Fifa in crisis amid corruption arrests and World Cup voting inquiry – as it happened

What a day. A refresher:

• Nine Fifa officials and four executives of sports management companies were arrested on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100m (£65m), according to the US Department of Justice.
  
• Fifa president Sepp Blatter was not among the accused. Fifa spokesman Walter de Gregorio told the Associated Press: “He is not involved at all.”
  
• The officials are accused of taking in excess of $150m in bribes stretching back 24 years. US prosecutors said the officials conspired with sports marketing executives to “shut out competitors and keep highly lucrative contracts for themselves through the systematic payment of bribes and kickbacks”.
  

And in the words of acting US attorney Currie at today’s press conference in New York: “It’s only just beginning.”

Dominic Rushe, US business correspondent for the Guardian, on the sponsor impact:

Soccer’s biggest sponsors have so far been largely silent on the Fifa news but that is unlikely to last. In 2014 Coca-Cola took the unusual step of publicly criticising Fifa’s own investigation into corruption allegations surrounding Russia and Qatar’s bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. After Fifa cleared those bids its ethics chief Michael Garcia said he had been “misrepresented” and the report contained “numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of facts and conclusions”.

“Anything that detracts from the mission and ideals of the Fifa World Cup is a concern to us. The current conflicting perspectives regarding the investigation are disappointing. Our expectation is that this will be resolved quickly in a transparent and efficient manner,” Coke said at the time. The “real thing’s” Fifa sponsorship is worth $475m.

The Coca-Cola Company has not responded to an email requesting comment.

Jackie Kucinich, senior politics editor for the Daily Beast, is drawing a line between Bill Clinton, Fifa and Qatar’s World Cup bid.

The Clinton global charity has received between $50,000 and $100,000 from soccer’s governing body and has partnered with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association on several occasions, according to donor listings on the foundation’s website.

...

When the U.S. lost the 2022 bid to Qatar, Clinton was rumored to be so upset he shattered a mirror.

But apparently Qatar tried to make it up to him.

The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, partnering with the State of Qatar, “committed to utilizing its research and development for sustainable infrastructure at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to improve food security in Qatar, the Middle East, and other arid and water-stressed regions throughout the world,” according to the Clinton Foundation website.

The cost of the two-year project is not listed on the Clinton Foundation website, but the Qatar 2022 committee gave the foundation between $250,000 and $500,000 in 2014 and the State of Qatar gave between $1 million and $5 million in previous, unspecified years.

Here’s the Fiver’s take on today’s happenings:

As you’ll probably know, it all kicked off at Fifa on Wednesday morning. Nine of the governing body’s assorted wonks have been indicted by the frankly terrifying-sounding USA! USA!! USA!!! Department of Justice, on charges including but not limited to “racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies”. The lucky chaps are: Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin, Nicolás Leoz and, of course, our old friend Jack Warner.

In addition, the Swiss authorities will be conducting their own investigation, during which they will have a word on the QT with 10 members of the Fifa ExCo who took part in that lovely old World Cup vote back in 2010. Those are: Issa Hayatou (Cameroon), Vitaly Mutko (Russia), Angel María Villar Llona (Spain), Michel D’Hooghe (Belgium), Senes Erzik (Turkey), Worawi Makudi (Thailand), Marios Lefkaritis (Cyprus), Jacques Anouma (Ivory Coast), Rafael Salguero(Guatemala) and Hany Abo Rida (Egypt). The Swiss attorney general says they’ll be asked about “criminal mismanagement and money laundering”, having seized assorted electronic data and documents from Fifa HQ.

So, all in all, quite a day, and quite a collection of dignitaries. And a day you would think is, to say the least, not ideal for Fifa given that the coronatio … sorry, election of Sepp Blatter as top dog, major domo and El Presidente is due to take place on Friday. Not a bit of it, mind, according to Fifa human shield Walter de Gregorio, who stepped up to face the world’s press as their collective jaw swung on its hinges: “This for Fifa is good. It is not good in terms of image or reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, this is good … It is not a nice day, but it is also a good day.” And on Sepp’s state of mind, for that is what we were all wondering about, De Gregorio repeatedly made clear that has boss had absolutely nothing to do with the officials he oversaw as president being arrested, and that he was “relaxed” but not “dancing in his office”.

