and his acolytes would learn again and again. Thank you. 150 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,559 Speaker 1: When the final votes recounted, Hanson was easily defeated. FIFA's 151 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: corruption machine ran rough shot over the u A for 152 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: for President Bladder. The winner promised continuity, and by continuity, 153 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: he and money in the hands of FIFA officials who 154 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: wanted it. This isn't hyperbole, it's not an exaggeration. After 155 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: Bladder was announced as the victor and Johansen conceded, it 156 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: was reported that several FIFA delegates stood up in the 157 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: meeting hall, raised their hands and began rubbing their fingers 158 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: together as they smiled and laughed. The message was clear, 159 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: time to pay up. Yeah, there was no embarrassment whatsoever 160 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: about any of this, stepping side of FIFA. Under a 161 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 1: light blue FIFA banner which read for the good of 162 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 1: the Game, FIFA presidents set Bladder in, General Secretary Michelle's 163 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: and Ruffin sat side by side waiting to answer questions 164 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: from journalists. As flashbulbs flashed and cameras clicked. The two 165 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: men stared in opposite directions, each pretending the other wasn't there. 166 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: Their faces couldn't hide the seething resentment each man had 167 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: for the other. It was two thousand and two, four 168 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: years earlier, Bladder had assumed FIFA's top spot in a 169 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:20,199 Speaker 1: contentious and dodgy election. Now four years later, Bladder was 170 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,959 Speaker 1: up for re election. As Bladder campaigned to retain his seat, 171 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 1: claims of corruption and mismanagement were swirling. The allegations were 172 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: coming from inside the FIFA family, including from Zen Rufenen, 173 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: who was Bladder as fellow countrymen and one time protege. 174 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 1: He was a lawyer, a former FIFA referee and had 175 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: risen to the organization's number two spot. Here's Zen ruffin 176 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 1: In calling out his boss at this time for FIFA 177 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: to clean its house. Just days before Bladder was the 178 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: stand for re election, zen ruffin In accused him of 179 00:12:56,240 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: running FIFA like a dictator and circulated a link feed 180 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:06,719 Speaker 1: dossier that detailed explosive allegations of corruption, mismanagement, fishy accounting practices, 181 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: and unethical conflicts of interests by Bladder and other FIFA officials. 182 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: FIFA's financial house had been disarrayed for months after its 183 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: long time marketing partner International Sports and Leisure or i 184 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: s L, went bankrupt, leaving debts of at least one 185 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: hundred million dollars, with some estimates going as high as 186 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 1: three hundred million. I s L was created by former 187 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:36,479 Speaker 1: adida's chairman Horse Dassler and handled all FIFA's TV negotiations. Basically, 188 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 1: I s L bought marketing rights for the World Cup 189 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: broadcast from FIFA on the cheap and then sold them 190 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 1: at a huge markups. For most of the I s 191 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: L was so profitable it was like they were printing money. 192 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: It also served as a slush fund for FIFA, which 193 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 1: you'll hear more about in the next episode. I L 194 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: went bankrupt in two thousand and one. Court documents showed 195 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,199 Speaker 1: it paid millions in bribes to soccer officials, including former 196 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: FIFA president Jaohavelange Bladder's mentor. I s l s collapse 197 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: blew a massive hole in FIFA's coffers, which were normally overflowing. 198 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: According to zen Rufinn, FIFA was running a budget deficit 199 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: of more than one hundred million dollars. Any blame Bladder 200 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: for the financial mess. I clearly ask now the president 201 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: to provide the respective answers to me so that we 202 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 1: can enter the new area of FIFA with a clean record, 203 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: which from the moment and in my opinion, is definitely 204 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: not the case. The knives were out. In a preview 205 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: of the two thousand and fifteen FBI case, zen Ruffinan 206 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: accused Bladder of authorizing TV deals for less than commercial value, 207 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: making illegal payments to soccer officials, and providing loans that 208 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:00,080 Speaker 1: he knew would never be paid back. That la as 209 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: to accusation, you'll want to file that away in your 210 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: memory banks. At the same time, eleven FIFA Executive Committee 211 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: members filed a criminal complaint against Bladder, accusing him of corruption. 