FIFA Seeks Tens of Millions in Damages For Bribery Scandals
- U.S. prosecutors expect $190 million from defendants
- FIFA claims salaries, attorneys' fees, reputational damages
Football artwork installations sit illuminated outside the FIFA headquarters following an Executive Committee meeting in Zurich
Photographer: Alessandro Della Bella/BloombergFIFA says it’s a victim of the bribery scandals that removed most of its leadership. Now soccer’s global governing body wants tens of millions in restitution, even as it admitted for the first time that executives took illicit payments from countries hoping to host the World Cup.
Under the leadership of newly elected president Gianni Infantino, FIFA is seeking part of the $190 million American prosecutors say they will collect from the dozens of soccer and media executives who have been charged with corruption. The organization says it is entitled to be compensated for the damage done to its reputation and brand; it also wants to recover salaries, attorneys’ fees and money used for bribes, according to court documents released Wednesday.