He wasn’t the only one declaring that there was nothing to see here. Warner released a statement saying: “I have fought fearlessly against all forms of injustice and corruption. I have been afforded no due process and I have not even been questioned in this matter. I reiterate that I am innocent of any charges. I have walked away from the politics of world football to immerse myself in the improvement of lives in this country where I shall, God willing, die.”

It’s also worth noting what a few of those who are to be asked for their views on all of this had to say before about such allegations:

• Leoz, in 2013: “A while ago the press in England were at it, now the German press do it. I don’t know. What is it that drives these people?”

• Mutko, who in 2010 attacked the British press for “portraying Russia as a hotbed of corruption”, said: “We’re prepared to show everything. We’ve always acted within the law.”

• And in January, Webb said: “I believe that the tremendous work that our integrity committee did in bringing a level of transparency to our confederation … we will have implemented every single one of their recommendations for transparency in governance.”

Five days on from Sepp declaring that “the next two months will showcase some of our key events”, the investigation continues.

Elsewhere, the show must go on.

It’s made clear there’s no information in the indictment that indicates “any games or tournaments themselves” were subject to bribery. The corruption only extended to hosting, media and sports marketing rights.

And that’s it for the Department of Justice press conference.

Jonathan Watts, the Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, has this on the reaction in Brazil to the arrest of former FA president José Maria Marin:

Few people in Brazil are likely to mourn the arrest in Zurich today of José Maria Marin, the dictatorship-era politician and former head of the Brazilian Football Confederation.

Swiss police detained the 83-year-old as part of their swoop on Fifa officials allegedly involved in money laundering and bribery.

It is far from the first controversy surrounding the CBF president, who is from the same clique of Brazilian football kingpins as his predecessor Ricardo Teixeira and FIFA president João Havelange - both of whom were embroiled in corruption scandals.

Marin’s appointment in 2012 was controversial as a result of his support for the country’s military dictatorship and his alleged association with the torture and killing of a journalist, Vladimir Herzog.

Herzog’s son, Ivo has said Marin should take some responsibility for the death of his father because in 1975, when the future head of the CBF was still a state congressman, he publicly denounced Herzog and called for the authorities to take action. The journalist was arrested soon after on the orders of police chief Sérgio Fleury and died in prison tafter undergoing repeated electric shocks. A year later, an unrepentant Marin praised Fleury for fulfilling his duties “in the most praiseworthy manner.”

In 2013, the former Brazil striker Romario joined Ivo in presenting a petition to the CBF and Sepp Blatter urging Marin’s appointment be referred to the Fifa ethics committee for conduct unbecoming a football official.

Romario had previously called Marin a thief and said he should “spend 100 years in prison” for taking a medal from a Corinthians player at a junior cup match. Marin responded by filing a lawsuit, but Romario was aquitted by the Supreme Court in April this year.

Marin is a former São Paulo state governor, a post he won with the support of one of the most corrupt politicians in Brazil, Paulo Maluf who has been found guilty of taking hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes.

(As an aside, here’s a look at the key figures in the indictment, including the nine indicted parties: Jack Warner, Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Julio Rocha, Eduardo Li, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin, Costas Takkas, Nicolás Leoz.)

FBI director Comey is asked why it took so long for Fifa to be called out on the carpet. He cites the the complexity of the case in addition to the international component.

“You don’t want to bring a case until you have the goods and that takes time,” he says.

Lynch says the indictment was not timed to coincide with the Fifa presidential election.

Lynch is now taking questions. The first query is about the status of Fifa president Sepp Blatter: “Are you today giving [Blatter] a clean bill of health?”

The attorney general says the investigation is ongoing and she’s “not going to comment on the status of any individual”.