212 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: However mild manner Bladder may have looked and sounded, he 213 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: was a savvy and ruthless administrator. He showered supporters like 214 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: Chuck Blazer, Jack Warner, Nicholas Leos and Ricardo to share 215 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: with money, and they weren't about to abandon him as 216 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: he stood for re election. So despite the allegations and 217 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 1: the internal revolt, FIFA's ruling monarch never came close to 218 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: losing power. Bladder one a second term. He got more 219 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: than two thirds of the vote, and who had to 220 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: announce his reelection Zen ruffin In himself just hours after 221 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: trashing bladder In front of hundreds of FIFA officials, number 222 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: of votes for Mr Joseph as blatta what I meanum 223 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 1: toty nine, and then Bladder spoke, You're deep, trust You're 224 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: deep trusting fifand a contrasting chorus of cheers and booze 225 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: filled the conference room. The mild mannered Swiss boss, looking 226 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: as refined and sophisticated as any international businessman, glared over 227 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 1: at zen Ruffenen and gestured menacingly at his former protege. 228 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: The once loyal zen Rufenen had come with the king 229 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: and he missed. Within days, San Ruffenen was gone from FIFA, booted, 230 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: and the criminal complaint filowed by the eleven FIFA members 231 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: was withdrawn. Bladder, sometimes mockingly called Don Bladderone by critics 232 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: and a nod to the mafia Don and the Godfather Movies, 233 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: was now firmly in control of world soccer. His opponents 234 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: were given the option of getting in line or getting out. 235 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 1: In Bladder's house, loyalty would be rewarded, betrayal punished. Thank 236 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: you for this very special reception. For nearly two hundred years, 237 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: the red walled in darkwood panel Debate Chamber of the 238 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,479 Speaker 1: Oxford Union has hosted a who's who of world leaders 239 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: and celebrities, from Malcolm X to Ronald Reagan, from Yasser 240 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 1: Arafat to David Chappelle. On a cool English night in 241 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: October of two thousand and thirteen, FIFA's president sept Bladder 242 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: joined that list. You may seeing you know who I am, 243 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: what I stand for, what I'm like. As a man 244 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 1: of utmost self importance who felt almost divine right to 245 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:05,400 Speaker 1: rule FIFA, the opportunity to address the students of Oxford 246 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: University was yet another confirmation of his global importance. They 247 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: would have you believe that I sit in my office 248 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: with a sinister grin gently stroking the gene of an 249 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:20,199 Speaker 1: expensive white person cat. It was also an opportunity to 250 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: challenge the now decades long narrative of FIFA's culture of 251 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 1: corruption and it's mafia like. I don't know any other 252 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: better words for code of conduct. You mis saying. You 253 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 1: know what FIFA is, what it does, What it aspired 254 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,880 Speaker 1: to be, a faceless machine printing money at the expense 255 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,239 Speaker 1: of the beautiful game, with me pulling the strings and 256 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:50,119 Speaker 1: laughing all the way to the bunk. It's not exactly that, 257 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 1: but bladders and passion speech at Oxford, where he compared 258 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:58,399 Speaker 1: himself to Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw taking from the 259 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,960 Speaker 1: rich and giving to the poor. Did little to challenge 260 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 1: the narrative of impropriety or calm the storm of allegations 261 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 1: that continued to build in the wake of FIFA's decision 262 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: to give the World Cup to Russia in Qatar. The 263 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 1: Oxford address came only three years after that announcement and 264 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,360 Speaker 1: just two years before the raid on the bar Lack 265 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: Hotel that would lead to more than a dozen arrests. 266 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: Despite Bladder's best attempts to clean up FIFA's image, anyone 267 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: paying close attention believe FIFA was utterly corrupt. There's been 268 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 1: so many corruption scandals that FAIVA had to deal with. 269 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: FIFA have become a punchline. Bribery and FIFA go together 270 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: like peanut butter and jelly. Nothing Bladder or FIFA had 271 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: done since the Russia and Qatar announcements in two thousand 272 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: and ten had managed to quell or contain the crisis, 273 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 1: and the prosecutors they were closing in we were promised cooperation. 274 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: Michael Hershman is a co founder of Transparency International and 275 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 1: had served on the U S. Senate Watergate Committee. After 276 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: the Russia and Qatar announcements, he was asked to join 277 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: an independent governance committee to look into allegations of wrongdoing 278 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:16,359 Speaker 1: within FIFA. That was a real eye opener for me 279 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: into the world of sports and business, and unfortunately and 280 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: I opened into the underbelly of the sports world. The 281 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: pressure appeared to be having some effect. Today set Bladder 282 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: finally unveiled his plans to reform the organization, promising to 283 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:38,879 Speaker 1: restore its tarnished image, unlike FIFA's normally highly produced and 284 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,360 Speaker 1: choreographed events where no amount of money was ever spared. 