FIFA just named its first-ever female secretary general
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FIFA appointed Fatma Samoura as the secretary general of soccer's international governing body Friday. The former United Nations diplomat is the first woman and the first African to hold the title, Quartz reports.
"It is essential for FIFA to incorporate fresh perspectives — from outside the traditional pool of football executives — as we continue to restore and rebuild our organization," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
FIFA was rocked by scandal in May 2015, when the U.S. indicted several top-ranking officials on charges of corruption. Samoura's predecessor, Jérôme Valcke, was fired amid a related ethics investigation.
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Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.
