FIFA informant banned from soccer for life


Former FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer, 70, has been banned from "taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level," ESPN reports. The ban, issued by FIFA's ethics committee, accuses Blazer of "many acts of misconduct" during his time at FIFA, soccer's global governing body, and as the general secretary of the CONCACAF confederation, a regional affiliate for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Blazer most notably pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to vote for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup. An American, Blazer aided the FBI as an undercover informer after being arrested in 2011. Without the plea bargain, he could have faced up to 75 years in jail.
The U.S. Justice Department indicted 14 FIFA officials on charges of corruption in May.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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