285 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:46,159 Speaker 1: When set Bladder announced an overhaul of FIFA's ethics bodies 286 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: in October of two thousand and eleven, he was flanked 287 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: by a lone soccer ball and what appeared to me 288 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 1: as a half hearted attempt to remind the world FIFA 289 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: was a soccer organization, not some tone deaf criminal gang. 290 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: Like so many were saying, we should have this zero 291 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: tolerance inside the FIFA, inside the football pitch, but outside 292 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: the FIFA and outside the football pitch. Bladder didn't welcome 293 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: the oversight or the reforms. FIFA's longtime corporate sponsors. Companies 294 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: like Visa, Coca Cola, and McDonald's forced his hand. They've 295 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: begun to get a touch nervous with all that negative 296 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 1: media coverage, and pressured Bladder to institute reforms. Hershman's committee 297 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: was independent in name only. It really had no power. 298 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: FIFA could take the recommendations and do nothing, or blocked 299 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: them from looking into things they didn't want looked at. 300 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:51,160 Speaker 1: The corruption was too entrenched and touched virtually every member 301 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: of FIFA senior ranks, and it didn't take long before 302 00:21:54,880 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 1: Hirshman realized FIFA and specifically Bladder, weren't serious about reform 303 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: him at all. The internal politics really kind of circled 304 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: the wagon so that no outside it could look in 305 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: and see what was going on. Hirshman did try to 306 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: work around this by reaching out to an unlikely friend, 307 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:22,400 Speaker 1: Chuck Blazer. When I was appointed to the Independent Governance Committee, 308 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: I decided I was going to see Chuck Blazer and 309 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 1: see if I could get him to cooperate with us. Hershman, 310 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: also a native New Yorker, had known Blazer for years, 311 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: consider the outgoing soccer official a friend. He was a 312 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: very jolly guy, a very smart guy, very friendly guy, 313 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: very jolly guy. It was hard not to like him. 314 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:48,680 Speaker 1: I mean, everyone who's ever met him liked him. Hershman 315 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 1: hoped his jolly friend might be an ally in cleaning 316 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 1: up soccer. Blazer rebuffed Hershman. I met with him in 317 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 1: London and he didn't cooperate with me, and now I 318 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:06,679 Speaker 1: know why. At that time he was under orders he 319 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: was cooperating with the FBI, and he was under orders 320 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,880 Speaker 1: not to talk about anything that he was doing with 321 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:17,959 Speaker 1: anyone outside of the FBI. Hershman and the committee were stuck. 322 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 1: Just months after being created by Bladder, the quote Independent 323 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:26,199 Speaker 1: Governance Committee was being blocked by the Executive Committee and 324 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:31,199 Speaker 1: who controlled the Executive Committee, Ladder. Of course, among the 325 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,919 Speaker 1: many reforms the Independent Committee had recommended were term limits 326 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: for the members of the Executive Council, including FIFA's President, 327 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,160 Speaker 1: and transparency for all salaries and payments made to Executive 328 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: Committee members. Most of these reforms were ignored. Bladder would 329 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: say to us, I can't get this through the Executive Committee. 330 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:53,640 Speaker 1: Now we knew that was a lie, because we knew 331 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: that he had complete control of the Executive Committee as president. 332 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:01,439 Speaker 1: Bladder could have assigned allies to anyone FIFA's sprawling and 333 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: well paid internal governance committees to get their reforms through. 334 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:07,879 Speaker 1: If Bladder want to change, all he had to do 335 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: was say so. He set the tone in the culture 336 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: in the organization. I believe that he was very instrumental. Really, 337 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 1: what they didn't want is they didn't want outside oversight. 338 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: They wanted to remain a closed facilitate and so we 339 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: had limited success, and after two years we resigned because 340 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: we knew that we likely couldn't go any farther. Bladder 341 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 1: was in his fourth term and I in a fifth. 342 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 1: He set the tone and it was his quest for 343 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: complete control and complete power that, in part, in my judgment, 344 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: led to the corruption scandal. The blade and undermining of 345 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: the Governance Committee was just a small part of Bladder 346 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:57,679 Speaker 1: and FIVA's attempt at covering up past wrongdoings. FIFA also 347 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: launched and official in tonal investigation into the Russia and 348 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 1: Gutar bids. The official investigation proved to be an even 349 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 1: bigger farce. The actual report wasn't initially made public. Instead, 350 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:16,640 Speaker 1: FIFA released the summary, and FIFA's own investigator would say 351 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: that summary was a lie. For well over seven hundred years, 352 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 1: the historic Fishmongers Hall, on the banks of the River 353 