ZURICH: The extraordinary meeting of the FIFA executive committee to decide on the date of the presidential election will be held in Zurich on Monday, July 20 – the start of the week which ends with the 2018 World Cup qualifying draw in St Petersburg, Russia.
The only substantive item on the agenda concerns “the reform of FIFA’s organisational structure (including the necessary amendments to the FIFA Statutes).”
Whether this refers solely to the statutes relating to the election or some of president Sepp Blatter’s promised reform proposals remains open.
A FIFA statement said: “The extraordinary FIFA executive committee meeting to set the date for the extraordinary elective Congress will take place on 20 July 2015 in Zurich.
“During the meeting, the agenda for the elective Congress will be finalised and approved. The extraordinary elective Congress will take place in Zurich between December 2015 and February 2016 as announced by the FIFA President on 2 June 2015.”
** United States District Judge Raymond J Dearie has ordered federal prosecutors unseal the plea agreement between propsecutors and former FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer. Prosecutors have until Monday to unseal the agreement or give notice of appeal.
** The Paraguayan Senate has voted to repeal a law giving immunity to the headquarters of CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation, in the wake of the US corruption inquiry and the extradition application for ex-CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz.
** Jose Maria Marin, 83-year-old ex-president of the Brazilian federation and the 2014 World Cup local organising committee, has asked to be permitted hospital admission in Zurich where he is detained awaiting a US extradition application.
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ZURICH: Argentinian sports marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco, who is being sought by the United States authorities in the FIFA corruption investigation, has surrendered to police in Italy.
Burzaco, who holds dual Argentina/Italy citizenship, is a senior figure in the TyC agency which has played a major role in TV football rights control in South America.
His lawyer Mariano Mendilaharzu, in answer to questions from Argentina’s Radio Mitre, said Burzaco would not contest an extradition application from the US Justice Department.
He is currently on bail but under house arrest in the northern Italian city of Bolzano.
Burzaco was one of 14 people indicted by US authorities May 27 on corruption charges relating to the commercial rights of football tournaments in the Americas.
** Zico, former Brazil World Cup star, has repeated his intention of running for the FIFA presidency. Incumbent Sepp Blatter last week announced his intention to step down, four days after having been re-elected.
** Swiss investigators, acting for the attorney-general’s offices, have taken more documents and electronic data from FIFA headquarters in their inquiries into the 2018-2022 World Cup bid scandal.
A FIFA statement said: “As confirmed by the Office of the General Attorney in Switzerland, FIFA yesterday provided as scheduled the requested electronic data related to the 2018/2022 bidding process.
“This is standard procedure as part of the investigation that FIFA itself initiated in November 2014 and with which it has since been cooperating closely. At no stage were any offices searched nor computers seized.
“It was a regular handover of IT data to the representatives of the Swiss General Attorney’s Office.”
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