NEW YORK — Instead of investing in stadiums and soccer leagues for women and youth, corrupt FIFA officials lined their pockets with money that could have helped expand the sport across the globe, a Brooklyn prosecutor said Tuesday.
A long-running corruption probe surrounding FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, has culminated in a trial that got underway in Brooklyn Federal Court, where TV network executives and a sports marketing company face bribery charges.
In an opening statement, prosecutors said two former 21st Century Fox executives, Hernan Lopez and Carlos Martinez, teamed up with Buenos Aires-based Full Play Group SA to secure lucrative broadcasting rights for South America’s top club tournament, and for inside information about bidding for U.S. broadcast rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