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: Tim's had been home to London seafood merchants, having received 354 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,360 Speaker 1: its royal charter in twelve seventy two from the English 355 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:42,639 Speaker 1: King Edward Longshanks. Maybe more familiar to you is the 356 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: evil monarch from Mel Gibson's film Braveheart. However, historically important 357 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 1: the Fishmongers Hall maybe to me the name of Oakes, 358 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: the stomach churning smell of slimy, slippery fish. So when 359 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: FIFA's internal ethics investigator chose the Fishmongers Hall in October 360 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,440 Speaker 1: of two thousand and fourteen as the location to launch 361 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: a broadside attack on the soccer organization and the leadership 362 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: of step Bladder, the symbolism, at least for me, it 363 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: was hard to ignore what is required as leadership. Leadership 364 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:16,640 Speaker 1: that sends a message that the rules apply to everyone. 365 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 1: Leadership that wants to understand and learn from any mistakes 366 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 1: or missteps. The ethics committee may identify. That's Michael Garcia, 367 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: a former federal prosecutor who made his name investigating politicians 368 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,879 Speaker 1: and financial firms. Just days before, he had delivered a 369 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:38,359 Speaker 1: much anticipated four hundred and thirty page report into the 370 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 1: two thousand and eighteen and two thousand twenty two World 371 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,640 Speaker 1: Cup bidding process. Garcia had been hired by FIFA as 372 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: part of bladders reform agenda, but after an eighteen month 373 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:53,640 Speaker 1: investigation and more than seventy five interviews, Bladder was blocking 374 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,359 Speaker 1: the report's release. Officially, Bladder said he couldn't release it 375 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: because FIFA had to respect the personal privious he writes 376 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: of people mentioned in the report. As excuses go, this 377 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,199 Speaker 1: was a pretty flimsy one. When Garcia stepped up to 378 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: speak at the Fishmonger's Hall, it was clear he was 379 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,920 Speaker 1: tired of Bladder's tactics and the stench of FIFA's corruption. 380 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: True reform doesn't come from adding rules or creating new 381 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:23,400 Speaker 1: committee structures. It comes from changing the culture of the organization. 382 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: Garcia called on his FIFA bosses to release the full report. 383 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 1: Bladder refused. The next FIFA presidential election was coming up 384 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:36,439 Speaker 1: in the spring, and accountability really wasn't part of his 385 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 1: election agenda. It is a face even by FIFA's standards. Instead, 386 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,399 Speaker 1: the Lords of World Soccer chose to release a shorter, 387 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:51,120 Speaker 1: less intrusive summary of Garcia's significantly more in depth findings. 388 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 1: Garcia's four hundred and thirty page reports was whittled down 389 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 1: to a forty two page summary by FIFA's ethics Judge 390 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 1: Hans Joachim echoed, but a summary report cleared Russia and 391 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 1: Qatar of any wrongdoings, and while Judge Eckart concluded that 392 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:10,959 Speaker 1: the behavior of some members of Qatar's bid team was improper, 393 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:15,119 Speaker 1: he said it didn't compromise the process. In effect, the 394 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 1: judge's summary said the millions of dollars allegedly handed out 395 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 1: by Mohammed bin Hamm had no effect on the final vote. 396 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: But think about that for a second. Isn't the goal 397 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: of giving cash payments to decision makers right before they 398 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,880 Speaker 1: vote a way to buy their vote? I think so, 399 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: and maybe that's what Garcia concluded too, But frustratingly we 400 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 1: don't know, because Garcia has refused to talk about it, 401 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:46,719 Speaker 1: except to call the summary from Eckart a whitewash. So, 402 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 1: with a symbolic shrug of his shoulders, Judge Jackhart concluded, 403 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: conveniently for FIFA, there was no need to hold a 404 00:28:54,680 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: revote for either World Cup. The investigation was over a point. 405 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: FIFA's chief spokesman Walter da Gregorio was quick to make 406 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: the bidding process as a whole is not put in 407 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: question and thus stuff for us. The main finding means 408 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: of Russian cuta U. They won uh the the they 409 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: were awarded the because they were the best. The only 410 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: real ethics violation Judge Eckhart's summary did highlight was won 411 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: by England, which lost the two thousand and eighteen World 412 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: Cup bid to Russia. FIFA claimed that Ellen acted improperly 413 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: when it promised a job to a friend, a FIFA 414 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: executive and contract president Jack Warner, Well, no doubt improper. 