The Swiss justice ministry on Wednesday granted a U.S. request to extradite Venezuelan football official Rafael Esquivel in a FIFA bribery investigation, according to the AP. The Swiss ministry said in a statement that Esquivel is "accused of receiving bribes worth millions of dollars in connection with the sale of marketing rights" to the Copa América tournaments in '07, '15, '16, '19 and '23. Esquivel was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in May and "faces 20 years in prison on racketeering charges." He can appeal the extradition decision within 30 days. He is the third person whose extradition from Switzerland to the U.S. has been approved (AP, 9/23).
GLOBAL TOUR: The PA's Martyn Ziegler reported UEFA President Michel Platini's campaign for the FIFA presidency will "kick off in earnest next month with a global tour that will see him visit countries in five out of the six continents before Christmas." He plans to visit the U.S., Thailand, Japan, Myanmar and New Zealand as well as the Asian football awards in New Delhi and a meeting of African football's leaders in Cairo. He will "also have visits within Europe." Platini is "expected to launch his manifesto in the second half of October" -- either in France or in a country outside of Europe. He also "plans to appoint a campaign team to work on the FIFA presidential contest to ensure that UEFA officials are not involved" (PA, 9/22). REUTERS' Brian Homewood reported Nigerian businessman Orji Uzor Kalu has become the "latest person to consider making a bid" for the presidency of FIFA as it "struggles to emerge from a corruption scandal." His Washington-based spokesperson Sam Amsterdam said in a statement that Kalu, a businessman with oil, tourism and other interests in West Africa and former governor of Abia state, is "carefully deliberating upon the decision" to stand as a successor to outgoing FIFA President Sepp Blatter (REUTERS, 9/22). The AP reported FIFA's African VP, Issa Hayatou, said that he is "not publicly backing a candidate in the election" to succeed Blatter. The Confederation of African Football has seemed "unlikely to unite behind its own contender, though it has more than one-quarter of FIFA's member federations." South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale said last month that he is "weighing all options" before the Oct. 26 deadline to be nominated by five of the 209 FIFA members. Hayatou: "It's a decision for Africa to support a candidate. It's not for me to support someone" (AP, 9/23).
UEFA APPOINTS INVESTIGATOR: WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER's Mark Bisson reported Frantisek Laurinec has been appointed to be UEFA's envoy to Crimea. He led UEFA's first inspection visit to Crimea in March to "examine its football infrastructure and to hold discussions about establishing a regional championship." UEFA is assessing "how to set up an independent football structure in Crimea, following its annexation from Russia." It would combine the football federations in Crimea and Sevastopol and "be under the temporary jurisdiction of UEFA" (WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER, 9/22).
PELE, ROMARIO SPEAK OUT: GOAL's Dom Farrell reported Pele has urged Blatter to give an "honest account of his time in charge of FIFA." Pele is a member of FIFA's football committee, "which has not met for several years." He said, "I don't know exactly what happened, you hear but you do not know, but after what has happened in the last two years, he [Blatter] deserves to be honest and say the truth of what he has seen" (GOAL, 9/23). GOAL's Dejan Kalinic reported former Brazilian footballer Romario said that he "prays every day" for Blatter to be arrested. The 49-year-old former striker, a 1994 World Cup winner, has "moved into politics and has taken a staunch anti-corruption stance." Romario: "FIFA is corrupt and at its heart is a cartel. Some of them have been arrested and others will follow. I hope and pray every day that Blatter will be one of them" (GOAL, 9/23).