“I’m not able to comment further on Mr Blatter’s status,” she says in closing.

Richard Weber, chief of the IRS criminal investigation, now at the dais.

“This really is the World Cup of fraud,” he says, “and today we are issuing Fifa a red card.”

FBI director James Comey now at the podium: “This may be the way things are, but this is not the way things have to be.”

He adds: “This hijacking is being met with a very aggressive prosecutorial response in order to change behavior and send a message.”

Currie says Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb “used his positions of trust” to “solicit and collect bribes from sports marketing executives who needed his support to get contracts.”

“This sort of corruption and bribery in international soccer has been going on for two decades,” he says, adding the investigation leading to these indictments took years. “This is only the beginning.”

Kelly T Currie, acting US attorney in the Eastern District of New York, is now at the podium addressing further details of the indictments.

“All of these defendants abused the US financial system and violated US law,” Currie says, “and we intend to hold them accountable.”

Lynch says $110m in bribes related to next year’s Copa América Centenario in the United States alone:

For instance, in 2016, the United States is scheduled to host the centennial edition of the Copa America – the first time that tournament will be held in cities outside South America. Our investigation revealed that what should be an expression of international sportsmanship was used as a vehicle in a broader scheme to line executives’ pockets with bribes totaling $110m – nearly a third of the legitimate costs of the rights to the tournaments involved.

Lynch says Fifa officials used their positions of trust within their respective organizations to solicit bribes from sports marketers: “They did this over and over. Year after year. Tournament after tournament.”:

Beginning in 1991, two generations of soccer officials, including the then-presidents of two regional soccer confederations under Fifa – the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, known as Concacaf, which includes the United States, and the South American Football Confederation, or Conmebol, which represents organized soccer in South America – used their positions of trust within their respective organizations to solicit bribes from sports marketers in exchange for the commercial rights to their soccer tournaments. They did this over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament.

The press conference is under way, and US attorney general Loretta Lynch has taken the podium outlining the charges. She says the accused held important responsibilities at every level and were expected to uphold the rules that keep soccer honest. Instead they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to enrich themselves, Lynch says:

Many of the individuals and organizations we will describe today were entrusted with keeping soccer open and accessible to all. They held important responsibilities at every level, from building soccer fields for children in developing countries to organizing the World Cup. They were expected to uphold the rules that keep soccer honest, and protect the integrity of the game. Instead, they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and enrich themselves. This Department of Justice is determined to end these practices; to root out corruption; and to bring wrongdoers to justice.

The news conference should begin momentarily. Rupert Neate offers a look at the thick press pack distributed among the many correspondents in attendance. Refresh the page to watch the presser in the window above.

As we await the US Department of Justice press conference scheduled to begin in 10 minutes, here’s a look into the plight of the migrant workers in Qatar – and what’s been called an unholy matrimony between Fifa and the Gulf state hosting the 2022 World Cup.

I’m handing over to Bryan Armen Graham in our US office for the live press conference – and Rupert Neate will be tweeting from the venue.

The FBI’s director James B Comey said earlier: “As charged in the indictment, the defendants fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world. Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks and bribes became a way of doing business at Fifa. When leaders in an organisation resort to cheating the very members that they were supposed to represent, they must be held accountable. Whether you call it soccer or football, the fans, players and sponsors around the world who love this game should not have to worry about officials corrupting their sport. This case isn’t about soccer, it is about fairness and following the law.”

More images via the Guardian’s Rupert Neate from the US Department of Justice press conference on today’s arrests, which is due to start at 3.30pm(BST)/10.30am(ET).

The BBC’s Richard Conway has tweeted images of the visual aids being used by the US Attorney’s press office to explain the investigation, complete with topical clipart.

Damian Collins, the Conservative MP and Fifa reform campaigner, has called for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes to be re-run. He told the BBC that Sepp Blatter – who he called “the most despicable man in sport” – should stand down.