415 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,239 Speaker 1: It's hardly the scale of wrongdoing that FIFA had been 416 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: accused of by media watchdogs and even some of its 417 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 1: reform minded members. Gussie's damning analysis of FIFA's forty two 418 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 1: page report added that it contains numerous materially incomplete and 419 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: erroneous representations of the facts and conclusion. Michael Garcia quit 420 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 1: in December of two thousand and fourteen. He said he'd 421 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: lost faith in FIFA's leadership. In his resignation letter, the 422 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: Americans said Judge Eckart had misrepresented his work and that 423 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: step Ladder initiated disciplinary proceedings against him for his criticism 424 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: of FIFA. In the three years after Sep Ladder had 425 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: launched this much celebrated reform agenda, most of the Independent 426 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 1: Governance Committee had left in frustration, and now FIFA's handpicked 427 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: ethics investigator, Michael Garcia, had resigned in protest. FIFA may 428 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 1: have closed its own investigation into World Cup vote ringing, 429 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: but that didn't mean Chuck Blazer's little key chain recorder 430 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 1: had stopped recording, or that the U. S Department of 431 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: Justice had taken its eye off the ball. An unbattled 432 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: leader who faces his toughest test, FIFA president Set Bladder 433 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: under pressure as this congress gets underway. Set Bladder was 434 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: surrounded by security guards when he stepped out of his 435 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: luxury sedan on two thousand fifteen. He had arrived at 436 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 1: FIFA's World Congress, greeted by angry protesters hurling insults. It 437 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: was the first anyone had seen him since the raid 438 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: on the bar Alack Hotel the day before, and since 439 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: Bladder had learned some of FIFA's own members had snitched 440 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: about the secret of organizations illicit activities in Switzerland. Seven 441 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 1: of the sports top international officials were arrested In a 442 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: pre dawned raid in Miami, the FBI searched the headquarters 443 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 1: of FIFA's US affiliates. Fourteen defendants, including sports marketing executives, 444 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 1: faced corruption charges involving more than one hundred fifty million 445 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: dollars in bribes and kickbacks. By any standard, the events 446 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: of the previous twenty four hours had been unprecedented, not 447 00:31:56,840 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 1: only for FIFA but for the world of sports. Plotter's 448 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 1: oversized protection detail made the five ft seven Swiss man 449 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: look even smaller, almost vulnerable. Despite the pressure of the 450 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: US investigation, Bladder managed to display I can only be 451 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: described as a politician in crisis. Smile, you know that 452 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: grin from ear to ear. That's just a little two 453 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:26,600 Speaker 1: upbeat for the occasion. After putting on the jacket of 454 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 1: his finally cut suit, Bladder walked inside to attend the 455 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 1: first day of the two thousand and fifteen FIFA World Congress. President, 456 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 1: how are you surely after all these allegations, it's time 457 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: for you to resign. Calls for bladders resignation were growing 458 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: louder as European and American soccer officials ganged up against them. 459 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: It's time for change. It's not a condition. If he 460 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: is in in in in in some cases, if he's 461 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 1: get it, you're not get involved on not involved. It's 462 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:00,760 Speaker 1: time for change. After all this what in the last 463 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: ten twenty years and now what we hear again. You 464 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 1: cannot just say yeah, but I'm clean, I have nothing 465 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 1: nothing to do with it. At disaster like this we've 466 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: never had in life before, and we need to change. 467 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:18,120 Speaker 1: But the calls for his resignation weren't new Bladder and 468 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: whether it's scandal after scandal after scandal, and Bladder wasn't 469 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 1: treating this one any differently. He may have looked vulnerable, 470 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 1: but Don Bladder Owne was set to win his fifth 471 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: term as FIFA's president the following day. His entourage says 472 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: he's a confident, calm Serreen. Bladder supporters had already been 473 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 1: spinning the story that FIFA was an aggrieved the victim 474 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: of over zealous US investigators. FIFA's chief spokesman and Bladder loyalist, 475 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: Walter D. Gregorio, had said that Bladder was innocent of 476 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:56,520 Speaker 1: any wrongdoing. The president isn't involved. Of course, he is 477 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:00,520 Speaker 1: the head of FIFA, but he's not involved in any 478 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:02,920 Speaker 1: How can you can you can you say, okay, he 479 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 1: has to whatsoever step down. No matter how bad the 480 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:10,399 Speaker 1: crisis looked. Step Ladder wasn't about to release his grip 481 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,879 Speaker 1: on power. He believed he was FIFA as much as 482 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:21,839 Speaker 1: FIFA was him. I know many people hold me ultimately 483 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: responsible for the actions and reputation of the global football community, 484 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 1: whether it's a decision for the hosting of a World 485 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:44,400 Speaker 1: Cup or corruptions condown we or I cannot monitor everyone 486 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:49,800 Speaker 1: all of the time. Speaking to FIFA's two nine voting