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Zurich (AFP) – Former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb has been banned from all football-related activities for life by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee, world football’s governing body confirmed on Friday.
Webb was found guilty of charges including conflicts of interest and bribery and corruption. He was also fined one million Swiss francs ($1.024 million).
The 51-year-old, who was also previously the president of the Football Association of his native Cayman Islands, had been provisionally suspended in May 2015 after being placed under investigation.
The 51-year-old Cayman Islands-British citizen, who had been close to disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, was among those arrested in a dawn raid at a Zurich luxury hotel in May last year by Swiss police acting on a US warrant.
The raid led to the downfall of Blatter and the uncovering of a huge bribery and corruption scandal at the top of world football.
In November last year Webb pleaded guilty in a New York court to racketeering, conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering.
He promised to forfeit more than $6.7 million in assets and was confined to house arrest. He is expected to be formally sentenced later this year.

Disgraced ex-CONCACAF president Webb banned for life

Disgraced ex-CONCACAF president Webb banned for life - World Soccer Talk

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Miami (AFP) – Former NBA executive Philippe Moggio has been appointed as the new general secretary of CONCACAF, it was announced Thursday, in the latest move designed to help improve the scandal-tainted organization’s image.
Moggio, the NBA’s former senior vice president and managing director for Latin America, will also serve as CONCACAF’s chief executive when he starts work on June 13, a statement said.
CONCACAF, the governing body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, has been battered by allegations of corruption in the year since US justice authorities launched a series of raids targeting graft in world football.
The last three presidents of CONCACAF — Honduras’s Alfredo Hawit, Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands and Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago — have all been indicted in the US on corruption charges.
The appointment of Moggio, a respected administrator from outside the sphere of football, is part of exhaustive reforms launched by CONCACAF aimed at cleaning up the organization’s reputation.
“As the Confederation continues reforming its corporate governance structure, the key appointment of Philippe Moggio as general secretary adds yet another layer of stability to our business operations, allowing us to better serve our member associations, partners and fans of the world’s greatest game,” CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani said in a statement.
“Philippe is an outstanding leader who brings a broad vision, passion, creativity, and strong sports marketing experience that will enable the Confederation to continue developing football throughout the region.”
Moggio said in the statement he was looking forward to building on CONCACAF’s reforms.
“My focus is to continue implementing the reforms while leading the front office in strengthening our business performance to further position CONCACAF as a leading sports organization,” the French-Colombian native added.
Before working with the NBA, Moggio spent nearly 10 years working in investment banking covering the United States and Latin America, for Banc of America Securities and ABN AMRO/ING Barings.

Former NBA executive hired as CONCACAF chief

Former NBA executive hired as CONCACAF chief - World Soccer Talk

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Mexico City (AFP) – Canada’s Victor Montagliani was elected on Thursday as president of the football confederation of North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), vowing to “clean-up” the corruption-plagued organization.
Montagliani’s three predecessors all fell under graft allegations, making him CONCACAF’s fourth president in five years.
“We must start to clean up CONCACAF with these reforms (passed in February), but we know that this cleansing is not something that will happen in one or two days,” he said at a news conference following his election.
“I think you can’t totally get rid of this possibility (of wrongdoing). It’s impossible. I do think that with the new statutes and a new culture, we’ll succeed in making sure that what happened in the last years will not happen again,” he said in Spanish.
The 50-year-old head of the Canadian Soccer Association also invoked the 2026 World Cup, saying the United States, Mexico and Canada must collaborate to ensure that the tournament returns to CONCACAF.
Montagliani defeated Bermuda football chief Larry Mussenden in a 25-16 vote by members of CONCACAF during a congress in Mexico City. It was the first time that a president was elected in a secret ballot.
Prior to Thursday’s secret vote, he had been backed by the United States, Mexico, Canada, the seven Central American associations and four from the Caribbean (Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic).&nbsp;
His three predecessors were ensnared in the corruption scandal that has rocked FIFA, world football’s governing body.
Longtime chief Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago, who resigned in 2011, is currently fighting against extradition to the United States after being indicted for racketeering and conspiracy.
Jeffrey Webb, who succeeded Warner, pleaded guilty to racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud last year after being extradited from Switzerland.
Alfredo Hawit, who is from Honduras, was arrested in Switzerland in December and extradited to the United States a month later.
Hawit appeared in a New York court last month and pleaded guilty to four criminal charges, including racketeering and wire fraud in connection with the FIFA scandal.