“Over the years they’ve sought to dismiss out of hand any suggestion of widespread wrongdoing in the organisation ... and here we are today in this terrible mess they have created themselves. This is doing immense damage to world football and it has to stop, with Blatter going and a re-run of the World Cup rights vote. People within Fifa should not be surprised at all. This is the end for them, and the end of their total failure of the reform they promised.”

The new sports minister Tracey Crouch said in a statement: “I fully back the FA’s position that change and reform is urgently needed at the top of Fifa, including its leadership. I welcome the investigations that are now underway into the allegations of bribery and corruption.”

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Blatter’s challenger in Friday’s election, has added to his earlier debatable claim that this was “a sad day for football”. He says Fifa now needs leadership “that governs, guides and protects”.

Another of those due to be questioned by Swiss authorities is Russia’s sports minister and Fifa executive Vitaly Mutko, who says “we’ve got nothing to hide.” He told Associated Press: “We’re prepared to show everything. We’ve always acted within the law.” He also said preparations for the 2018 tournament would not be “obstructed” by the criminal proceedings. “We have a contract with Fifa and we’re getting ready to hold the draw. We operated within the regulations that existed at that time.”

In 2010 Mutko attacked the English press ahead of the vote for “portraying Russia as a hotbed of corruption”. Days later a Russian federal audit chamber report on spending at his ministry alleged he had claimed expenses for 97 breakfasts eaten during a 20-day trip to Vancouver. Mutko called the report “utter bullshit and complete nonsense”.

Transparency International, the campaigning NGO, are calling for Sepp Blatter to stand down, and for the presidential election to be suspended.

Managing director Cobus de Swardt said in a statement: “The warning signs for Fifa have been there for a long time. Fifa has refused to abide by many basic standards of good governance that would reduce the risk of corruption.

“These scandals have taken place under Sepp Blatter’s watch, which spans almost two decades. For the sake of the fans, and good governance of football, it is time for him to step down. The elections for president are not credible if they are tainted with these allegations by the highest prosecuting authorities.

“Blatter must stand down and new elections called to mark a new era of Fifa leadership. At the same time there must be full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest and the pay of the executive committee members. Their hands need to be clean and seen to be clean.”

More from FA chairman Greg Dyke. “When I went to bed last night I thought it might be quite a boring congress. Now I think it might be quite lively.”

Our latest story on the arrests includes US attorney general Loretta Lynch’s striking assessment: “The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States. It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.”

Some more background material on how we got to this point. Owen Gibson’s profile of Blatter from June 2014, and this from Tariq Panja, Andrew Martin and Veron Silver for Bloomberg, which includes the year’s defining Fifa quote so far:

It can be hard to find the perfect way to describe Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, the head of Fifa. The Daily Mail has called him a “smug, self-righteous Zurich gnome.” The Guardian has called him “the most successful non-homicidal dictator of the past century.” In April, at the annual meeting of Fifa’s North and Central American representatives, Osiris Guzman, president of Dominican Republic soccer, goes in another direction, comparing Blatter to Jesus Christ, Nelson Mandela, and Winston Churchill. “Why is he different from these other men?” demands Guzman, whom Fifa banned from soccer for 30 days in a 2011 vote-­buying scandal. For good measure, he adds Moses, Martin Luther King Jr., and Abraham Lincoln.

Read the rest here.

Here’s some topical-again analysis about Fifa’s mechanics for a US audience, from John Oliver in June 2014. “Think of money as pubic hair, and Fifa as wax.”

Meanwhile, Sunshine Newspaper’s Jack Warner has issued a statement about “certain developments in world football”. He writes:

It has been reported that a number of Fifa officials have been arrested in Switzerland and that at least one raid conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigators in Miami is being executed at what I presume to be Concacaf offices. My name is being reported by international media as being one of those persons sought in connection with the probe.

The people of Trinidad and Tobago will know that I quit Fifa and international football more than four years ago and that over the past several years I have recommitted my life to the work of improving the lot of every citizen of every creed and race in this nation. This is where I have let my bucket down.

I have fought fearlessly against all forms of injustice and corruption.