delegations, 487 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:54,879 Speaker 1: Bladder sounded almost convincing that the next four years would 488 00:34:54,880 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 1: be different. We will corporate if all authorities to make 489 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:07,000 Speaker 1: sure anyone involved in wrongdoing from top to botton is 490 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 1: discovered and punished. There can be no place for corruption 491 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:19,360 Speaker 1: of any kind. The next few months will not be 492 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 1: easy for FIFA. I'm sure more bad news may follow, 493 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: but it is necessary to begin to restore trust in 494 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:38,760 Speaker 1: our organization. Let this be the turning point. The two 495 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,320 Speaker 1: and fifteen FIFA election would not be a turning point 496 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:46,879 Speaker 1: ignoring a major bribery and corruption scandal. FIFA soccer's world 497 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: governing body has re elected its president, set Bladder. The 498 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:54,719 Speaker 1: election showed just how tightly Bladder held the reigns of 499 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 1: world soccer, and just how much fear there was of 500 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:01,759 Speaker 1: his tight grip. There are fears that Bladder will treat 501 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:04,640 Speaker 1: the threat to his leadership as a mutiny. His rival, 502 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,319 Speaker 1: Durdennian Prince Ali bin l Hussain, said he conceded out 503 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 1: of concern for his backers. Bladder said he was the 504 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:14,920 Speaker 1: victim of hatred and added, I forgive everyone, but I 505 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:18,880 Speaker 1: don't forget. The two thousand and fifteen FIFA election was 506 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,279 Speaker 1: never about reform or concern about the u S investigation, 507 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:26,720 Speaker 1: or hope or change. No, when step Ladder was re elected, 508 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 1: it came down to the one thing. It always came 509 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:33,719 Speaker 1: down to money. The secret to sap bladders sticking it 510 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,719 Speaker 1: out for so long was his global vision. His investment 511 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:40,279 Speaker 1: in African and Asian football in particular, he won many 512 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 1: friends there and in FIFA's one country, one vote system, 513 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:49,720 Speaker 1: friends translated into ballots. Bladder had a proven track record 514 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 1: of keeping the money flowing to FIFA's coffers and then 515 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:57,120 Speaker 1: out to FIFA's voters in their national federations. Few outside 516 00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:00,319 Speaker 1: of Europe and North America we're gonna walk away from that. 517 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:05,320 Speaker 1: In fact, Most of FIFA's delegations cheered and celebrated Bladder's 518 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: reelection when he took the stage to thank them. I 519 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 1: like you, I like my job, and that like to 520 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:17,880 Speaker 1: be the few. I'm not perfect, nobody is perfect, but 521 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:20,680 Speaker 1: we will do a good job together. I'm sure so. 522 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:24,160 Speaker 1: I thank you so much. I thank you for the 523 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 1: trust and confidence. Dejected and resigned, Bladder's opponents figured if 524 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,919 Speaker 1: the arrest of fourteen soccer officials couldn't force him out, 525 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 1: then nothing could. Then something strange happened, set Bladders passed, 526 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 1: finally caught up with him. Well, it's the first day 527 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 1: of the rest of FIFA's life, and the shoes or 528 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 1: the soccer cleats is still dropping. What a difference a 529 00:37:57,680 --> 00:38:02,040 Speaker 1: weekend makes. One minute, Bladder, in a mix of enthusiasm 530 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:05,280 Speaker 1: and defiance, is waving his arms and pumping his fists 531 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 1: in victory. You get the vigo. Let's go FIFA, let's 532 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:13,560 Speaker 1: go PIPA thank you. He's promising the pilot FIFA's battered 533 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,440 Speaker 1: ship to shore and aggressively dismissing talk of being arrested 534 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:24,640 Speaker 1: by US authorities. Next squish, then the next minute, like 535 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:28,880 Speaker 1: someone flicked the light switch, soccer's raining monarch, Zep Bladder, 536 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 1: is resigning. He's steadfastly clung on, resisting calls to stand down, 537 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: But today set Bladder, the embattled FIFA president, finally through 538 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:45,520 Speaker 1: in the towel, Speaking in French in front of journalists 539 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 1: at a hastily organized press conference, a far less confident 540 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:55,880 Speaker 1: almost sang wine step. Bladder announced his resignation on June second, 541 00:38:56,000 --> 00:39:01,759 Speaker 1: two thousand fifteen. So what you asked changed between Friday's 542 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 1: election celebration and Monday's resignation. Today he came fresh embarrassing 543 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:11,239 Speaker 1: revelations that brought to the accusations of bribery and corruption 544 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:16,400 Speaker 1: closer to the FIFA president's door. Quoting unnamed U S authorities, 545 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:20,280 Speaker 1: The New York Times reported Bladder's right hand man, FIFA 546 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:24,839 Speaker 1: General Secretary Jerome Valc, had approved the transfer of ten 547 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:28,759 Speaker 1: million dollars to the disgraced former Conky Calf president Jack 548 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:33,080 Speaker 1: Warner back in two thousand and eight. This is the 549 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:35,800 Speaker 1: payment to Warner I told you about in the previous 550 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:39,360 Speaker 1: episode he's alleged to have taken as a bride for 551 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:44,240 