FIFA was plunged into the biggest meltdown in its scandal-hit history on Wednesday after a wave of arrests of football officials in Zurich on corruption charges.
Seven officials including FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb from the Cayman Islands were arrested by Swiss authorities on behalf of the US Department of Justice which has indicted 18 people alleging bribery totalling more than 150million US dollars.
In a separate development, the Swiss attorney general also opened criminal proceedings over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and seized documents and electronic data from FIFA’s headquarters and will question 10 current FIFA executive committee members who voted on that tournament.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has not been arrested but the 14 men below have been.
The 14 men who have been arrested
Jeffrey Webb (aged 50)
The highest profile of those arrested, Cayman Islander Webb is the current FIFA vice president and executive committee member, CONCACAF president and Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) president. Webb was one of several FIFA officials to call for the publication of the Garcia Report into allegations of corruption surrounding Russia and Qatar’s bids for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. He is also a member of FIFA’s Strategic, Finance, Organising World Cup and Emergency Committees.
Eduardo Li (aged 56)
Current FIFA executive committee member-elect, he is the CONCACAF executive committee member and Costa Rican soccer federation (FEDEFUT) president.
Julio Rocha (aged 64)
Current FIFA development officer issued with the task of “working with Member Associations in identifying and implementing future projects within their respective regions”. Rocha is a former Central American Football Union (UNCAF) president and Nicaraguan soccer federation (FENIFUT) president.
Costas Takkas (aged 58)
Advisor to the CONCACAF president Webb and is a former CIFA general secretary. The US Department of Justice lists his nationality as United Kingdom.
Eugenio Figueredo (aged 83)
The Uruguayan is a current FIFA vice president and executive committee member. He is a former CONMEBOL president and was Uruguayan soccer federation (AUF) president from 1997 until 2006.
Rafael Esquivel (aged 68)
Current CONMEBOL executive committee member and Venezuelan soccer federation (FVF) president. He also sits on FIFA’s disciplinary committee.
Jose Maria Marin (aged 83)
Current member of the FIFA organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments. Marin was Brazilian FA president from 2012 to 2015 and was a former striker for Sao Paulo. Marin caused controversy in 2012 when he was accused of pocketing a medal during a youth football tournament. Marin was caught on camera and described the incident as “a real joke”.
Nicolas Leoz (aged 86)
Another not detained by Swiss authorities, Paraguayan Leoz is a former sports journalist and was president of CONMEBOL from 1986 until 2013. In May 2011 the then head of the FA, Lord Triesman, accused Leoz of requesting an honorary knighthood in reward for supporting a World Cup bid for England. Email correspondence later revealed Leoz asked for the FA Cup to be named after him.
Alejandro Burzaco (aged 50)
Burzaco is the controlling principle of Torneos y Competencias S.A., a sports marketing business based in Argentina, and its affiliates.They own the rights to broadcast the Argentinian Primera Division, the second tier Primera B Nacional and CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers
Jack Warner (aged 72)
Not detained by Swiss authorities, Warner is a former FIFA vice president and executive committee member. In 2007 he described England as an “irritant”, but retracted a year later when the Three Lions agreed a friendly against Trinidad & Tobago and apologised.
In 2006, after being instructed to investigate Warner by FIFA, Ernst & Young estimated that Warner’s family had made one million dollars from reselling 2006 World Cup tickets, subsequently a fine of around that figure was imposed on Warner and his family.
In 2013 the CONCACAF Integrity Committee produced a report which accused Warner and his former cohort Chuck Blazer of mismanagement and massive fraud.
It alleged that Warner concealed his ownership of the land on which CONCACAF’s 25 million dollar Joao Havalange Center of Excellence was built, which made him the effective owner of the building. Warner said: “As far as I am aware it is baseless and malicious.
“I left CONCACAF and turned my back on football two years ago. Since then I have had no interest in any football-related matter.”
Aaron Davidson (aged 44)
Davidson is president of Traffic Sports USA Inc. (Traffic USA). Its Twitter account describes the company as “Leader in sports marketing in the Americas. Representation and commercialization of top soccer properties in US and Americas”.
It owns NASL side Carolina RailHawks and has other official club partners with Brazilian teams Palmeiras, Gremio, Fluminense and Atletico Mineiro as well as Manchester United. In April 2014 Traffic announced the purchase of all of CONCACAF’s sponsorship rights to become its official Corporate Partnership Agency.
Hugo and Mariano Jinkis (aged 70 and 40)
Controlling principals of Full Play Group S.A., a sports marketing business based in Argentina which was formed in 1998. Hugo is 70 and his son, Mariano is 40.
Jose Margulies (aged 75)
Margulies is the controlling principle of Valente Corp. and Somerton Ltd.