July 7, 2022 • 48 mins
The most powerful man in world sports. The king of international soccer. FIFA President Sepp Blatter commanded the attention of global superstars and political leaders alike during his 17-year reign. He had also survived every scandal that came his way - and there were a lot of them. He seemed to be made of teflon and then, in a blink of an eye, his luck ran out.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is today, friends. The dollar bills, hundreds of them,
gently cascaded down on the head of FIFA's disgrace, seventy
nine year old president Well the money shower, looking like
(00:24):
something out of a strip club fantasy, was an act
of public shaming. British comedian Simon Broadkin, posing as a
North Korean soccer official, made it rain just seconds after
Set Bladder, the godfather of international soccer in FIFA's long
time but in battled president, sat down to discuss his
resignation and the upcoming vote to replace him. It was
(00:47):
two thousand and fifteen, just two months before FIFA had
been rocked by the arrest of half a dozen soccer
officials at the Barlack Hotel and blindsided at the realization
that one it's loyal confidence Chuck Blazer and Josie Avila,
had provided US prosecutors with a roadmap to FIFA's criminal empire.
(01:12):
I'm Connor Powell. This is episode four, The Fall of SEC.
But it's my sec. Bladders sat there, covered in cash, confused, angry,
and looking every bit the butt of the joke. He
and FIFA had become the root of all of FIFA's problems. Instead,
Bladder's long rain has been money, and the British comedian
(01:33):
who beat security at their headquarters provided a stark visual
representation of the corruption years Have you made his point?
Broadkin was led away by security. A clearly stunned Bladder
promised to return once the mess was cleaned up. Ladies
and gentlemen, we have to clean here at first, all
(01:53):
the ways. I will not be able to speak your,
ladies and gentlemen. Then vsp about football. He says, nothing
to do with the football. I'll be back in a
few minutes, thank you. Oh and what a mess it was?
Of course, Bladder meant the one left by Broadkin's prank,
not the one left by his seventeen years as FIFA president.
(02:16):
Bladder returned later that afternoon to answer questions from reporters.
He remained defiant, contending until the very end he was
a hero, not a villain, and that FIFA was as
beautifully managed under his watchful eye as the game that
was played on the pitch. Whatever his claims, bladders days
as FIFA's ruling godfather were numbered. So how did we
(02:41):
get here? How did set Bladder the Swiss sports marketing
executive with an Elvish grin get the job in the
first place. The blue ballot box on the stage was
only slightly larger than a shoebox. It was stuffed and
overflowing with pieces of small yellow paper. A half dozen
(03:03):
or so FIFA officials, all men, of course, furiously sorted
and then counted the ballots. This was the scene at
FIFA presidential election. It looked more like something from a
high school student body contest than a multibillion dollar international
sporting organization choosing its next president. Despite its simplicity, the
(03:25):
campaign to replace FIFA's outgoing president, Jao Havalanche had been
as fevered as any political election. The horse trading had
been going on for months. Havalanch had been in control
of FIFA since nineteen seventy four, almost twenty five years.
But it was time for a new president, and the
one hundred and nine member nations that made up FIFA
would choose the Brazilian successor. The front runner to succeed
(03:49):
Havalanche European Soccer Association President Leonard Johansson of Sweden. He
had locked up most of Europe's fifty votes with a
message of reform and transparency, and you can see what
kind of people is surrounding me and supporting me and
helping me. I am very confident about tomorrow's election. The
(04:11):
imposing yet jovial Swede was the driving force behind the
Champions League UEFA's annual club football tournament. He was well
respected and seen us relatively honest rare qualities in FIFA's
governing structure, which had a reputation for dodgy business practices
during the twenty five years Havalanche was president. I think
(04:34):
there was always sort of an undercurrent of discussion of
like FIFA's kind of shady. That's journalist Grant Wall who
covered the nine election. For me, that was probably the
first time that I sort of paid attention to what
was being said about corruption in FIVA. Indeed, battling corruption,
(04:57):
even the appearance was at the heart of election. Many
soccer insiders believe the sport was in desperate need of
a new brand of leadership. Among those backing Johansson the
retired Brazilian superstar Pale, perhaps the most recognizable name in
the sport at the time. Paley also happened to be
one of Jao Havalanch's most vocal critics. Once friends, the
(05:20):
two Brazilians had a falling out and by were let's
just say, running in different crowds. Havalanche had cozied up
to dictators and South American gangsters as a way to
build FIFA's global influence, a practice that would have a
lasting impact on FIFA, but more on that later. Here's
(05:41):
Pale on why he supported Johansson though, I just to
because I like his program. I like democracy, like an
opening to discussing the problem of the spot and it's different,
the different division. Peleey feared Johanson's challenger, and he wasn't alone.
(06:05):
His has been a long career, if not always distinguished.
Set Bladder, then FIFA's General Secretary, was on the ballot.
It was widely believed he would simply be a continuation
of Havalanche and if elected that nothing would change. But
Bladder wasn't simply a clone of FIVA's long ruling monarch.
(06:25):
While Havalanche ruled FIFA with an iron fist, Bladder would
rule with the combination of an iron fist and handouts.
From the start, he saw the power of using financial
enticements to secure support, like sending payments to help national
federations boost soccer and developing nations. Bladder also promised to
(06:47):
expand the World Cup and share FIVA's growing revenues with
nations in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The Caribbean itself
has twenty five votes, Africa has more than fifty votes.
And if you increase the ability for these countries to
compete in the World Cup, to partake in the revenues
(07:08):
of FIFA, which were growing during this time frame, you
can make promises and give out money to the member
federations and you'll get their vote. To win the election,
Bladder would need a two thirds majority, or one hundred
and twenty eight votes. The Caribbean and African delegations had
seventy seven alone. Well, neither was guaranteed the vote as
(07:30):
a whole block, they often did so. Bladder's campaign promise
was essentially, here's a million for you Burkina Fosso, here's
a million for you Paraguay, and here's a million for
you Trinidad and Tobago. Do what the money as you please,
just don't forget where it came from. It's patronage politics
where if you give money to each member nation, you'll
(07:53):
get their vote and it helps also that there was
never a lot of due diligence from FIFA's side into
where that money they gave these individual federations was going.
As noble as this strategy appeared on the surface, a
promise to expand opportunities in poorer countries, grant Wall says
(08:14):
it was only a part of Bladder's campaign. There were
all sorts of allegations in the media at that point
in time that votes were being bought for that presidential election,
and talk of envelopes full of cash in Paris. Behind
the scenes, Bladder supporters, aided by Havalanche, placed envelopes stuffed
(08:36):
with fifty dollars each into the hands of voters from
African and Caribbean countries. Those helping hands are believed to
have belonged to Mohammed bin Hammam, a Guitari billionaire and
a FIEFA executive committee member. He's denied buying any votes,
but was undeniably a staunch Bladder supporter. Mohammed been ha
(08:59):
Mom name sound familiar, well, you'll remember him as the
architect of Qatar's World Cup winning bid in two thousand
and ten and the man who a year later would
challenge Bladder for FIFA's presidency and who was then accused
of giving conquer Cap president Jack Warner the money he
needed to buy off Caribbean voters in that dodgy meeting
held in Port of Spain. That meeting, you might also remember,
(09:22):
was videotaped capturing Warner doing his best impersonation of a
mafia boss nudging his foot soldiers to do what's expected
of them. You want to use it if if anybody
is who was unconscious, I wish money a ticket. But
(09:48):
back ben Ha Mom and Warner were anything but adversaries
the Bladder. They played a crucial role in distributing payments
to boost Bladders campaign. Now I have to point out
both Bladder and bin Hammam deny doing this, but the
evidence really does suggest otherwise. In return, Warner was given
(10:09):
access to thousands of World Cup tickets, which he then
resold and was able to purchase TV rights for the
two thousand and two World Cup for his home country
of Trinidad and Tobago for just one dollar. That's right,
one dollar. He went on to allegedly sell those TV
(10:30):
rights for an incredible profit. In the end, financial enticements
beat out ethics and transparency. It was a lesson set
Bladder and his acolytes would learn again and again. Thank you.
When the final votes recounted, Hanson was easily defeated. FIFA's
(10:51):
corruption machine ran rough shot over the u A for
for President Bladder. The winner promised continuity, and by continuity,
he and money in the hands of FIFA officials who
wanted it. This isn't hyperbole, it's not an exaggeration. After
Bladder was announced as the victor and Johansen conceded, it
(11:13):
was reported that several FIFA delegates stood up in the
meeting hall, raised their hands and began rubbing their fingers
together as they smiled and laughed. The message was clear,
time to pay up. Yeah, there was no embarrassment whatsoever
about any of this, stepping side of FIFA. Under a
(11:40):
light blue FIFA banner which read for the good of
the Game, FIFA presidents set Bladder in, General Secretary Michelle's
and Ruffin sat side by side waiting to answer questions
from journalists. As flashbulbs flashed and cameras clicked. The two
men stared in opposite directions, each pretending the other wasn't there.