Speaker 1: having helped South Africa secure the World Cup. The payment 552 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:48,480 Speaker 1: to Warner was transferred using FIFA's own banking system. FIFA 553 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 1: and South Africa insisted the money wasn't a bribe. Rather, 554 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 1: they said it was an approved payment to a World 555 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:58,880 Speaker 1: Cup legacy fund for Africans in the Caribbean. At first, 556 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:02,960 Speaker 1: FIFA try to deny that Jerome Valc had any knowledge 557 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:06,920 Speaker 1: of the payment. But when in March two thousand and 558 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 1: eight letter addressed to the General Secretary from South Africa 559 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: detailing the payment emerged, FIFA's lies and criminal activities were 560 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:18,279 Speaker 1: laid bare for the world to see. The letter and 561 00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:22,320 Speaker 1: the bribe it described where the last straw for set Bladder. 562 00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:27,120 Speaker 1: Furious sponsors were demanding reform. FIFA's lawyers and more importantly 563 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:31,799 Speaker 1: sponsors like Budweiser, Coca Cola and Visa toll bladder it 564 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:35,720 Speaker 1: was time to go. There was a lot of pressure 565 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:40,959 Speaker 1: from corporate partners, big international global partners saying like, hey, 566 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:42,880 Speaker 1: this doesn't look right, and we're not sure that we 567 00:40:42,920 --> 00:40:45,960 Speaker 1: want to have our brand attached to this organization that 568 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 1: very clearly has some significant problems in terms of ethics 569 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:54,640 Speaker 1: and transparency. That's former New York Times reporters Sam Borden. 570 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 1: You know, money talks, and so the real pressure came 571 00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:00,919 Speaker 1: when these global brands said, hey, we're not sure we're 572 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,719 Speaker 1: on board with continuing with FIFA if this is the 573 00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:06,600 Speaker 1: way that things are going to go. Bladder hoped his 574 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:10,320 Speaker 1: announcement that he would step down as FIFA's president would 575 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:13,799 Speaker 1: reduce the heat coming from investigators, but the King of 576 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 1: Soccer's troubles were only mounting. In October of two thousand 577 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:22,840 Speaker 1: and fifteen, a few months after announcing his resignation, Swiss 578 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:28,080 Speaker 1: investigators sees boxes of documents from Bladder's FIFA office, including 579 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:32,240 Speaker 1: records detailing a two million dollar payment to UEFA president 580 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:37,720 Speaker 1: Michelle Platini. The payment from FIFA to Platini was made 581 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:40,760 Speaker 1: right as Bladder was facing that challenge for the FIFA 582 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:44,719 Speaker 1: presidency from the Qatari billionaire Mohammed bin ha Mom in 583 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:48,960 Speaker 1: two thousand and eleven. Bladder and Platini insisted for years 584 00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:53,359 Speaker 1: the payment was done for consulting work. Yeah, consulting work 585 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:57,279 Speaker 1: that was done nine years earlier, But neither Bladder nor 586 00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:00,640 Speaker 1: Platini could explain what the two million dollars worth of 587 00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:05,800 Speaker 1: consulting work actually was. Swiss prosecutors in two thousand and 588 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:08,880 Speaker 1: fifteen seemed to think it was more likely a bribe 589 00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:12,360 Speaker 1: to shore Platini's support for Bladder in the two thousand 590 00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:16,399 Speaker 1: and eleven election, Bladder would stick around for a few 591 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:21,120 Speaker 1: more months a nominal figurehead president and name only, and 592 00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:24,799 Speaker 1: that brings us back to the beginning of this episode. 593 00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:28,840 Speaker 1: It was during this time that Bladder, stripped of power, 594 00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:32,840 Speaker 1: was showered in cash by the British comedian Simon Broadkin 595 00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:39,960 Speaker 1: in December. FIFA would ultimately banned Bladder, General secretary Joam 596 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:44,759 Speaker 1: Valk and UEFA President Michelle Platini from World Soccer all 597 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:51,960 Speaker 1: for violating ethics rules. In his final public appearance as 598 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:55,719 Speaker 1: FIFA president in December of two thousand and fifteen, and 599 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:59,480 Speaker 1: on shaven and disheveled, Bladder lashed out at the world 600 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:04,839 Speaker 1: like to the throne monarchy was but I'll fight, fight 601 00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:09,440 Speaker 1: for me and fight for FIFA suspended eight years for 602 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:15,719 Speaker 1: what In the irony of ironies. His appearance came just 603 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:19,200 Speaker 1: days after yet another pre don raid by US and 604 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:22,640 Speaker 1: Swiss authorities that led to an additional sixteen arrests of 605 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:27,719 Speaker 1: current and former soccer officials on the charges of racketeering, 606 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:32,279 Speaker 1: money laundering, and fraud. Some of them were taken into 607 00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:36,720 Speaker 1: custody at the very same Barlock Hotel authorities had rated 608 00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:41,720 Speaker 1: that spring. Just a side note, FIFA has since broken 609 00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:44,840 Speaker 1: its ties with the Barlack Hotel and moved its business 610 00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:51,840 Speaker 1: to the Zurich Hyatt. Bladder meanwhile remained defiant. I'm really sorry. 611 00:43:53,560 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I am still somewhere a 612 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:06,560 Speaker 1: punching bowl, but I'm sorry that I am as president 613 00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:12,080 Speaker 1: of FIFA this punching bowl, and I'm sorry for for football. 