Trending News|June 02, 2015 04:25 EDT
FIFA Scandal News: Regional Football Executives Suspended, FIFA Officials Threaten to Leave
The continuing fallout from the US-led investigation of corruption charges levied on FIFA officials claimed a few more heads as CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America, and the Caribbean Association Football) general secretary Enrique Sanz, along with two football officials from Africa were provisionally banned by FIFA's ethics committee, Reuters reports.
According to the report Sanz was suspended following investigations by FIFA's own ethics committee, which also banned Congolese Football Association (FECAFOOT) officials Jean Guy Blaise and Badji Mombo Wantete.
Last Wednesday, CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb, and his associate Costas Takkas were among the FIFA officials arrested in Zurich, Switzerland by US and Swiss authorities on corruption charges.
Previously, Sanz was already placed "on leave" by CONCACAF, but on Monday, the regional body announced that it had taken action to provisionally ban the Colombian native from all CONCACAF-related activities.
Meanwhile, a couple of FIFA officials are set to voluntarily leave their posts citing lack of reforms. English Football Association board member Heather Rabbatts, as reported by Reuters, said she is withdrawing from FIFA's task force against racism and discrimination.
"Like many in the game, I find it unacceptable that so little has been done to reform FIFA. It is clear from the re-election of president Blatter that the challenges facing FIFA and the ongoing damage to the reputation of football's world governing body are bound to continue to overshadow and undermine the credibility of any work in the anti-racism arena and beyond," Rabbatts said in a statement."
Michel D'Hooghe, the longest serving member of FIFA's Executive Committee has also threatened to quit unless reforms are made.
"I cannot reconcile myself with an institution where I work, where I have carried medical responsibility for 27 years and about which I now learn that there is a lot of corruption. My conclusion is very clear: I will no longer continue to participate (in FIFA) under such conditions. So, it is high time for change to come and we will see over the coming days what may happen," the 69-year-old D'Hooghe said, who has been a member of the committee since 1988.