I have been afforded no due process and I have not even been questioned in this matter. I reiterate that I am innocent of any charges. I have walked away from the politics of world football to immerse myself in the improvement of lives in this country where I shall, God willing, die.

The actions of Fifa no longer concern me. I cannot help but note however that these cross-border coordinated actions come at a time when Fifa is assembled for elections to select a President who is universally disliked by the international community. At times such as this it is my experience that the large world powers typically take actions to affect world football. World football is an enormous international business.

That is no longer my concern. My sole focus at this stage of my life is on the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

I wish to advise the hundreds of thousands of persons who support the ILP that my commitment to them and to the people of Trinidad and Tobago is undaunted and can never be broken.

Owen Gibson has the names of the 10 individuals, all currently listed as current Fifa executive committee members, who will now be questioned by Swiss authorities over the 2018/22 World Cup bids. Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, as Swiss residents, are not included, but will also presumably be questioned.

They are: Issa Hayatou (president of the Confederation of African Football), Angel Maria Villar Llona (Spain), Michel D’Hooghe (Belgium), Senes Erzik (Turkey), Worawi Makudi (Thailand), Marios Lefkaritis (Cyprus), Jacques Anouma (Ivory Coast), Rafael Salguero (Guatemala), Hany Abo Rida (Egypt) and Vitaly Mutko (Russia – head of the 2018 World Cup and sports minister).

Meanwhile, a search is under way in Miami at the Concacaf headquarters.

On a devastating day for Fifa, 24 hours before their congress opens, Swiss authorities in Zurich arrested seven officials for alleged racketeering, conspiracy and corruption. The US Department of Justice said the Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb was among those arrested, alongside Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel and José Maria Marin.

In total nine Fifa officials and five corporate executives have been indicted.

The US attorney general Loretta Lynch said the indictment alleged “corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States” and that it “spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks”.

In a separate move, Swiss authorities opened criminal proceedings over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. A statement from the Swiss attorney general said they seized electronic data from Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich and opened criminal proceedings against individuals on “the suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups”.

Fifa spokesman Walter de Gregorio faced the press alone and said the congress and the presidential election were due to go ahead as planned, and there was no question of restaging the votes for the World Cup hosting rights. He said Sepp Blatter was feeling “relaxed” about the day’s developments because he was “not involved in them at all”, before clarifying: “Well he is not dancing in his office. He is very calm, he is fully co-operative with everything. That’s what I meant. He’s not a happy man, saying wow wow.”

De Gregorio concluded: “This for Fifa is good. It is not good in terms of image or reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, this is good … It is not a nice day, but it is also a good day. The process goes on and we are looking forward.”

Fifa, meanwhile, has issued its own statement on today’s events, mirroring Walter de Gregorio’s press conference line that this is, despite what you might read elsewhere, a really good day for Fifa.

Fifa welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football ... We are pleased to see that the investigation is being energetically pursued for the good of football and believe that it will help to reinforce measures that Fifa has already taken.

The FA’s chairman Greg Dyke has issued a statement, calling today’s arrests “very serious for Fifa and its current leadership”.

As one of the associations who nominated [presidential election challenger] Prince Ali it will not surprise you to learn that if the election for president goes ahead the FA will be voting for him. However, there must be a question mark over whether the election should take place in these circumstances. Clearly things are changing very quickly and our delegation to the Fifa congress in Zurich, which I am leading, will discuss the position and what we should do about it with our colleagues in Uefa when we meet tomorrow morning.”

Meanwhile, here’s how the news of the dawn raids was broken earlier today by the New York Times journalist Matt Apuzzo.

Among those on the charged list, 86-year-old Nicolás Leoz, the former Fifa executive and Conmebol president. Leoz - named in court in 2008 as having received bribes in Fifa’s unrelated ISL scandal - spoke in 2013 about the new allegations he faced related to his World Cup bid conduct: “A while ago the press in England were at it, now the German press do it. I don’t know. What is it that drives these people?”

