Swiss federal prosecutors on Wednesday opened criminal proceedings related to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, throwing world football govering body FIFA into deeper crisis only hours after six officials were arrested and 14 indicted in a separate United States corruption probe.
Meanwhile, FIFA has announced that Friday's presidential election would go ahead as planned with Sepp Blatter running for a fifth term, according to espnfc.com.
Importantly, Blatter was not named in either investigation and FIFA ruled out a re-vote of the World Cups won by Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.
The Swiss prosecutors' office said in a statement that they seized "electronic data and documents" from FIFA headquarters.
The Swiss police said they will question 10 FIFA executive committee members who took part in the World Cup votes in December 2010.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app