(12:04):
Their faces couldn't hide the seething resentment each man had
for the other. It was two thousand and two, four
years earlier, Bladder had assumed FIFA's top spot in a
contentious and dodgy election. Now four years later, Bladder was
up for re election. As Bladder campaigned to retain his seat,
(12:24):
claims of corruption and mismanagement were swirling. The allegations were
coming from inside the FIFA family, including from Zen Rufenen,
who was Bladder as fellow countrymen and one time protege.
He was a lawyer, a former FIFA referee and had
risen to the organization's number two spot. Here's Zen ruffin
(12:46):
In calling out his boss at this time for FIFA
to clean its house. Just days before Bladder was the
stand for re election, zen ruffin In accused him of
running FIFA like a dictator and circulated a link feed
dossier that detailed explosive allegations of corruption, mismanagement, fishy accounting practices,
(13:07):
and unethical conflicts of interests by Bladder and other FIFA officials.
FIFA's financial house had been disarrayed for months after its
long time marketing partner International Sports and Leisure or i
s L, went bankrupt, leaving debts of at least one
hundred million dollars, with some estimates going as high as
three hundred million. I s L was created by former
(13:30):
adida's chairman Horse Dassler and handled all FIFA's TV negotiations. Basically,
I s L bought marketing rights for the World Cup
broadcast from FIFA on the cheap and then sold them
at a huge markups. For most of the I s
L was so profitable it was like they were printing money.
(13:50):
It also served as a slush fund for FIFA, which
you'll hear more about in the next episode. I L
went bankrupt in two thousand and one. Court documents showed
it paid millions in bribes to soccer officials, including former
FIFA president Jaohavelange Bladder's mentor. I s l s collapse
blew a massive hole in FIFA's coffers, which were normally overflowing.
(14:15):
According to zen Rufinn, FIFA was running a budget deficit
of more than one hundred million dollars. Any blame Bladder
for the financial mess. I clearly ask now the president
to provide the respective answers to me so that we
can enter the new area of FIFA with a clean record,
(14:35):
which from the moment and in my opinion, is definitely
not the case. The knives were out. In a preview
of the two thousand and fifteen FBI case, zen Ruffinan
accused Bladder of authorizing TV deals for less than commercial value,
making illegal payments to soccer officials, and providing loans that
(14:56):
he knew would never be paid back. That la as
to accusation, you'll want to file that away in your
memory banks. At the same time, eleven FIFA Executive Committee
members filed a criminal complaint against Bladder, accusing him of corruption.
However mild manner Bladder may have looked and sounded, he
(15:16):
was a savvy and ruthless administrator. He showered supporters like
Chuck Blazer, Jack Warner, Nicholas Leos and Ricardo to share
with money, and they weren't about to abandon him as
he stood for re election. So despite the allegations and
the internal revolt, FIFA's ruling monarch never came close to
losing power. Bladder one a second term. He got more
(15:40):
than two thirds of the vote, and who had to
announce his reelection Zen ruffin In himself just hours after
trashing bladder In front of hundreds of FIFA officials, number
of votes for Mr Joseph as blatta what I meanum
toty nine, and then Bladder spoke, You're deep, trust You're
(16:10):
deep trusting fifand a contrasting chorus of cheers and booze
filled the conference room. The mild mannered Swiss boss, looking
as refined and sophisticated as any international businessman, glared over
at zen Ruffenen and gestured menacingly at his former protege.
(16:33):
The once loyal zen Rufenen had come with the king
and he missed. Within days, San Ruffenen was gone from FIFA, booted,
and the criminal complaint filowed by the eleven FIFA members
was withdrawn. Bladder, sometimes mockingly called Don Bladderone by critics
(16:54):
and a nod to the mafia Don and the Godfather Movies,
was now firmly in control of world soccer. His opponents
were given the option of getting in line or getting out.
In Bladder's house, loyalty would be rewarded, betrayal punished. Thank
(17:24):
you for this very special reception. For nearly two hundred years,
the red walled in darkwood panel Debate Chamber of the
Oxford Union has hosted a who's who of world leaders
and celebrities, from Malcolm X to Ronald Reagan, from Yasser
Arafat to David Chappelle. On a cool English night in
(17:45):
October of two thousand and thirteen, FIFA's president sept Bladder
joined that list. You may seeing you know who I am,
what I stand for, what I'm like. As a man
of utmost self importance who felt almost divine right to
rule FIFA, the opportunity to address the students of Oxford
University was yet another confirmation of his global importance. They
(18:09):
would have you believe that I sit in my office
with a sinister grin gently stroking the gene of an
expensive white person cat. It was also an opportunity to
challenge the now decades long narrative of FIFA's culture of
corruption and it's mafia like. I don't know any other
better words for code of conduct. You mis saying. You
(18:31):
know what FIFA is, what it does, What it aspired
to be, a faceless machine printing money at the expense
of the beautiful game, with me pulling the strings and
laughing all the way to the bunk. It's not exactly that,
but bladders and passion speech at Oxford, where he compared
(18:54):
himself to Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw taking from the
rich and giving to the poor. Did little to challenge
the narrative of impropriety or calm the storm of allegations
that continued to build in the wake of FIFA's decision
to give the World Cup to Russia in Qatar. The
(19:15):
Oxford address came only three years after that announcement and
just two years before the raid on the bar Lack
Hotel that would lead to more than a dozen arrests.
Despite Bladder's best attempts to clean up FIFA's image, anyone
paying close attention believe FIFA was utterly corrupt. There's been
so many corruption scandals that FAIVA had to deal with.
(19:36):
FIFA have become a punchline. Bribery and FIFA go together
like peanut butter and jelly. Nothing Bladder or FIFA had
done since the Russia and Qatar announcements in two thousand
and ten had managed to quell or contain the crisis,
and the prosecutors they were closing in we were promised cooperation.
(19:58):
Michael Hershman is a co founder of Transparency International and
had served on the U S. Senate Watergate Committee. After
the Russia and Qatar announcements, he was asked to join
an independent governance committee to look into allegations of wrongdoing
within FIFA. That was a real eye opener for me
into the world of sports and business, and unfortunately and
(20:20):
I opened into the underbelly of the sports world. The
pressure appeared to be having some effect. Today set Bladder
finally unveiled his plans to reform the organization, promising to
restore its tarnished image, unlike FIFA's normally highly produced and
choreographed events where no amount of money was ever spared.
(20:43):
When set Bladder announced an overhaul of FIFA's ethics bodies
in October of two thousand and eleven, he was flanked
by a lone soccer ball and what appeared to me
as a half hearted attempt to remind the world FIFA
was a soccer organization, not some tone deaf criminal gang.
Like so many were saying, we should have this zero
(21:03):
tolerance inside the FIFA, inside the football pitch, but outside
the FIFA and outside the football pitch. Bladder didn't welcome
the oversight or the reforms. FIFA's longtime corporate sponsors. Companies
like Visa, Coca Cola, and McDonald's forced his hand. They've
(21:25):
begun to get a touch nervous with all that negative
media coverage, and pressured Bladder to institute reforms. Hershman's committee
was independent in name only. It really had no power.
FIFA could take the recommendations and do nothing, or blocked
them from looking into things they didn't want looked at.
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The corruption was too entrenched and touched virtually every member
of FIFA senior ranks, and it didn't take long before
Hirshman realized FIFA and specifically Bladder, weren't serious about reform
him at all. The internal politics really kind of circled
the wagon so that no outside it could look in
(22:08):
and see what was going on. Hirshman did try to
work around this by reaching out to an unlikely friend,
Chuck Blazer. When I was appointed to the Independent Governance Committee,
I decided I was going to see Chuck Blazer and
see if I could get him to cooperate with us. Hershman,
(22:30):
also a native New Yorker, had known Blazer for years,
consider the outgoing soccer official a friend. He was a
very jolly guy, a very smart guy, very friendly guy,
very jolly guy. It was hard not to like him.
I mean, everyone who's ever met him liked him. Hershman
hoped his jolly friend might be an ally in cleaning
(22:52):
up soccer. Blazer rebuffed Hershman. I met with him in
London and he didn't cooperate with me, and now I
know why. At that time he was under orders he
was cooperating with the FBI, and he was under orders
not to talk about anything that he was doing with
(23:12):
anyone outside of the FBI. Hershman and the committee were stuck.
Just months after being created by Bladder, the quote Independent
Governance Committee was being blocked by the Executive Committee and
who controlled the Executive Committee, Ladder. Of course, among the
many reforms the Independent Committee had recommended were term limits
(23:34):
for the members of the Executive Council, including FIFA's President,
and transparency for all salaries and payments made to Executive
Committee members. Most of these reforms were ignored. Bladder would
say to us, I can't get this through the Executive Committee.
Now we knew that was a lie, because we knew
that he had complete control of the Executive Committee as president.
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Bladder could have assigned allies to anyone FIFA's sprawling and
well paid internal governance committees to get their reforms through.
