(Source: https://static.euro-football.ru/images/gallery)

The United States accused FIFA officials of taking bribes for holding the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The U.S. Justice Department has accused former FIFA officials of taking bribes for hosting the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. According to the American investigation, the former FIFA vice president Jack Warner received a bribe of $ 5 million in exchange for a vote in favor of Russia.

FIFA senior officials received millions of bribes in exchange for votes for hosting the 2018 and 2022 world championships in Russia and Qatar, the indictment of the New York State District Attorney’s office posted on the U.S. Department of Justice website said.

In the document, the former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner, the former head of the Brazilian Football Confederation Ricardo Teixeira, the former President of the South American Confederation of Football Nicolas Leos and the member of the FIFA Executive Committee from Guatemala Rafael Salghero are named as defendants in the case.



According to the US Department of Justice, Warner received $ 5 million in exchange for his vote in favor of hosting the 2018 World Cup in Russia. For this, according to the American investigation, a bribe of $ 1 million was promised to Salgero. Teixeira, Leos and another unnamed person were given bribes in exchange for votes for holding the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, the document says.

According to prosecutors, Warner received $ 5 million for the period from November 2010 to April 2011. Funds came in the form of electronic transfers from 10 different offshore companies. Several transfers were also carried out by companies located in the United States that were involved in organizing the championship in Russia. After the transfers were made, one of the unnamed persons involved sent a letter to Warner's assistant asking him to confirm receipt of the money as follows: “Dear friend. The transaction was completed as agreed and everything was received minus the minimum bank charges. Many thanks".

The indictment was filed as part of the trial, which lasts in the federal court of the Eastern District of New York since 2015. In total, the 69-page document refers to more than 30 former FIFA officials and football confederations, as well as employees of private companies.

The FIFA corruption scandal erupted in 2015, when senior officials of the organization were detained in Zurich at the request of the United States. At the same time, the Swiss prosecutor's office announced that it would check the victory of Russia and Qatar in the elections of the host countries of the world championships in 2018 and 2022 for possible violations. FIFA President Joseph Blatter announced his resignation amid the scandal. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valke and UEFA Head Michel Platini were suspended from football activities. Charges were brought against 14 former and current football officials.

Jack Warner was named the key person involved in the schemes, which included receiving, offering illegal payments and other schemes for making money. He was suspended from football for life due to corruption charges.

Blatter noted that countries that lost Russia the right to host the championship joined the FIFA "collapse campaign". In October 2015, he told the Financial Times that the FIFA leadership had concluded a “gentleman's agreement” that the 2018 World Cup and the 2022 World Cup would go to two superpowers - Russia and the United States. “This was agreed behind the scenes, through diplomacy,”  the head of FIFA said.