– Focus on World Cup 2026 –

Montagliani, who has worked in insurance, has headed Canada’s football association since 2012 and serves on the FIFA reform committee.&nbsp;
After his election, Montagliani turned his attention to the 2026 World Cup, saying that the United States, Canada and Mexico — all interested in hosting it — should meet to ensure the tournament returns to the region.
The United States hosted the World Cup in 1994 while Mexico had it twice in 1970 and 1986. Canada hosted the Women’s World Cup last year.
Each country’s candidacy is “very strong in their own right” but they need a “collaborative strategy to make sure we bring the World Cup back to CONCACAF in 2026,” Montagliani.
He did not specify whether the countries should consider a joint bid but sources have indicated that the United States and Canada may team up.
The FIFA Council announced this week that it will announce the host of the 2026 World Cup in May 2020.

CONCACAF's new Canadian chief vows to 'clean it up'

CONCACAF's new Canadian chief vows to 'clean it up' - World Soccer Talk

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Mexico City (AFP) – The scandal-plagued football confederation of North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) will pick a new president on Thursday, after its last three leaders faced corruption allegations.
CONCACAF members will meet in Mexico City to choose a new leader some five months after its last president, Alfredo Hawit, was arrested in December.
The two finalists for the job — Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani and Bermuda Football Association president Larry Mussenden — have both vowed to clean up the organization.
Antigua and Barbuda official Gordon Derrick, who had been seeking the presidency, was barred from running last month after a background check by world football governing body FIFA, which did not reveal the reason for his exclusion.
CONCACAF has been at the heart of the global corruption scandal engulfing world football since May last year.
Long-time CONCACAF president Jack Warner, from Trinidad and Tobago, is currently fighting against extradition to the United States after being indicted for racketeering and conspiracy.
Jeffrey Webb, who succeeded Warner, pleaded guilty to racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud last year after being extradited from Switzerland.
Hawit, who is from Honduras and was extradited from Switzerland in January, appeared in a New York court last month and pleaded guilty to four criminal charges, including racketeering and wire fraud in connection with the FIFA scandal.
While the regional grouping will pick a new leader, FIFA will hold a Congress on Thursday and Friday during which new president Gianni Infantino will push reforms to clean up world football.

– Montagliani: backed by big nations –

Montagliani, 50, has headed Canada’s football association since 2012 and serves on the FIFA reform committee.&nbsp;
He has the backing of the United States, Mexico, Canada, the seven Central American associations and four from the Caribbean (Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic).&nbsp;
Montagliani, who has worked in the insurance business, has vowed to bring more transparency at CONCACAF, starting from the top.
The scandals “have sullied our sport and badly undermined the public’s trust in football’s governing bodies,” Montagliani wrote in an open letter announcing his candidacy in February.
He said the game must be “governed in a principled and professional way that, above all else, protects the integrity of the game.”
He has also said the organization, which groups 41 football association, must be less fragmented between the interests of its different regions.

– Mussenden: A former cop&nbsp;–

Mussenden is a former justice minister who has led the football association of the small island of Bermuda since 2010. He previously held the job between 2001-2008.
He once worked as a police officer and trained as a lawyer specializing in criminal law.
“CONCACAF has recently experienced what is arguably the darkest period in its proud history,” he wrote in a manifesto last month.&nbsp;
“We must now seize the opportunity to make the Federation great again, to make it a role model of integrity, sound governance, inspired leadership and, above all, excellence in football.”
He pledged to ensure that CONCACAF becomes a “democratic” and transparent organization, and recover some of the $190 million seized by US authorities to share it among member associations.