If Bladder want to change, all he had to do
was say so. He set the tone in the culture
in the organization. I believe that he was very instrumental. Really,
what they didn't want is they didn't want outside oversight.
(24:19):
They wanted to remain a closed facilitate and so we
had limited success, and after two years we resigned because
we knew that we likely couldn't go any farther. Bladder
was in his fourth term and I in a fifth.
He set the tone and it was his quest for
(24:41):
complete control and complete power that, in part, in my judgment,
led to the corruption scandal. The blade and undermining of
the Governance Committee was just a small part of Bladder
and FIVA's attempt at covering up past wrongdoings. FIFA also
launched and official in tonal investigation into the Russia and
(25:01):
Gutar bids. The official investigation proved to be an even
bigger farce. The actual report wasn't initially made public. Instead,
FIFA released the summary, and FIFA's own investigator would say
that summary was a lie. For well over seven hundred years,
(25:27):
the historic Fishmongers Hall, on the banks of the River
Tim's had been home to London seafood merchants, having received
its royal charter in twelve seventy two from the English
King Edward Longshanks. Maybe more familiar to you is the
evil monarch from Mel Gibson's film Braveheart. However, historically important
the Fishmongers Hall maybe to me the name of Oakes,
(25:50):
the stomach churning smell of slimy, slippery fish. So when
FIFA's internal ethics investigator chose the Fishmongers Hall in October
of two thousand and fourteen as the location to launch
a broadside attack on the soccer organization and the leadership
of step Bladder, the symbolism, at least for me, it
was hard to ignore what is required as leadership. Leadership
(26:14):
that sends a message that the rules apply to everyone.
Leadership that wants to understand and learn from any mistakes
or missteps. The ethics committee may identify. That's Michael Garcia,
a former federal prosecutor who made his name investigating politicians
and financial firms. Just days before, he had delivered a
much anticipated four hundred and thirty page report into the
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two thousand and eighteen and two thousand twenty two World
Cup bidding process. Garcia had been hired by FIFA as
part of bladders reform agenda, but after an eighteen month
investigation and more than seventy five interviews, Bladder was blocking
the report's release. Officially, Bladder said he couldn't release it
because FIFA had to respect the personal privious he writes
(27:00):
of people mentioned in the report. As excuses go, this
was a pretty flimsy one. When Garcia stepped up to
speak at the Fishmonger's Hall, it was clear he was
tired of Bladder's tactics and the stench of FIFA's corruption.
True reform doesn't come from adding rules or creating new
committee structures. It comes from changing the culture of the organization.
(27:24):
Garcia called on his FIFA bosses to release the full report.
Bladder refused. The next FIFA presidential election was coming up
in the spring, and accountability really wasn't part of his
election agenda. It is a face even by FIFA's standards. Instead,
the Lords of World Soccer chose to release a shorter,
(27:45):
less intrusive summary of Garcia's significantly more in depth findings.
Garcia's four hundred and thirty page reports was whittled down
to a forty two page summary by FIFA's ethics Judge
Hans Joachim echoed, but a summary report cleared Russia and
Qatar of any wrongdoings, and while Judge Eckart concluded that
(28:07):
the behavior of some members of Qatar's bid team was improper,
he said it didn't compromise the process. In effect, the
judge's summary said the millions of dollars allegedly handed out
by Mohammed bin Hamm had no effect on the final vote.
But think about that for a second. Isn't the goal
of giving cash payments to decision makers right before they
(28:31):
vote a way to buy their vote? I think so,
and maybe that's what Garcia concluded too, But frustratingly we
don't know, because Garcia has refused to talk about it,
except to call the summary from Eckart a whitewash. So,
with a symbolic shrug of his shoulders, Judge Jackhart concluded,
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conveniently for FIFA, there was no need to hold a
revote for either World Cup. The investigation was over a point.
FIFA's chief spokesman Walter da Gregorio was quick to make
the bidding process as a whole is not put in
question and thus stuff for us. The main finding means
(29:12):
of Russian cuta U. They won uh the the they
were awarded the because they were the best. The only
real ethics violation Judge Eckhart's summary did highlight was won
by England, which lost the two thousand and eighteen World
Cup bid to Russia. FIFA claimed that Ellen acted improperly
(29:35):
when it promised a job to a friend, a FIFA
executive and contract president Jack Warner, Well, no doubt improper.
It's hardly the scale of wrongdoing that FIFA had been
accused of by media watchdogs and even some of its
reform minded members. Gussie's damning analysis of FIFA's forty two
page report added that it contains numerous materially incomplete and
(29:57):
erroneous representations of the facts and conclusion. Michael Garcia quit
in December of two thousand and fourteen. He said he'd
lost faith in FIFA's leadership. In his resignation letter, the
Americans said Judge Eckart had misrepresented his work and that
step Ladder initiated disciplinary proceedings against him for his criticism
(30:19):
of FIFA. In the three years after Sep Ladder had
launched this much celebrated reform agenda, most of the Independent
Governance Committee had left in frustration, and now FIFA's handpicked
ethics investigator, Michael Garcia, had resigned in protest. FIFA may
have closed its own investigation into World Cup vote ringing,
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but that didn't mean Chuck Blazer's little key chain recorder
had stopped recording, or that the U. S Department of
Justice had taken its eye off the ball. An unbattled
leader who faces his toughest test, FIFA president Set Bladder
under pressure as this congress gets underway. Set Bladder was
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surrounded by security guards when he stepped out of his
luxury sedan on two thousand fifteen. He had arrived at
FIFA's World Congress, greeted by angry protesters hurling insults. It
was the first anyone had seen him since the raid
on the bar Alack Hotel the day before, and since
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Bladder had learned some of FIFA's own members had snitched
about the secret of organizations illicit activities in Switzerland. Seven
of the sports top international officials were arrested In a
pre dawned raid in Miami, the FBI searched the headquarters
of FIFA's US affiliates. Fourteen defendants, including sports marketing executives,
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faced corruption charges involving more than one hundred fifty million
dollars in bribes and kickbacks. By any standard, the events
of the previous twenty four hours had been unprecedented, not
only for FIFA but for the world of sports. Plotter's
oversized protection detail made the five ft seven Swiss man
look even smaller, almost vulnerable. Despite the pressure of the
(32:10):
US investigation, Bladder managed to display I can only be
described as a politician in crisis. Smile, you know that
grin from ear to ear. That's just a little two
upbeat for the occasion. After putting on the jacket of
his finally cut suit, Bladder walked inside to attend the
first day of the two thousand and fifteen FIFA World Congress. President,
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how are you surely after all these allegations, it's time
for you to resign. Calls for bladders resignation were growing
louder as European and American soccer officials ganged up against them.
It's time for change. It's not a condition. If he
is in in in in in some cases, if he's
get it, you're not get involved on not involved. It's
(32:57):
time for change. After all this what in the last
ten twenty years and now what we hear again. You
cannot just say yeah, but I'm clean, I have nothing
nothing to do with it. At disaster like this we've
never had in life before, and we need to change.
But the calls for his resignation weren't new Bladder and
(33:18):
whether it's scandal after scandal after scandal, and Bladder wasn't
treating this one any differently. He may have looked vulnerable,
but Don Bladder Owne was set to win his fifth
term as FIFA's president the following day. His entourage says
he's a confident, calm Serreen. Bladder supporters had already been
(33:40):
spinning the story that FIFA was an aggrieved the victim
of over zealous US investigators. FIFA's chief spokesman and Bladder loyalist,
Walter D. Gregorio, had said that Bladder was innocent of
any wrongdoing. The president isn't involved. Of course, he is
the head of FIFA, but he's not involved in any
(34:00):
How can you can you can you say, okay, he
has to whatsoever step down. No matter how bad the
crisis looked. Step Ladder wasn't about to release his grip
on power. He believed he was FIFA as much as
FIFA was him. I know many people hold me ultimately
(34:21):
responsible for the actions and reputation of the global football community,
whether it's a decision for the hosting of a World
Cup or corruptions condown we or I cannot monitor everyone
(34:44):
all of the time. Speaking to FIFA's two nine voting delegations,
Bladder sounded almost convincing that the next four years would
be different. We will corporate if all authorities to make
sure anyone involved in wrongdoing from top to botton is
(35:07):
discovered and punished. There can be no place for corruption
of any kind. The next few months will not be
easy for FIFA. I'm sure more bad news may follow,
but it is necessary to begin to restore trust in
(35:33):
our organization. Let this be the turning point. The two
and fifteen FIFA election would not be a turning point
ignoring a major bribery and corruption scandal. FIFA soccer's world
governing body has re elected its president, set Bladder. The
election showed just how tightly Bladder held the reigns of
(35:54):
world soccer, and just how much fear there was of
his tight grip. There are fears that Bladder will treat
the threat to his leadership as a mutiny. His rival,
Durdennian Prince Ali bin l Hussain, said he conceded out
of concern for his backers. Bladder said he was the
victim of hatred and added, I forgive everyone, but I
(36:15):
don't forget. The two thousand and fifteen FIFA election was
never about reform or concern about the u S investigation,
or hope or change. No, when step Ladder was re elected,
it came down to the one thing. It always came
down to money. The secret to sap bladders sticking it
out for so long was his global vision. His investment
(36:36):
in African and Asian football in particular, he won many
friends there and in FIFA's one country, one vote system,
friends translated into ballots. Bladder had a proven track record
of keeping the money flowing to FIFA's coffers and then
out to FIFA's voters in their national federations. Few outside
(36:57):
of Europe and North America we're gonna walk away from that.