Retiring from football that year he said: “I’m retiring with the tranquility and knowledge of having done a sincere, honest job … I’ve not stolen so much as a cent.”

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Among the other key lines from the US Department of Justice’s statement on the charging of 14 defendants with “racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, among other offences, in connection with the defendants’ participation in a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer”:

• The guilty pleas of four individual defendants and two corporate defendants were unsealed today - including that of Chuck Blazer.
  
• Besides football executives, the list includes “US and South American sports marketing executives who are alleged to have systematically paid and agreed to pay well over $150 million in bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative media and marketing rights to international soccer tournaments.”

US attorney general Loretta Lynch added that the pattern of alleged corruption had “profoundly harmed a multitude of victims, from the youth leagues and developing countries that should benefit from the revenue generated by the commercial rights these organisations hold, to the fans at home and throughout the world whose support for the game makes those rights valuable. Today’s action makes clear that this Department of Justice intends to end any such corrupt practices, to root out misconduct, and to bring wrongdoers to justice – and we look forward to continuing to work with other countries in this effort.”

FBI Director James Comey said: “As charged in the indictment, the defendants fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world. Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks, and bribes became a way of doing business at Fifa. I want to commend the investigators and prosecutors around the world who have pursued this case so diligently, for so many years.”

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More from the US Department of Justice’s statement, which revealed that Fifa’s vice-president Jeffrey Webb was among those arrested early this morning. The US attorney general Loretta Lynch said the indictment alleged “corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States” and that it “spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks”.

Today’s developments follow yesterday’s news that 69.2% of 35,000 fans polled by Transparency International and Forza football have no confidence in Fifa. Or maybe more interestingly, 30.8% do.

• To clarify that - of the 30.8%, 14% answered “don’t know”.

Meanwhile, the number of defendants arrested in Zurich has increased to seven, according to the US Department of Justice.

Earlier this morning, Swiss authorities in Zurich arrested seven of the defendants charged in the indictment, the defendants Jeffrey Webb, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel and José Maria Marin, at the request of the United States. Also this morning, a search warrant is being executed at CONCACAF headquarters in Miami, Florida.

Jack Warner appearing on the US Department of Justice list is another blow for one of Fifa’s most got-at ex-officials. He denies wrongdoing, and he’s been consistent on that. Last year he called bribery allegations “press foolishness” – a repeat of 2010’s “BBC foolishness”, 2013’s speculation over his future: “You asked me once and I said that is foolishness. I will say again, that is foolishness”; and 2012’s early rumours of an FBI inquiry: “It’s damn foolishness … I will sue to the high heavens … It will be court after court after court.”

Warner set up his own newspaper in Trinidad in 2013 to counter what he called years of “unholy”, “dirty” press smears. He said at the launch: “Truth, when crushed to the ground, will always rise … A new weekly newspaper shall be launched – Sunshine Newspaper – bringing new hope to your lives.” Enjoy the back issues here.

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The press conference is over - we’ll have more analysis of what was said shortly. De Gregorio, sent out to face the media on his own, concludes by thanking journalists for coming “at such short notice”. His main message: “Today is a good day for Fifa”.

Among the arrests, as a side-note:

Webb was re-elected unopposed at last month’s Concacaf congress, attended by Blatter. Also at that event, the confederation’s vice-president Captain Horace Burrell was re-elected unopposed. It meant that Burrell, banned for six months in the 2011 bribery scandal, kept his committee roles, including chair of Concacaf’s finance committee; chair of the legal committee overseeing compliance and integrity; and vice‑chair of the security and fair play committee, “supervising the conduct of everyone involved in football within the Concacaf region”.

Is Blatter really relaxed? “Well he is not dancing in his office. He is very calm, he is fully co-operative with everything. That’s what I meant. He’s not a happy man, saying wow wow.”

So none of this then.

And back in Zurich...

