FIFA has completed a "22-month internal inquiry into allegations of high-level corruption and criminal misconduct that buffeted world football" and handed its report to Swiss authorities, the organization said on Friday, according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, "FIFA will now return its focus to the game, for fans and players throughout the world." FIFA said that more than 2.5 million documents were reviewed during the investigation and that "the report it shared with Swiss authorities ran to 1,300 pages and included more than 20,000 pages" of "exhibits," or documentation. The investigation began after several dozen football officials, mainly from Latin America, were indicted in the U.S. in '15 on corruption-related charges, "sparking the worst crisis in FIFA's 113-year history." FIFA said that its report "would also be made available to U.S. investigators" (REUTERS, 3/31). In London, Ralph Atkins reported under its new leadership, FIFA "has sought to portray itself as the victim of corruption by its officials." It has offered to "co-operate fully with official investigations on both sides of the Atlantic" and its submission on Friday was part of that strategy. Infantino said that FIFA expected the authorities would "continue to pursue those who enriched themselves and abused their positions of trust in football." Alongside U.S. corruption probes, Swiss authorities are investigating the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and launched criminal proceedings against former President Sepp Blatter (FINANCIAL TIMES, 3/31).