In fact, Most of FIFA's delegations cheered and celebrated Bladder's
reelection when he took the stage to thank them. I
like you, I like my job, and that like to
be the few. I'm not perfect, nobody is perfect, but
(37:17):
we will do a good job together. I'm sure so.
I thank you so much. I thank you for the
trust and confidence. Dejected and resigned, Bladder's opponents figured if
the arrest of fourteen soccer officials couldn't force him out,
then nothing could. Then something strange happened, set Bladders passed,
(37:41):
finally caught up with him. Well, it's the first day
of the rest of FIFA's life, and the shoes or
the soccer cleats is still dropping. What a difference a
weekend makes. One minute, Bladder, in a mix of enthusiasm
(38:02):
and defiance, is waving his arms and pumping his fists
in victory. You get the vigo. Let's go FIFA, let's
go PIPA thank you. He's promising the pilot FIFA's battered
ship to shore and aggressively dismissing talk of being arrested
by US authorities. Next squish, then the next minute, like
(38:24):
someone flicked the light switch, soccer's raining monarch, Zep Bladder,
is resigning. He's steadfastly clung on, resisting calls to stand down,
But today set Bladder, the embattled FIFA president, finally through
in the towel, Speaking in French in front of journalists
(38:45):
at a hastily organized press conference, a far less confident
almost sang wine step. Bladder announced his resignation on June second,
two thousand fifteen. So what you asked changed between Friday's
election celebration and Monday's resignation. Today he came fresh embarrassing
(39:07):
revelations that brought to the accusations of bribery and corruption
closer to the FIFA president's door. Quoting unnamed U S authorities,
The New York Times reported Bladder's right hand man, FIFA
General Secretary Jerome Valc, had approved the transfer of ten
million dollars to the disgraced former Conky Calf president Jack
(39:28):
Warner back in two thousand and eight. This is the
payment to Warner I told you about in the previous
episode he's alleged to have taken as a bride for
having helped South Africa secure the World Cup. The payment
to Warner was transferred using FIFA's own banking system. FIFA
and South Africa insisted the money wasn't a bribe. Rather,
(39:52):
they said it was an approved payment to a World
Cup legacy fund for Africans in the Caribbean. At first,
FIFA try to deny that Jerome Valc had any knowledge
of the payment. But when in March two thousand and
eight letter addressed to the General Secretary from South Africa
detailing the payment emerged, FIFA's lies and criminal activities were
(40:15):
laid bare for the world to see. The letter and
the bribe it described where the last straw for set Bladder.
Furious sponsors were demanding reform. FIFA's lawyers and more importantly
sponsors like Budweiser, Coca Cola and Visa toll bladder it
was time to go. There was a lot of pressure
(40:35):
from corporate partners, big international global partners saying like, hey,
this doesn't look right, and we're not sure that we
want to have our brand attached to this organization that
very clearly has some significant problems in terms of ethics
and transparency. That's former New York Times reporters Sam Borden.
You know, money talks, and so the real pressure came
(40:57):
when these global brands said, hey, we're not sure we're
on board with continuing with FIFA if this is the
way that things are going to go. Bladder hoped his
announcement that he would step down as FIFA's president would
reduce the heat coming from investigators, but the King of
Soccer's troubles were only mounting. In October of two thousand
(41:18):
and fifteen, a few months after announcing his resignation, Swiss
investigators sees boxes of documents from Bladder's FIFA office, including
records detailing a two million dollar payment to UEFA president
Michelle Platini. The payment from FIFA to Platini was made
right as Bladder was facing that challenge for the FIFA
(41:40):
presidency from the Qatari billionaire Mohammed bin ha Mom in
two thousand and eleven. Bladder and Platini insisted for years
the payment was done for consulting work. Yeah, consulting work
that was done nine years earlier, But neither Bladder nor
Platini could explain what the two million dollars worth of
consulting work actually was. Swiss prosecutors in two thousand and
(42:05):
fifteen seemed to think it was more likely a bribe
to shore Platini's support for Bladder in the two thousand
and eleven election, Bladder would stick around for a few
more months a nominal figurehead president and name only, and
that brings us back to the beginning of this episode.
It was during this time that Bladder, stripped of power,
(42:29):
was showered in cash by the British comedian Simon Broadkin
in December. FIFA would ultimately banned Bladder, General secretary Joam
Valk and UEFA President Michelle Platini from World Soccer all
for violating ethics rules. In his final public appearance as
(42:52):
FIFA president in December of two thousand and fifteen, and
on shaven and disheveled, Bladder lashed out at the world
like to the throne monarchy was but I'll fight, fight
for me and fight for FIFA suspended eight years for
what In the irony of ironies. His appearance came just
(43:15):
days after yet another pre don raid by US and
Swiss authorities that led to an additional sixteen arrests of
current and former soccer officials on the charges of racketeering,
money laundering, and fraud. Some of them were taken into
custody at the very same Barlock Hotel authorities had rated
(43:36):
that spring. Just a side note, FIFA has since broken
its ties with the Barlack Hotel and moved its business
to the Zurich Hyatt. Bladder meanwhile remained defiant. I'm really sorry.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I am still somewhere a
(44:02):
punching bowl, but I'm sorry that I am as president
of FIFA this punching bowl, and I'm sorry for for football.
Seventy nine year old would spend the next few months
appealing his suspension and fighting to hold onto power, but
the jig was up. The money making machine that is
(44:22):
FIFA had left Bladder behind. For years, it looked like
step Ladder would escape prosecution. I mean, year after year
after year, just ticked by and don bladderone just seemed
to escape by. And then yes, some news just into
(44:43):
us that former FIFA presidents Ladder and also Michel Platini
have been charged with fraud and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors.
After a six in November of two thousand and twenty one,
six years after the original raid on the bar Lack Hotel,
step Ladder and Shell Platini were charged with fraud for
that secret two million dollar consulting payment. Bladder and Platini
(45:07):
continued to insist on their innocence. Bladder, now in poor health,
could face five years in prison if convicted. Hey, breaking
news here. A day after this episode originally came out.
Set Ladder and Michelle Platini were a quitted of corruption
by a Swiss court on July eight. It's shocking news
(45:31):
and honestly I'm a bit surprised by it. We'll update
you in the coming days as we learn more. But
now back to the rest of this episode. In the
seven years since the first raid on the Borerlock Hotel,
US authorities have continued rounding up soccer officials, arresting dozens
(45:53):
of FIFA executives and their partners in the sports marketing world.
To date, US prosecutors have charged more than fifty people
connected to FIFA, with prosecutors announcing further mass indictments in
December of two thousand and fifteen and again in April.
Prosecutors have also clawed back more than two hundred million
(46:14):
dollars that was siphoned from the sport over the decades
to pay for bribes and kickback schemes. Most of that
money will go back into FIFA's coffers, since under the
law of the soccer organization is listed as the victim,
even though it was plundered by its own members. And
if you think it's all over now, the U. S
(46:35):
Department of Justice has signaled more charges could be on
the way set bladder and the larger cast of criminals
from the two thousand and fifteen US investigation embody all
that is wrong with modern day FIFA, the money laundering,
the bribery, the vote rigging, the general disregard for basic
(46:55):
transparency and ethics. But long before it's sorted activity, he
is became the stuff of criminal lore. FIFA was known
simply as a racist and morally corrupt organization, which in
many ways is even worse, and I would argue absolutely
explains how FIFA became a den of bribery and corruption,
(47:16):
from supporting South Africa's racist apartheid regime to propping up
Argentine dictators, to turning a blind eye to the brutal
torture prisoners in Chile's National soccer Stadium. FIFA's so called
golden years are more blood red than golden. So let's
go back to when FIFA started. That's coming up on
(47:38):
the next episode of the Lords of Soccer. The Lords
of Soccer, How FIFA Stole the Beautiful Game is an
Inside Voices Media production in conjunction with I Heart Radio.