CONCACAF to pick new chief after leader arrested

CONCACAF to pick new chief after leader arrested - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_165021" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/mexicos-Decio-De-Maria.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-165021" loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2016/02/mexicos-Decio-De-Maria-600x400-600x400.webp" alt="Photo credit: AFP" width="600" height="400" class="size-large wp-image-165021" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a>Photo credit: AFP</div>
CONCACAF approved major reforms on Wednesday, part of the body’s effort to move past a series of devastating scandals, as it confirmed it will not vote as a block in FIFA’s presidential election.
The confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, which has been at the center of the crisis within world football, said its new governance measures would help curb graft.
The goal is “to make sure that the organization doesn’t operate in a way that others can use for their own financial gain, fraud or criminality,” Samir Ghandi, CONCACAF’s legal advisor, told reporters.
Two of the body’s former presidents, Jack Warner and Jeffrey Webb, have been charged with corruption by the US justice department.
SEE MORE: <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2016/02/22/ussf-continuing-blazer-era-closed-shop-due-to-soccer-media-giving-them-a-free-ride/">USSF continuing Chuck Blazer-era closed shop due to soccer media giving them a ‘free ride’</a>
Ghandi conceded that years of mismanagement had hit the organization hard, and that following Webb’s arrest in May, CONCACAF learned that it had just over $2 million (1.8 million euros) in available cash.
“That is a very, very low amount,” Ghandi said, adding that CONCACAF had repaired its finances in recent months, with an estimated $28 million (25.4 million euros) of cash now available.
The confederation has cancelled at least 18 partnerships agreed by previous regimes, and on Thursday passed reforms that aim to bolster financial transparency, including stronger independent auditing and term limits for key executives.
Those moves came a day ahead of the FIFA election which many believe will be crucial in determining whether world football as a whole can clean up corruption.
A CONCACAF spokesman told journalists that unlike other regional confederations, the body would not endorse any candidate in Friday’s vote.
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The head of the Canadian soccer association, Victor Montagliani, who is running for the CONCACAF presidency, noted that questions regarding the involvement in possible human rights violations by leading candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa raised concerns.
“If those allegations are true it’s a pretty uncomfortable situation,” Montagliani said.
Human rights groups have accused Sheikh Salman of being involved in the arrest and torture of footballers involved in the 2011 civil protests when he was head of the Bahrain Football Association.
Sheikh Salman, who heads the Asian Football Confederation, has denied all wrongdoing.
“I’m sure if the allegations turn into more than allegations, whether (the sheikh) is in office or not, he is going to have to face the music,” Montagliani said.
Some have said concerns over Sheikh Salman’s background could hurt him in the race in which he is seen as a front-runner facing a strong challenge from Gianni Infantino, the acting head of European football.

