MIAMI: Enrique Sanz has been formally sacked as general secretary of CONCACAF in the ongoing fall-out from the so-called FIFAgate corruption scandal.

At the end of May  the 41-year-old was placed on ‘leave of absence’ by the central and north American confederation after the corruption revelations and worldwide arrests instigated by the United States Justice Department. He was then suspended provisionally by the ethics committee of world federation FIFA.

Before joining CONCACAF in July 2012 to succeed controversial Chuck Blazer, the Colombian-born Sanz was vice-president of Traffic Sports USA.

The marketing agency and its group owner, Jose Hawilla, have already both pleaded guilty to corruption-linked charges laid by the US investigators.

Sanz was personally recommended to CONCACAF by its then president Jeffrey Webb, who is now on effective house arrest in the US after being one of seven men detained by the Swiss authorities in Zurich in response to a US extradition application.

Back at the time of his appointment Webb said: “Enrique Sanz will have a key role in the administration of CONCACAF. I am certain that we have found a professional with competence and integrity to implement our road map to reform.”

Previously Sanz had been founder and ceo of Media Sports Marketing and had been vice-president of Interforever Sports.

CONCACAF’s appointment statement had described Sanz as “part of the team that laid the foundation for the [new] North American Soccer League.”

Sanz is the second CONCACAF general secretary to depart after a corruption scandal. His predecessor Chuck Blazer, who held the position from 1990 until 2011, was banned from football for life by FIFA after he was indicted and pleaded guilty to charges including accepting bribes and kickbacks.

Blazer subsequently become a cooperating witness in the US investigation.

#########