The series was written and executive produced by Gary Scott
and me Connor Powell, Logan he Tell, and Katie mcmurran
(48:01):
provided the sound design, with assistance from j. C. Swaddick
and Jake Blue Note. Alec Cowen is our associate producer
and Jeffrey Katz was our story editor. Our fact checker
is Alexa O'Brien and thanks to Miles Gray, who produced
the series for I Heart Radio. If you have any
comments or questions, please reach out. You can find us
(48:22):
on Twitter. I'm at Connor m Powell and Gary is
at Gary Robert Scott, and if you have any stories
about FIFA, let us know. If you like what you hear,
please give us a shout out at the hashtag Lords
of Soccer
This is today, friends. The dollar bills, hundreds of them,
gently cascaded down on the head of FIFA's disgrace, seventy
nine year old president Well the money shower, looking like
(00:24):
something out of a strip club fantasy, was an act
of public shaming. British comedian Simon Broadkin, posing as a
North Korean soccer official, made it rain just seconds after
Set Bladder, the godfather of international soccer in FIFA's long
time but in battled president, sat down to discuss his
resignation and the upcoming vote to replace him. It was
(00:47):
two thousand and fifteen, just two months before FIFA had
been rocked by the arrest of half a dozen soccer
officials at the Barlack Hotel and blindsided at the realization
that one it's loyal confidence Chuck Blazer and Josie Avila,
had provided US prosecutors with a roadmap to FIFA's criminal empire.
(01:12):
I'm Connor Powell. This is episode four, The Fall of SEC.
But it's my sec. Bladders sat there, covered in cash, confused, angry,
and looking every bit the butt of the joke. He
and FIFA had become the root of all of FIFA's problems. Instead,
Bladder's long rain has been money, and the British comedian
(01:33):
who beat security at their headquarters provided a stark visual
representation of the corruption years Have you made his point?
Broadkin was led away by security. A clearly stunned Bladder
promised to return once the mess was cleaned up. Ladies
and gentlemen, we have to clean here at first, all
(01:53):
the ways. I will not be able to speak your,
ladies and gentlemen. Then vsp about football. He says, nothing
to do with the football. I'll be back in a
few minutes, thank you. Oh and what a mess it was?
Of course, Bladder meant the one left by Broadkin's prank,
not the one left by his seventeen years as FIFA president.
(02:16):
Bladder returned later that afternoon to answer questions from reporters.
He remained defiant, contending until the very end he was
a hero, not a villain, and that FIFA was as
beautifully managed under his watchful eye as the game that
was played on the pitch. Whatever his claims, bladders days
as FIFA's ruling godfather were numbered. So how did we
(02:41):
get here? How did set Bladder the Swiss sports marketing
executive with an Elvish grin get the job in the
first place. The blue ballot box on the stage was
only slightly larger than a shoebox. It was stuffed and
overflowing with pieces of small yellow paper. A half dozen
(03:03):
or so FIFA officials, all men, of course, furiously sorted
and then counted the ballots. This was the scene at
FIFA presidential election. It looked more like something from a
high school student body contest than a multibillion dollar international
sporting organization choosing its next president. Despite its simplicity, the
(03:25):
campaign to replace FIFA's outgoing president, Jao Havalanche had been
as fevered as any political election. The horse trading had
been going on for months. Havalanch had been in control
of FIFA since nineteen seventy four, almost twenty five years.
But it was time for a new president, and the
one hundred and nine member nations that made up FIFA
would choose the Brazilian successor. The front runner to succeed
(03:49):
Havalanche European Soccer Association President Leonard Johansson of Sweden. He
had locked up most of Europe's fifty votes with a
message of reform and transparency, and you can see what
kind of people is surrounding me and supporting me and
helping me. I am very confident about tomorrow's election. The
(04:11):
imposing yet jovial Swede was the driving force behind the
Champions League UEFA's annual club football tournament. He was well
respected and seen us relatively honest rare qualities in FIFA's
governing structure, which had a reputation for dodgy business practices
during the twenty five years Havalanche was president. I think
(04:34):
there was always sort of an undercurrent of discussion of
like FIFA's kind of shady. That's journalist Grant Wall who
covered the nine election. For me, that was probably the
first time that I sort of paid attention to what
was being said about corruption in FIVA. Indeed, battling corruption,
(04:57):
even the appearance was at the heart of election. Many
soccer insiders believe the sport was in desperate need of
a new brand of leadership. Among those backing Johansson the
retired Brazilian superstar Pale, perhaps the most recognizable name in
the sport at the time. Paley also happened to be
one of Jao Havalanch's most vocal critics. Once friends, the
(05:20):
two Brazilians had a falling out and by were let's
just say, running in different crowds. Havalanche had cozied up
to dictators and South American gangsters as a way to
build FIFA's global influence, a practice that would have a
lasting impact on FIFA, but more on that later. Here's
(05:41):
Pale on why he supported Johansson though, I just to
because I like his program. I like democracy, like an
opening to discussing the problem of the spot and it's different,
the different division. Peleey feared Johanson's challenger, and he wasn't alone.
(06:05):
His has been a long career, if not always distinguished.
Set Bladder, then FIFA's General Secretary, was on the ballot.
It was widely believed he would simply be a continuation
of Havalanche and if elected that nothing would change. But
Bladder wasn't simply a clone of FIVA's long ruling monarch.
(06:25):
While Havalanche ruled FIFA with an iron fist, Bladder would
rule with the combination of an iron fist and handouts.
From the start, he saw the power of using financial
enticements to secure support, like sending payments to help national
federations boost soccer and developing nations. Bladder also promised to
(06:47):
expand the World Cup and share FIVA's growing revenues with
nations in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The Caribbean itself
has twenty five votes, Africa has more than fifty votes.
And if you increase the ability for these countries to
compete in the World Cup, to partake in the revenues
(07:08):
of FIFA, which were growing during this time frame, you
can make promises and give out money to the member
federations and you'll get their vote. To win the election,
Bladder would need a two thirds majority, or one hundred
and twenty eight votes. The Caribbean and African delegations had
seventy seven alone. Well, neither was guaranteed the vote as
(07:30):
a whole block, they often did so. Bladder's campaign promise
was essentially, here's a million for you Burkina Fosso, here's
a million for you Paraguay, and here's a million for
you Trinidad and Tobago. Do what the money as you please,
just don't forget where it came from. It's patronage politics
where if you give money to each member nation, you'll
(07:53):
get their vote and it helps also that there was
never a lot of due diligence from FIFA's side into
where that money they gave these individual federations was going.
As noble as this strategy appeared on the surface, a
promise to expand opportunities in poorer countries, grant Wall says
(08:14):
it was only a part of Bladder's campaign. There were
all sorts of allegations in the media at that point
in time that votes were being bought for that presidential election,
and talk of envelopes full of cash in Paris. Behind
the scenes, Bladder supporters, aided by Havalanche, placed envelopes stuffed
(08:36):
with fifty dollars each into the hands of voters from
African and Caribbean countries. Those helping hands are believed to
have belonged to Mohammed bin Hammam, a Guitari billionaire and
a FIEFA executive committee member. He's denied buying any votes,
but was undeniably a staunch Bladder supporter. Mohammed been ha
(08:59):
Mom name sound familiar, well, you'll remember him as the
architect of Qatar's World Cup winning bid in two thousand
and ten and the man who a year later would
challenge Bladder for FIFA's presidency and who was then accused
of giving conquer Cap president Jack Warner the money he
needed to buy off Caribbean voters in that dodgy meeting
held in Port of Spain. That meeting, you might also remember,
(09:22):
was videotaped capturing Warner doing his best impersonation of a
mafia boss nudging his foot soldiers to do what's expected
of them. You want to use it if if anybody
is who was unconscious, I wish money a ticket. But
(09:48):
back ben Ha Mom and Warner were anything but adversaries
the Bladder. They played a crucial role in distributing payments
to boost Bladders campaign. Now I have to point out
both Bladder and bin Hammam deny doing this, but the
evidence really does suggest otherwise. In return, Warner was given
(10:09):
access to thousands of World Cup tickets, which he then
resold and was able to purchase TV rights for the
two thousand and two World Cup for his home country
of Trinidad and Tobago for just one dollar. That's right,
one dollar. He went on to allegedly sell those TV
(10:30):
rights for an incredible profit. In the end, financial enticements
beat out ethics and transparency. It was a lesson set
Bladder and his acolytes would learn again and again. Thank you.
When the final votes recounted, Hanson was easily defeated. FIFA's
(10:51):
corruption machine ran rough shot over the u A for
for President Bladder. The winner promised continuity, and by continuity,
he and money in the hands of FIFA officials who
wanted it. This isn't hyperbole, it's not an exaggeration. After
Bladder was announced as the victor and Johansen conceded, it
(11:13):
was reported that several FIFA delegates stood up in the
meeting hall, raised their hands and began rubbing their fingers
together as they smiled and laughed. The message was clear,
time to pay up. Yeah, there was no embarrassment whatsoever
about any of this, stepping side of FIFA. Under a
(11:40):
light blue FIFA banner which read for the good of
the Game, FIFA presidents set Bladder in, General Secretary Michelle's
and Ruffin sat side by side waiting to answer questions
from journalists. As flashbulbs flashed and cameras clicked. The two
men stared in opposite directions, each pretending the other wasn't there.