CONCACAF adopts reforms; Agrees no block FIFA endorsement

CONCACAF adopts reforms; Agrees no block FIFA endorsement - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_161953" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/concacaf-referees.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-161953" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-161953" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2016/01/concacaf-referees-600x404-600x404.webp" alt="Photo credit: AFP." width="600" height="404" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a>Photo credit: AFP.</div>
Controversial calls and admitted referee errors that helped Mexico win last year’s Gold Cup have led to a restructured referee department for soccer’s governing body in North America. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced changes Wednesday after releasing a 5 1/2-month review of its referee department in the wake of last July’s Gold Cup.
CONCACAF seeks a new director of refereeing and will boost pay for referees as well as change the method of appointing officials of matches to fall in line with FIFA guidelines.
“We are committed to making the necessary improvements to our referee department to ensure it operates effectively,” CONCACAF acting general secretary Ted Howard said.
In last July’s Gold Cup, American referee Mark Geiger admitted making errors after being challenged by losing players and officials over game-changing calls during Mexico’s 2-1 semifinal win over Panama.
“This is a big robbery,” Panama coach Hernan Dario Gomez said of the defeat. “It was robbery at gunpoint. It’s a very sad thing to say. We were robbed.”
That followed Mexico’s 1-0 quarterfinal win over Costa Rica when El Tri scored the lone goal off a dubious penalty deep into injury time after 120 minutes.
The CONCACAF report overseen by Howard found “no clear or convincing evidence of match fixing or an intentional effort to affect the results” and said the Gold Cup decisions “could be attributed to simple mistakes, errors in positioning, and/or lack of concentration.”
CONCACAF said the appointment process for match referees “has led to mistakes, valid criticism from many stakeholders, and information leaks” and dubbed labor disputes by the referee group during the Gold Cup “an unnecessary distraction for the referees at a critical time.”
Referees had not received a pay boost from CONCACAF in recent years but will implement new financial terms for referees and other match officials.
“These changes will provide our referees, officials, and assessors with the proper structure, training, and support to carry out their responsibilities on the field,” Howard said.

CONCACAF announces referee reform after Gold Cup blunders

CONCACAF announces referee reform after Gold Cup blunders - World Soccer Talk

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CONCACAF announced yesterday it is discontinuing its participation with COMNEBOL regarding the Copa Sudamericana. CONCACAF will continue to send teams to the more prestigious Copa Libertadores. “We regret that Mexico’s Copa Sudamericana designees Monterrey and Puebla will not participate in the tournament due to CONCACAF’s decision,” CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said. “However, we hope that both teams will have opportunity to participate in future CONCACAF competitions.” This is surely a disappointment to Puebla who would have participated in their first COMNEBOL event. CONCACAF however has stepped up its game with the Champions League and will continue to use Interliga to qualify teams for the Copa Libertadoras. This certainly helps MLS and SUM as the one way through to a South American competition from CONCACAF runs through an MLS/SUM run event.
CONCACAF has given the US a special exemption to expand the Gold Cup squad to 30 members due to the tight turnaround the national team faced.”In light of the consecutive competitions, the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup, with the objective of providing the best performance possible for the public, and in recognition that the back-to-back tournaments strain players and their clubs, CONCACAF will give permission to any team who also is participating in the Confederations Cup in the same year to enlarge their roster to 30 from the 23 already permitted,” CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said.
“This year, we have the Confederations Cup ending just five days before the start of the Gold Cup. This allowance will be extended to any team in the future that finds itself in the same situation.”
While this works out well for the USA and avoids the situation faced in 2005 by Mexico who sent an awful team to the Gold Cup after playing in the Confederations Cup, this is sure to irk the other participants in the tournament who had congested schedules including Central America and Caribbean qualifying for this event coupled with World Cup qualifying.
It is also worth noting that Mexico is once again sending a watered down squad to the Gold Cup despite not qualifying for this summer’s Confederations Cup. It seems that the FMF will only send a serious “A” team to the Gold Cup when a berth in the Confederations Cup is actually on the line for the winner. CONCACAF should take some action towards the FMF to ensure they send a squad with more international experience to the regional championship. (The emphasis of the FMF on COMNEBOL tournaments such as Copa America over the Gold Cup has also been disappointing from the CONCACAF perspective.) This having been said, the inclusion of Gio Dos Santos and Carlos Vela along with an aging Gerrado Torrado as well as an out of form Omar Bravo still make Mexico among the teams to beat despite the lack of international pedigree of the remainder of the named squad.
Mexico has advanced out of the group stage of every World Cup, Gold Cup or Copa America they have participated in since 1993. That’s a remarkable record that speaks to the depth of the Mexican player pool when you consider this is far from the first time Mexico has submitted this sort of roster for a major tournament.
We’ll have a full Gold Cup Preview tomorrow on the site.

CONCACAF News & Thoughts

CONCACAF News &amp; Thoughts - World Soccer Talk

Latest news from CONCACAF. Find out about all the news related to CONCACAF on worldsoccertalk.com