Posted on 05/28/2015 12:28:09 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
The international investigation into bribery, fraud and corruption at FIFA involved some surprising American names: The Miami chairman of a popular nationwide soccer league, and a major U.S. sportswear firm some believe could be Nike.
For more than two decades, the Justice Department said Wednesday, five "unscrupulous" U.S. and South American sports and banking executives helped funnel more than $150 million in bribes to officials atop FIFA, the multibillion-dollar goliath governing the world's most popular sport.
The indictment also alleges bribes were paid and pocketed in connection with the sponsorship of the Brazilian national soccer team by "a major U.S. sportswear company." Although investigators will not name the company, the indictment says the sportswear firm signed a 10-year, $160 million sponsorship deal with the Brazilian team in 1996, closely matching Nike’s clothes, shoes and equipment deal with the team that year.
The indictment alleges a sportswear-company official agreed three days later to allow Traffic Brazil, a sports marketing company, to charge additional "marketing fees." Traffic then invoiced the company for tens of millions of dollars more in payments over the next three years that investigators say were bribes. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“the world’s most popular sport. “
A sure sign of the End Times.
This one is going to go in unexpected directions. The money that changed hands is staggering. This wasn’t your typical state assemblymen’s $6,000 kickback, we are talking suitcases with over $1.000.000 in cash in them. Some of these guys would need a hand truck to get the suitcase out of the building. Do not be surprised that ESPN and FOX get caught up in all the shenanigans.
Oh there will be many companies that will get burned.
I’ll bet that no one that did business with FIFA left with their hand cleaner than when they went in.
This could get ugly
“This could get ugly.”
The MSM is trying desperately to give this legs. Problem is no one outside of some female high school soccer players really care about this.
I think they want to put a moral equivalence on Clinton’s money laundering with FIFA’s.
New Nike slogan: “Just Do It.....and here’s the money”
“I think they want to put a moral equivalence on Clinton’s money laundering with FIFA’s.”
I hope your right, because this FIFA thing might be the crime of the century, if not the last two centuries. The money involved is in the hundreds of millions, could get over a billion before it is all over. If the MSM is going to say the Clinton’s are no different than FIFA, then they better start dusting off a cot in Lewisburg for Bill and two in Danbury for Hillary and Chelsea.
It’s been the world’s most popular sport for like 100 years. That’s a slow rolling end times.
The Nike head has been getting Democrats elected in Oregon for a while, so this doesn’t surprise me.
Thank you. Sheesh.
Was Nike on the donor list for the Clinton slush fund?
It has legs. Maybe no in America, but this is massive. 2 countries filing dozens of charges against midlevel dogs (who are expected to rat out higher level dogs) in the post profitable sports league on the planet. Not to mention all the ancillary groups this is going to bring in, including the Clinton Foundation. This thing is going to take years to unwind and the very way sports business is done is likely to change. And FIFA could actually just cease to exist.
Maybe for the U.S. But I'm guessing that the countries where soccer is really popular it is business as usual. I knew a guy in college from Honduras. When he came to the U.S. the first time (for college) he had a $20 bill in his passport as he gave it to the American guy at the airport.
The Customs guy just laughed. “You don't need to do that up here!”
My friend was amazed. He said where he was from, NOTHING got done without a bribe. Car mechanic, plumber, city paper work, etc.
HillBill will walk as they have from every other dirty deed in their lives.
Could other sports be caught up in this?
Nike abandoned the USA years ago. Screw them.
Probably not. But the fact that this is hitting sponsors is going to make everybody re-examine their relationship with their sponsors. When sponsors start saying they’d like to see certain things happen it’s a thin line between good business and full on bribery.
You are correct about this being massive. 1/3 of the BBC and Sky News broadcasts today are nothing but FIFA.
“Good Americans” don’t buy Nike
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