(12:04):
Their faces couldn't hide the seething resentment each man had
for the other. It was two thousand and two, four
years earlier, Bladder had assumed FIFA's top spot in a
contentious and dodgy election. Now four years later, Bladder was
up for re election. As Bladder campaigned to retain his seat,
(12:24):
claims of corruption and mismanagement were swirling. The allegations were
coming from inside the FIFA family, including from Zen Rufenen,
who was Bladder as fellow countrymen and one time protege.
He was a lawyer, a former FIFA referee and had
risen to the organization's number two spot. Here's Zen ruffin
(12:46):
In calling out his boss at this time for FIFA
to clean its house. Just days before Bladder was the
stand for re election, zen ruffin In accused him of
running FIFA like a dictator and circulated a link feed
dossier that detailed explosive allegations of corruption, mismanagement, fishy accounting practices,
(13:07):
and unethical conflicts of interests by Bladder and other FIFA officials.
FIFA's financial house had been disarrayed for months after its
long time marketing partner International Sports and Leisure or i
s L, went bankrupt, leaving debts of at least one
hundred million dollars, with some estimates going as high as
three hundred million. I s L was created by former
(13:30):
adida's chairman Horse Dassler and handled all FIFA's TV negotiations. Basically,
I s L bought marketing rights for the World Cup
broadcast from FIFA on the cheap and then sold them
at a huge markups. For most of the I s
L was so profitable it was like they were printing money.
(13:50):
It also served as a slush fund for FIFA, which
you'll hear more about in the next episode. I L
went bankrupt in two thousand and one. Court documents showed
it paid millions in bribes to soccer officials, including former
FIFA president Jaohavelange Bladder's mentor. I s l s collapse
blew a massive hole in FIFA's coffers, which were normally overflowing.
(14:15):
According to zen Rufinn, FIFA was running a budget deficit
of more than one hundred million dollars. Any blame Bladder
for the financial mess. I clearly ask now the president
to provide the respective answers to me so that we
can enter the new area of FIFA with a clean record,
(14:35):
which from the moment and in my opinion, is definitely
not the case. The knives were out. In a preview
of the two thousand and fifteen FBI case, zen Ruffinan
accused Bladder of authorizing TV deals for less than commercial value,
making illegal payments to soccer officials, and providing loans that
(14:56):
he knew would never be paid back. That la as
to accusation, you'll want to file that away in your
memory banks. At the same time, eleven FIFA Executive Committee
members filed a criminal complaint against Bladder, accusing him of corruption.
However mild manner Bladder may have looked and sounded, he
(15:16):
was a savvy and ruthless administrator. He showered supporters like
Chuck Blazer, Jack Warner, Nicholas Leos and Ricardo to share
with money, and they weren't about to abandon him as
he stood for re election. So despite the allegations and
the internal revolt, FIFA's ruling monarch never came close to
losing power. Bladder one a second term. He got more
(15:40):
than two thirds of the vote, and who had to
announce his reelection Zen ruffin In himself just hours after
trashing bladder In front of hundreds of FIFA officials, number
of votes for Mr Joseph as blatta what I meanum
toty nine, and then Bladder spoke, You're deep, trust You're
(16:10):
deep trusting fifand a contrasting chorus of cheers and booze
filled the conference room. The mild mannered Swiss boss, looking
as refined and sophisticated as any international businessman, glared over
at zen Ruffenen and gestured menacingly at his former protege.
(16:33):
The once loyal zen Rufenen had come with the king
and he missed. Within days, San Ruffenen was gone from FIFA, booted,
and the criminal complaint filowed by the eleven FIFA members
was withdrawn. Bladder, sometimes mockingly called Don Bladderone by critics
(16:54):
and a nod to the mafia Don and the Godfather Movies,
was now firmly in control of world soccer. His opponents
were given the option of getting in line or getting out.
In Bladder's house, loyalty would be rewarded, betrayal punished. Thank
(17:24):
you for this very special reception. For nearly two hundred years,
the red walled in darkwood panel Debate Chamber of the
Oxford Union has hosted a who's who of world leaders
and celebrities, from Malcolm X to Ronald Reagan, from Yasser
Arafat to David Chappelle. On a cool English night in
(17:45):
October of two thousand and thirteen, FIFA's president sept Bladder
joined that list. You may seeing you know who I am,
what I stand for, what I'm like. As a man
of utmost self importance who felt almost divine right to
rule FIFA, the opportunity to address the students of Oxford
University was yet another confirmation of his global importance. They
(18:09):
would have you believe that I sit in my office
with a sinister grin gently stroking the gene of an
expensive white person cat. It was also an opportunity to
challenge the now decades long narrative of FIFA's culture of
corruption and it's mafia like. I don't know any other
better words for code of conduct. You mis saying. You
(18:31):
know what FIFA is, what it does, What it aspired
to be, a faceless machine printing money at the expense
of the beautiful game, with me pulling the strings and
laughing all the way to the bunk. It's not exactly that,
but bladders and passion speech at Oxford, where he compared
(18:54):
himself to Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw taking from the
rich and giving to the poor. Did little to challenge
the narrative of impropriety or calm the storm of allegations
that continued to build in the wake of FIFA's decision
to give the World Cup to Russia in Qatar. The
(19:15):
Oxford address came only three years after that announcement and
just two years before the raid on the bar Lack
Hotel that would lead to more than a dozen arrests.
Despite Bladder's best attempts to clean up FIFA's image, anyone
paying close attention believe FIFA was utterly corrupt. There's been
so many corruption scandals that FAIVA had to deal with.
(19:36):
FIFA have become a punchline. Bribery and FIFA go together
like peanut butter and jelly. Nothing Bladder or FIFA had
done since the Russia and Qatar announcements in two thousand
and ten had managed to quell or contain the crisis,
and the prosecutors they were closing in we were promised cooperation.
(19:58):
Michael Hershman is a co founder of Transparency International and
had served on the U S. Senate Watergate Committee. After
the Russia and Qatar announcements, he was asked to join
an independent governance committee to look into allegations of wrongdoing
within FIFA. That was a real eye opener for me
into the world of sports and business, and unfortunately and
(20:20):
I opened into the underbelly of the sports world. The
pressure appeared to be having some effect. Today set Bladder
finally unveiled his plans to reform the organization, promising to
restore its tarnished image, unlike FIFA's normally highly produced and
choreographed events where no amount of money was ever spared.
(20:43):
When set Bladder announced an overhaul of FIFA's ethics bodies
in October of two thousand and eleven, he was flanked
by a lone soccer ball and what appeared to me
as a half hearted attempt to remind the world FIFA
was a soccer organization, not some tone deaf criminal gang.
Like so many were saying, we should have this zero
(21:03):
tolerance inside the FIFA, inside the football pitch, but outside
the FIFA and outside the football pitch. Bladder didn't welcome
the oversight or the reforms. FIFA's longtime corporate sponsors. Companies
like Visa, Coca Cola, and McDonald's forced his hand. They've
(21:25):
begun to get a touch nervous with all that negative
media coverage, and pressured Bladder to institute reforms. Hershman's committee
was independent in name only. It really had no power.
FIFA could take the recommendations and do nothing, or blocked
them from looking into things they didn't want looked at.
(21:47):
The corruption was too entrenched and touched virtually every member
of FIFA senior ranks, and it didn't take long before
Hirshman realized FIFA and specifically Bladder, weren't serious about reform
him at all. The internal politics really kind of circled
the wagon so that no outside it could look in
(22:08):
and see what was going on. Hirshman did try to
work around this by reaching out to an unlikely friend,
Chuck Blazer. When I was appointed to the Independent Governance Committee,
I decided I was going to see Chuck Blazer and
see if I could get him to cooperate with us. Hershman,
(22:30):
also a native New Yorker, had known Blazer for years,
consider the outgoing soccer official a friend. He was a
very jolly guy, a very smart guy, very friendly guy,
very jolly guy. It was hard not to like him.
I mean, everyone who's ever met him liked him. Hershman
hoped his jolly friend might be an ally in cleaning
(22:52):
up soccer. Blazer rebuffed Hershman. I met with him in
London and he didn't cooperate with me, and now I
know why. At that time he was under orders he
was cooperating with the FBI, and he was under orders
not to talk about anything that he was doing with
(23:12):
anyone outside of the FBI. Hershman and the committee were stuck.
Just months after being created by Bladder, the quote Independent
Governance Committee was being blocked by the Executive Committee and
who controlled the Executive Committee, Ladder. Of course, among the
many reforms the Independent Committee had recommended were term limits
(23:34):
for the members of the Executive Council, including FIFA's President,
and transparency for all salaries and payments made to Executive
Committee members. Most of these reforms were ignored. Bladder would
say to us, I can't get this through the Executive Committee.
Now we knew that was a lie, because we knew
that he had complete control of the Executive Committee as president.
(23:57):
Bladder could have assigned allies to anyone FIFA's sprawling and
well paid internal governance committees to get their reforms through.
If Bladder want to change, all he had to do
was say so. He set the tone in the culture
in the organization. I believe that he was very instrumental. Really,
what they didn't want is they didn't want outside oversight.