The US Department of Justice statement names nine Fifa officials and five “corporate executives” who have been indicted for “racketeering conspiracy and corruption”. The statement lists the individuals as:

Jeffrey Webb: Current Fifa vice-president and executive committee member, Concacaf president, Caribbean Football Union (CFU) executive committee member and Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) president.

Eduardo Li: Current Fifa executive committee member-elect, Concacaf executive committee member and Costa Rican soccer federation (FEDEFUT) president.

Julio Rocha: Current Fifa development officer. Former Central American Football Union (UNCAF) president and Nicaraguan soccer federation (FENIFUT) president.

Costas Takkas: Current attaché to the Concacaf president. Former CIFA general secretary.

Jack Warner: Former Fifa vice-president and executive committee member, Concacaf president, CFU president and Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) special adviser.

Eugenio Figueredo: Current Fifa vice-president and executive committee member. Former Conmebol president and Uruguayan soccer federation (AUF) president.

Rafael Esquivel: Current Conmebol executive committee member and Venezuelan soccer federation (FVF) president.

José Maria Marin: Current member of the Fifa organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments. Former CBF president.

Nicolás Leoz: Former Fifa executive committee member and Conmebol president.

Four of the defendants were sports marketing executives:

Alejandro Burzaco: Controlling principal of Torneos y Competencias SA, a sports marketing business based in Argentina, and its affiliates.

Aaron Davidson: President of Traffic Sports USA Inc (Traffic USA).

Hugo and Mariano Jinkis: Controlling principals of Full Play Group SA, a sports marketing business based in Argentina, and its affiliates.

Meanwhile, as the press conference continues, this from the US:

How can Sepp Blatter continue in power? “He is not involved. That is important information.” Have you spoken to him since the arrests? “He is focused on the congress. Let’s put it like this. The stress factor is higher today than yesterday but he is relaxed. He is not involved. All the rest, he’ll accept what will happen.”

De Gregorio is asked: is this the lowest moment in Fifa’s history? “This for Fifa is good. It is not good in terms of image or reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, this is good … It is not a nice day, but it is also a good day. The process goes on and we are looking forward.”

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De Gregorio says he cannot confirm how many serving executives have been arrested, and says there will be no re-vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. “The World Cups will be played in Russia and Qatar.”

Fifa’s spokesperson says world football’s governing body will respond to all requests for information, and draws attention to the attorney general’s line that “Fifa is the damaged party” in the World Cup investigation. Walter de Gregorio repeats that Fifa’s general secretary Jérôme Valcke and president Sepp Blatter are not involved. He adds: “Fifa are suffering in these circumstances. It is a difficult moment for us.”

Fifa’s congress will go ahead as planned - and De Gregorio says there is “no plan” to postpone the presidential election.

Follow Fifa’s delayed press conference here.

As we wait for the conference, some background on one of those detained in the FBI inquiry, the former Brazil FA president José Maria Marin. In 2012 Marin faced more awkward headlines after footage showed him apparently pocketing a medal during a presentation ceremony. He denied wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, our lead story has been updated with the latest developments from a dramatic morning.

Fifa’s press conference in Zurich - which was due at 10am - has been delayed by ten minutes. Spokesperson Walter de Gregorio will face questions over the multiple arrests in two different criminal investigations, and over the status of Friday’s presidential election, amid reports that Sepp Blatter is now lobbying for a postponement.

Footage is coming in of this morning’s arrests.

Along with some reaction.

Fifa are facing an unprecedented crisis on the eve of their congress in Zurich after Swiss authorities made early-morning arrests of six officials and opened separate criminal proceedings over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

• Officers carried out a dawn raid on the five-star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich and arrested a number of officials on corruption charges, including Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb from the Cayman Islands.
  
• In a separate move, officers raided Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich, seized electronic data and opened criminal proceedings “against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups,” said a statement from the Swiss attorney general.
• Authorities have confirmed that today’s developments involve two separate proceedings.

The office of the Swiss attorney general has announced it is now questioning 10 Fifa executives who took part in voting on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids. A statement says criminal proceedings have opened “against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups”.