Ex-FIFA official Chuck Blazer admits taking bribes over choice of 1998, 2010 World Cup hosts

June 04, 2015 08:57

Chuck Blazer admitted in court testimony released Wednesday he conspired with fellow FIFA executives to accept bribes during the process to choose hosts for the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.

The bearded multimillionaire, the face of North American soccer for two decades, pleaded guilty to racketeering, part of a massive US corruption case targeting world football's governing body.

Blazer's testimony is a key plank in the US investigation against FIFA, which the federal court document describes as a "Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization."

The 70-year-old admitted to a raft of charges related to his leadership of the North and Central American soccer body CONCACAF and membership of FIFA's executive committee.

He is awaiting sentencing and may be called to testify in the trials of other sports executives.

But in the papers released on Wednesday, the other FIFA executives identified as co-conspirators are not named.

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