614 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:15,479 Speaker 1: Seventy nine year old would spend the next few months 615 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:19,759 Speaker 1: appealing his suspension and fighting to hold onto power, but 616 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:22,799 Speaker 1: the jig was up. The money making machine that is 617 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 1: FIFA had left Bladder behind. For years, it looked like 618 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:34,879 Speaker 1: step Ladder would escape prosecution. I mean, year after year 619 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:39,120 Speaker 1: after year, just ticked by and don bladderone just seemed 620 00:44:39,120 --> 00:44:43,759 Speaker 1: to escape by. And then yes, some news just into 621 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:47,080 Speaker 1: us that former FIFA presidents Ladder and also Michel Platini 622 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:51,879 Speaker 1: have been charged with fraud and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors. 623 00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:55,040 Speaker 1: After a six in November of two thousand and twenty one, 624 00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:58,400 Speaker 1: six years after the original raid on the bar Lack Hotel, 625 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:02,440 Speaker 1: step Ladder and Shell Platini were charged with fraud for 626 00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:07,000 Speaker 1: that secret two million dollar consulting payment. Bladder and Platini 627 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:11,200 Speaker 1: continued to insist on their innocence. Bladder, now in poor health, 628 00:45:11,760 --> 00:45:19,760 Speaker 1: could face five years in prison if convicted. Hey, breaking 629 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:23,600 Speaker 1: news here. A day after this episode originally came out. 630 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:26,880 Speaker 1: Set Ladder and Michelle Platini were a quitted of corruption 631 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:31,040 Speaker 1: by a Swiss court on July eight. It's shocking news 632 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:34,600 Speaker 1: and honestly I'm a bit surprised by it. We'll update 633 00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:36,560 Speaker 1: you in the coming days as we learn more. But 634 00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:45,520 Speaker 1: now back to the rest of this episode. In the 635 00:45:45,640 --> 00:45:48,520 Speaker 1: seven years since the first raid on the Borerlock Hotel, 636 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:53,800 Speaker 1: US authorities have continued rounding up soccer officials, arresting dozens 637 00:45:53,800 --> 00:45:56,920 Speaker 1: of FIFA executives and their partners in the sports marketing world. 638 00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:01,160 Speaker 1: To date, US prosecutors have charged more than fifty people 639 00:46:01,200 --> 00:46:05,920 Speaker 1: connected to FIFA, with prosecutors announcing further mass indictments in 640 00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:09,640 Speaker 1: December of two thousand and fifteen and again in April. 641 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:14,520 Speaker 1: Prosecutors have also clawed back more than two hundred million 642 00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:17,480 Speaker 1: dollars that was siphoned from the sport over the decades 643 00:46:17,880 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 1: to pay for bribes and kickback schemes. Most of that 644 00:46:21,600 --> 00:46:25,520 Speaker 1: money will go back into FIFA's coffers, since under the 645 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:29,719 Speaker 1: law of the soccer organization is listed as the victim, 646 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,839 Speaker 1: even though it was plundered by its own members. And 647 00:46:32,960 --> 00:46:35,840 Speaker 1: if you think it's all over now, the U. S 648 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:39,400 Speaker 1: Department of Justice has signaled more charges could be on 649 00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:44,680 Speaker 1: the way set bladder and the larger cast of criminals 650 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:48,319 Speaker 1: from the two thousand and fifteen US investigation embody all 651 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:52,200 Speaker 1: that is wrong with modern day FIFA, the money laundering, 652 00:46:52,239 --> 00:46:55,920 Speaker 1: the bribery, the vote rigging, the general disregard for basic 653 00:46:55,920 --> 00:47:00,040 Speaker 1: transparency and ethics. But long before it's sorted activity, he 654 00:47:00,120 --> 00:47:03,680 Speaker 1: is became the stuff of criminal lore. FIFA was known 655 00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:08,400 Speaker 1: simply as a racist and morally corrupt organization, which in 656 00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:12,959 Speaker 1: many ways is even worse, and I would argue absolutely 657 00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:16,160 Speaker 1: explains how FIFA became a den of bribery and corruption, 658 00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:20,920 Speaker 1: from supporting South Africa's racist apartheid regime to propping up 659 00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:25,000 Speaker 1: Argentine dictators, to turning a blind eye to the brutal 660 00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:30,200 Speaker 1: torture prisoners in Chile's National soccer Stadium. FIFA's so called 661 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:34,600 Speaker 1: golden years are more blood red than golden. So let's 662 00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 1: go back to when FIFA started. That's coming up on 663 00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:45,520 Speaker 1: the next episode of the Lords of Soccer. The Lords 664 00:47:45,520 --> 00:47:48,920 Speaker 1: of Soccer, How FIFA Stole the Beautiful Game is an 665 00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:52,560 Speaker 1: Inside Voices Media production in conjunction with I Heart Radio. 666 00:47:53,239 --> 00:47:56,480 Speaker 1: The series was written and executive produced by Gary Scott 667 00:47:56,560 --> 00:48:01,200 Speaker 1: and me Connor Powell, Logan he Tell, and Katie mcmurran 668 00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:04,560 Speaker 1: provided the sound design, with assistance from j. C. Swaddick 669 00:48:04,719 --> 00:48:08,560 Speaker 1: and Jake Blue Note. Alec Cowen is our associate producer 670 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:12,360 Speaker 1: and Jeffrey Katz was our story editor. Our fact checker 671 00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:16,520 Speaker 1: is Alexa O'Brien and thanks to Miles Gray, who produced 672 00:48:16,520 --> 00:48:19,160 Speaker 1: the series for I Heart Radio. If you have any 673 00:48:19,160 --> 00:48:22,360 Speaker 1: comments or questions, please reach out. You can find us 674 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:26,920 Speaker 1: on Twitter. I'm at Connor m Powell and Gary is 675 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,480 Speaker 1: at Gary Robert Scott, and if you have any stories 676 00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:34,000 Speaker 1: about FIFA, let us know. If you like what you hear, 677 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 1: please give us a shout out at the hashtag Lords 678 00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:38,200 Speaker 1: of Soccer