Photo: Eurosport
Culture of impunity casts a shadow on the Copa America
American FBI investigation exposed the size of fraud, perpetrated by the activists of the South America. Allegations range from the extortion racketeering, bribery after the fraud and money laundering. “The list of persons awaiting extradition to the US is like a summary of who is who in Latin American football” – written in correspondence with Reuters in Santiago, capital of Chile.
Lionel Messi, Neymer and James Rozdriguez take care of boiskowe emotions, but a scandal in FIFA dented the reputation to such an extent that even the general public, often reluctant to Americans in the region, this time is favorable to the FBI actions .
– Unfortunately the Copa America is tainted by these events, which have nothing to do with football – assesses the head of the Chilean Football Federation, Sergio venom.
Four years ago, when the tournament was hosted by Argentina, stopped by Americans Paraguayan Nicolas Leoz (also has Colombian nationality) he ruled the South American confederation CONMEBOL and gave up immunity Paraguayan headquarters of the organization in Luque. Today Leoz sits under house arrest at a luxury suburb of the capital Asuncion (pictured). Two days after stopping the activist presented a documentary about the inviolability of abode, whose number is N ° 1070.
Another high Eugenio Figueredo put activist, vice-president of FIFA, was in 2011 deputy Leoz. He and Rafael Esquivel, head of sport in Venezuela, were among seven people arrested on May 27 in Switzerland at the request of US prosecutors. In this group there was also Jose Maria Marin, the former head of the Brazilian relationship.
Locals do not count on changes in the football environment as a result of those events. – This scandal will not change much. We all knew that the money change hands. This happens in all sports, including basketball, football, baseball – says Jaime Riquelme, the seller stamps from Santiago, where on Thursday evening the hosts will face Ecuador in the opening match of the Copa America.
South American confederation hopes that the tournament would distract from the uncomfortable things, but the Paraguayan senate plans to vote on the same day to receive a pseudo diplomatic immunity headquarters of CONMEBOL. “It illustrates how FIFA and its members often were able to get out of justice” – it reads.
If the vote succeeds, the Paraguayan police most likely will enter the headquarters of the Confederation, stops the evidence and transmit it to the American investigators.
One of the main topics affair is a matter of the sale of television and marketing rights to the Copa America. Argentines Alejandro Burzaco, Hugo Jinkis and his son Mariano is his accusation that acquired lucrative contracts for this year’s tournament, and those in 2019 and 2023 years, handing over a bribe of $ 110 million. According to the indictment, the three leaders of CONMEBOL-in, including Leoz and heads the Argentine and Brazilian relationship, they receive a total of $ 45 million, and the rest would be distributed to the hands eight other members of the confederation.
home fans are furious that the money that should be used for the development of football in South American countries, wypchały pockets of corrupt people. “During the Copa America fans in the stands and journalists certainly will look at this, what kind of leading officials will arrive in Chile” – writes in an interesting message Rosalba O’Brien.
– I think that will be their handful compared to the past, because nobody wants to now lean – says Sergio Levinsky, an Argentine author dealing with the business sector in football. He emphasized that the US investigation revealed “enormous dimensions of corruption and a culture of impunity, which was dictated decisions.”
A spokesman for CONMEBOL-in would not say what kind of organization’s members arrive at the Copa America.
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