(24:19):
They wanted to remain a closed facilitate and so we
had limited success, and after two years we resigned because
we knew that we likely couldn't go any farther. Bladder
was in his fourth term and I in a fifth.
He set the tone and it was his quest for
(24:41):
complete control and complete power that, in part, in my judgment,
led to the corruption scandal. The blade and undermining of
the Governance Committee was just a small part of Bladder
and FIVA's attempt at covering up past wrongdoings. FIFA also
launched and official in tonal investigation into the Russia and
(25:01):
Gutar bids. The official investigation proved to be an even
bigger farce. The actual report wasn't initially made public. Instead,
FIFA released the summary, and FIFA's own investigator would say
that summary was a lie. For well over seven hundred years,
(25:27):
the historic Fishmongers Hall, on the banks of the River
Tim's had been home to London seafood merchants, having received
its royal charter in twelve seventy two from the English
King Edward Longshanks. Maybe more familiar to you is the
evil monarch from Mel Gibson's film Braveheart. However, historically important
the Fishmongers Hall maybe to me the name of Oakes,
(25:50):
the stomach churning smell of slimy, slippery fish. So when
FIFA's internal ethics investigator chose the Fishmongers Hall in October
of two thousand and fourteen as the location to launch
a broadside attack on the soccer organization and the leadership
of step Bladder, the symbolism, at least for me, it
was hard to ignore what is required as leadership. Leadership
(26:14):
that sends a message that the rules apply to everyone.
Leadership that wants to understand and learn from any mistakes
or missteps. The ethics committee may identify. That's Michael Garcia,
a former federal prosecutor who made his name investigating politicians
and financial firms. Just days before, he had delivered a
much anticipated four hundred and thirty page report into the
(26:38):
two thousand and eighteen and two thousand twenty two World
Cup bidding process. Garcia had been hired by FIFA as
part of bladders reform agenda, but after an eighteen month
investigation and more than seventy five interviews, Bladder was blocking
the report's release. Officially, Bladder said he couldn't release it
because FIFA had to respect the personal privious he writes
(27:00):
of people mentioned in the report. As excuses go, this
was a pretty flimsy one. When Garcia stepped up to
speak at the Fishmonger's Hall, it was clear he was
tired of Bladder's tactics and the stench of FIFA's corruption.
True reform doesn't come from adding rules or creating new
committee structures. It comes from changing the culture of the organization.
(27:24):
Garcia called on his FIFA bosses to release the full report.
Bladder refused. The next FIFA presidential election was coming up
in the spring, and accountability really wasn't part of his
election agenda. It is a face even by FIFA's standards. Instead,
the Lords of World Soccer chose to release a shorter,
(27:45):
less intrusive summary of Garcia's significantly more in depth findings.
Garcia's four hundred and thirty page reports was whittled down
to a forty two page summary by FIFA's ethics Judge
Hans Joachim echoed, but a summary report cleared Russia and
Qatar of any wrongdoings, and while Judge Eckart concluded that
(28:07):
the behavior of some members of Qatar's bid team was improper,
he said it didn't compromise the process. In effect, the
judge's summary said the millions of dollars allegedly handed out
by Mohammed bin Hamm had no effect on the final vote.
But think about that for a second. Isn't the goal
of giving cash payments to decision makers right before they
(28:31):
vote a way to buy their vote? I think so,
and maybe that's what Garcia concluded too, But frustratingly we
don't know, because Garcia has refused to talk about it,
except to call the summary from Eckart a whitewash. So,
with a symbolic shrug of his shoulders, Judge Jackhart concluded,
(28:51):
conveniently for FIFA, there was no need to hold a
revote for either World Cup. The investigation was over a point.
FIFA's chief spokesman Walter da Gregorio was quick to make
the bidding process as a whole is not put in
question and thus stuff for us. The main finding means
(29:12):
of Russian cuta U. They won uh the the they
were awarded the because they were the best. The only
real ethics violation Judge Eckhart's summary did highlight was won
by England, which lost the two thousand and eighteen World
Cup bid to Russia. FIFA claimed that Ellen acted improperly
(29:35):
when it promised a job to a friend, a FIFA
executive and contract president Jack Warner, Well, no doubt improper.
It's hardly the scale of wrongdoing that FIFA had been
accused of by media watchdogs and even some of its
reform minded members. Gussie's damning analysis of FIFA's forty two
page report added that it contains numerous materially incomplete and
(29:57):
erroneous representations of the facts and conclusion. Michael Garcia quit
in December of two thousand and fourteen. He said he'd
lost faith in FIFA's leadership. In his resignation letter, the
Americans said Judge Eckart had misrepresented his work and that
step Ladder initiated disciplinary proceedings against him for his criticism
(30:19):
of FIFA. In the three years after Sep Ladder had
launched this much celebrated reform agenda, most of the Independent
Governance Committee had left in frustration, and now FIFA's handpicked
ethics investigator, Michael Garcia, had resigned in protest. FIFA may
have closed its own investigation into World Cup vote ringing,
(30:42):
but that didn't mean Chuck Blazer's little key chain recorder
had stopped recording, or that the U. S Department of
Justice had taken its eye off the ball. An unbattled
leader who faces his toughest test, FIFA president Set Bladder
under pressure as this congress gets underway. Set Bladder was
(31:05):
surrounded by security guards when he stepped out of his
luxury sedan on two thousand fifteen. He had arrived at
FIFA's World Congress, greeted by angry protesters hurling insults. It
was the first anyone had seen him since the raid
on the bar Alack Hotel the day before, and since
(31:25):
Bladder had learned some of FIFA's own members had snitched
about the secret of organizations illicit activities in Switzerland. Seven
of the sports top international officials were arrested In a
pre dawned raid in Miami, the FBI searched the headquarters
of FIFA's US affiliates. Fourteen defendants, including sports marketing executives,
(31:45):
faced corruption charges involving more than one hundred fifty million
dollars in bribes and kickbacks. By any standard, the events
of the previous twenty four hours had been unprecedented, not
only for FIFA but for the world of sports. Plotter's
oversized protection detail made the five ft seven Swiss man
look even smaller, almost vulnerable. Despite the pressure of the
(32:10):
US investigation, Bladder managed to display I can only be
described as a politician in crisis. Smile, you know that
grin from ear to ear. That's just a little two
upbeat for the occasion. After putting on the jacket of
his finally cut suit, Bladder walked inside to attend the
first day of the two thousand and fifteen FIFA World Congress. President,
(32:36):
how are you surely after all these allegations, it's time
for you to resign. Calls for bladders resignation were growing
louder as European and American soccer officials ganged up against them.
It's time for change. It's not a condition. If he
is in in in in in some cases, if he's
get it, you're not get involved on not involved. It's
(32:57):
time for change. After all this what in the last
ten twenty years and now what we hear again. You
cannot just say yeah, but I'm clean, I have nothing
nothing to do with it. At disaster like this we've
never had in life before, and we need to change.
But the calls for his resignation weren't new Bladder and
(33:18):
whether it's scandal after scandal after scandal, and Bladder wasn't
treating this one any differently. He may have looked vulnerable,
but Don Bladder Owne was set to win his fifth
term as FIFA's president the following day. His entourage says
he's a confident, calm Serreen. Bladder supporters had already been
(33:40):
spinning the story that FIFA was an aggrieved the victim
of over zealous US investigators. FIFA's chief spokesman and Bladder loyalist,
Walter D. Gregorio, had said that Bladder was innocent of
any wrongdoing. The president isn't involved. Of course, he is
the head of FIFA, but he's not involved in any
(34:00):
How can you can you can you say, okay, he
has to whatsoever step down. No matter how bad the
crisis looked. Step Ladder wasn't about to release his grip
on power. He believed he was FIFA as much as
FIFA was him. I know many people hold me ultimately
(34:21):
responsible for the actions and reputation of the global football community,
whether it's a decision for the hosting of a World
Cup or corruptions condown we or I cannot monitor everyone
(34:44):
all of the time. Speaking to FIFA's two nine voting delegations,
Bladder sounded almost convincing that the next four years would
be different. We will corporate if all authorities to make
sure anyone involved in wrongdoing from top to botton is
(35:07):
discovered and punished. There can be no place for corruption
of any kind. The next few months will not be
easy for FIFA. I'm sure more bad news may follow,
but it is necessary to begin to restore trust in
(35:33):
our organization. Let this be the turning point. The two
and fifteen FIFA election would not be a turning point
ignoring a major bribery and corruption scandal. FIFA soccer's world
governing body has re elected its president, set Bladder. The
election showed just how tightly Bladder held the reigns of
(35:54):
world soccer, and just how much fear there was of
his tight grip. There are fears that Bladder will treat
the threat to his leadership as a mutiny. His rival,
Durdennian Prince Ali bin l Hussain, said he conceded out
of concern for his backers. Bladder said he was the
victim of hatred and added, I forgive everyone, but I
(36:15):
don't forget. The two thousand and fifteen FIFA election was
never about reform or concern about the u S investigation,
or hope or change. No, when step Ladder was re elected,
it came down to the one thing. It always came
down to money. The secret to sap bladders sticking it
out for so long was his global vision. His investment
(36:36):
in African and Asian football in particular, he won many
friends there and in FIFA's one country, one vote system,
friends translated into ballots. Bladder had a proven track record
of keeping the money flowing to FIFA's coffers and then
out to FIFA's voters in their national federations. Few outside
(36:57):
of Europe and North America we're gonna walk away from that.
