FIFA Report - Havelange Quits Over ISL Findings; Blatter Cleared

(ATR) FIFA says the case is closed on the ISL bribery scandal, with president Sepp Blatter cleared by the Ethics Committee but his predecessor Joao Havelange quite the opposite.

Along with former Ex-Co members Ricardo Teixeira and Nicolas Leoz, the ex-FIFA chief from Brazil is among the officials found to have taken millions of dollars in illegal payments throughout the 1990s from International Sports and Leisure, the former marking partner of world football’s governing body.

Teixeira, another elder statesman of Brazilian football, quit the sport last year, and Leoz of Paraguay, former president of CONMEBOL, followed suit last week.

Havelange, 96, resigned as a member of the IOC in 2011 and now as an honorary president of FIFA on Tuesday following Monday’s release of the ISL findings.

"I have taken note of the report from the chairman of the FIFA Ethics Committee, Hans-Joachim Eckert, regarding the examination of the ISL case," Blatter said in a statement.

"I note in particular that, in his conclusions, chairman Eckert states that 'the ISL case is concluded for the Ethics Committee' and that 'no further proceedings related to the ISL matter are warranted against any other football official.’"

He also welcomed the finding that "President Blatter's conduct could not be classified in any way as misconduct with regard to any ethics rules".

Mark Pieth, chairman of the Independent Governance Committee, or the other half of the two-chamber Ethics Committee, also welcomed Monday’s report.

"The ICG welcomes the comprehensive and professional report by Judge Eckert. An Ethics Committee that is able to report on past incidents was one of the important reform steps that resulted from the work of the IGC," he said in a statement.

"As a result of the on-going governance reform, it would be far less likely that senior management would be able to ignore wrongdoing within the organization."

All told, Havelange received at least $1.5 million in kickbacks from ISL, according to Monday’s report, and Teixeira more than $12 million.

"The acceptance of bribe money by Havelange, Teixeira and Leoz was not punishable under Swiss criminal law at that time," explained Eckert.

"I agree with that determination. However, it is clear that Havelange and Teixeira, as football officials, should not have accepted any bribe money, and should have had to pay it back since the money was in connection with the exploitation of media rights."

Because all three are no longer associated with FIFA, however, "any further steps or suggestions are superfluous," wrote Eckert.

"No further proceedings related to the ISL matter are warranted against any other football official."

Written by Matthew Grayson.

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