The Fall of Sepp

resignation and the upcoming vote to replace him. It was 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. 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 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

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. 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 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 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 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

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 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 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, 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 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 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.

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. 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 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 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

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 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

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 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 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, 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 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 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

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 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 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 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. 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, 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 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, 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 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. 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.

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, 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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

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 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 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 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 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 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. 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. 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 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.

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 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 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.

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 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, 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

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 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 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. 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.

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 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 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, 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,

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 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 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 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. 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, 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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

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, 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 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 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, 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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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,

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 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 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 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 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

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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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