In fact, Most of FIFA's delegations cheered and celebrated Bladder's
reelection when he took the stage to thank them. I
like you, I like my job, and that like to
be the few. I'm not perfect, nobody is perfect, but
(37:17):
we will do a good job together. I'm sure so.
I thank you so much. I thank you for the
trust and confidence. Dejected and resigned, Bladder's opponents figured if
the arrest of fourteen soccer officials couldn't force him out,
then nothing could. Then something strange happened, set Bladders passed,
(37:41):
finally caught up with him. Well, it's the first day
of the rest of FIFA's life, and the shoes or
the soccer cleats is still dropping. What a difference a
weekend makes. One minute, Bladder, in a mix of enthusiasm
(38:02):
and defiance, is waving his arms and pumping his fists
in victory. You get the vigo. Let's go FIFA, let's
go PIPA thank you. He's promising the pilot FIFA's battered
ship to shore and aggressively dismissing talk of being arrested
by US authorities. Next squish, then the next minute, like
(38:24):
someone flicked the light switch, soccer's raining monarch, Zep Bladder,
is resigning. He's steadfastly clung on, resisting calls to stand down,
But today set Bladder, the embattled FIFA president, finally through
in the towel, Speaking in French in front of journalists
(38:45):
at a hastily organized press conference, a far less confident
almost sang wine step. Bladder announced his resignation on June second,
two thousand fifteen. So what you asked changed between Friday's
election celebration and Monday's resignation. Today he came fresh embarrassing
(39:07):
revelations that brought to the accusations of bribery and corruption
closer to the FIFA president's door. Quoting unnamed U S authorities,
The New York Times reported Bladder's right hand man, FIFA
General Secretary Jerome Valc, had approved the transfer of ten
million dollars to the disgraced former Conky Calf president Jack
(39:28):
Warner back in two thousand and eight. This is the
payment to Warner I told you about in the previous
episode he's alleged to have taken as a bride for
having helped South Africa secure the World Cup. The payment
to Warner was transferred using FIFA's own banking system. FIFA
and South Africa insisted the money wasn't a bribe. Rather,
(39:52):
they said it was an approved payment to a World
Cup legacy fund for Africans in the Caribbean. At first,
FIFA try to deny that Jerome Valc had any knowledge
of the payment. But when in March two thousand and
eight letter addressed to the General Secretary from South Africa
detailing the payment emerged, FIFA's lies and criminal activities were
(40:15):
laid bare for the world to see. The letter and
the bribe it described where the last straw for set Bladder.
Furious sponsors were demanding reform. FIFA's lawyers and more importantly
sponsors like Budweiser, Coca Cola and Visa toll bladder it
was time to go. There was a lot of pressure
(40:35):
from corporate partners, big international global partners saying like, hey,
this doesn't look right, and we're not sure that we
want to have our brand attached to this organization that
very clearly has some significant problems in terms of ethics
and transparency. That's former New York Times reporters Sam Borden.
You know, money talks, and so the real pressure came
(40:57):
when these global brands said, hey, we're not sure we're
on board with continuing with FIFA if this is the
way that things are going to go. Bladder hoped his
announcement that he would step down as FIFA's president would
reduce the heat coming from investigators, but the King of
Soccer's troubles were only mounting. In October of two thousand
(41:18):
and fifteen, a few months after announcing his resignation, Swiss
investigators sees boxes of documents from Bladder's FIFA office, including
records detailing a two million dollar payment to UEFA president
Michelle Platini. The payment from FIFA to Platini was made
right as Bladder was facing that challenge for the FIFA
(41:40):
presidency from the Qatari billionaire Mohammed bin ha Mom in
two thousand and eleven. Bladder and Platini insisted for years
the payment was done for consulting work. Yeah, consulting work
that was done nine years earlier, But neither Bladder nor
Platini could explain what the two million dollars worth of
consulting work actually was. Swiss prosecutors in two thousand and
(42:05):
fifteen seemed to think it was more likely a bribe
to shore Platini's support for Bladder in the two thousand
and eleven election, Bladder would stick around for a few
more months a nominal figurehead president and name only, and
that brings us back to the beginning of this episode.
It was during this time that Bladder, stripped of power,
(42:29):
was showered in cash by the British comedian Simon Broadkin
in December. FIFA would ultimately banned Bladder, General secretary Joam
Valk and UEFA President Michelle Platini from World Soccer all
for violating ethics rules. In his final public appearance as
(42:52):
FIFA president in December of two thousand and fifteen, and
on shaven and disheveled, Bladder lashed out at the world
like to the throne monarchy was but I'll fight, fight
for me and fight for FIFA suspended eight years for
what In the irony of ironies. His appearance came just
(43:15):
days after yet another pre don raid by US and
Swiss authorities that led to an additional sixteen arrests of
current and former soccer officials on the charges of racketeering,
money laundering, and fraud. Some of them were taken into
custody at the very same Barlock Hotel authorities had rated
(43:36):
that spring. Just a side note, FIFA has since broken
its ties with the Barlack Hotel and moved its business
to the Zurich Hyatt. Bladder meanwhile remained defiant. I'm really sorry.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I am still somewhere a
(44:02):
punching bowl, but I'm sorry that I am as president
of FIFA this punching bowl, and I'm sorry for for football.
Seventy nine year old would spend the next few months
appealing his suspension and fighting to hold onto power, but
the jig was up. The money making machine that is
(44:22):
FIFA had left Bladder behind. For years, it looked like
step Ladder would escape prosecution. I mean, year after year
after year, just ticked by and don bladderone just seemed
to escape by. And then yes, some news just into
(44:43):
us that former FIFA presidents Ladder and also Michel Platini
have been charged with fraud and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors.
After a six in November of two thousand and twenty one,
six years after the original raid on the bar Lack Hotel,
step Ladder and Shell Platini were charged with fraud for
that secret two million dollar consulting payment. Bladder and Platini
(45:07):
continued to insist on their innocence. Bladder, now in poor health,
could face five years in prison if convicted. Hey, breaking
news here. A day after this episode originally came out.
Set Ladder and Michelle Platini were a quitted of corruption
by a Swiss court on July eight. It's shocking news
(45:31):
and honestly I'm a bit surprised by it. We'll update
you in the coming days as we learn more. But
now back to the rest of this episode. In the
seven years since the first raid on the Borerlock Hotel,
US authorities have continued rounding up soccer officials, arresting dozens
(45:53):
of FIFA executives and their partners in the sports marketing world.
To date, US prosecutors have charged more than fifty people
connected to FIFA, with prosecutors announcing further mass indictments in
December of two thousand and fifteen and again in April.
Prosecutors have also clawed back more than two hundred million
(46:14):
dollars that was siphoned from the sport over the decades
to pay for bribes and kickback schemes. Most of that
money will go back into FIFA's coffers, since under the
law of the soccer organization is listed as the victim,
even though it was plundered by its own members. And
if you think it's all over now, the U. S
(46:35):
Department of Justice has signaled more charges could be on
the way set bladder and the larger cast of criminals
from the two thousand and fifteen US investigation embody all
that is wrong with modern day FIFA, the money laundering,
the bribery, the vote rigging, the general disregard for basic
(46:55):
transparency and ethics. But long before it's sorted activity, he
is became the stuff of criminal lore. FIFA was known
simply as a racist and morally corrupt organization, which in
many ways is even worse, and I would argue absolutely
explains how FIFA became a den of bribery and corruption,
(47:16):
from supporting South Africa's racist apartheid regime to propping up
Argentine dictators, to turning a blind eye to the brutal
torture prisoners in Chile's National soccer Stadium. FIFA's so called
golden years are more blood red than golden. So let's
go back to when FIFA started. That's coming up on
(47:38):
the next episode of the Lords of Soccer. The Lords
of Soccer, How FIFA Stole the Beautiful Game is an
Inside Voices Media production in conjunction with I Heart Radio.
The series was written and executive produced by Gary Scott
and me Connor Powell, Logan he Tell, and Katie mcmurran
(48:01):
provided the sound design, with assistance from j. C. Swaddick
and Jake Blue Note. Alec Cowen is our associate producer
and Jeffrey Katz was our story editor. Our fact checker
is Alexa O'Brien and thanks to Miles Gray, who produced
the series for I Heart Radio. If you have any
comments or questions, please reach out. You can find us
(48:22):
on Twitter. I'm at Connor m Powell and Gary is
at Gary Robert Scott, and if you have any stories
about FIFA, let us know. If you like what you hear,
please give us a shout out at the hashtag Lords
of Soccer
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