SPORTS SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016 FIFA offices raided, Infantino not being investigated

ZURICH: FIFA President Gianni Infantino is not under investi- gation after the headquarters of soccer’s governing body was searched as part of an ongoing investigation, Swiss authorities said yesterday. The Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) said documents and electronic data had been seized the pre- vious day. It said the investigation concerned people named in previous statements and also unknown suspects in the cor- ruption probe that has engulfed FIFA over the past year. “As part of the ongoing criminal investigations in the FIFA affair, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) carried out a search of FIFA’s headquarters on 2 June 2016 with the aim of confirming existing findings and obtaining further information,” the OAG said in a statement. FIFA was not immediately available for comment. This week FIFA’s ethics committee said there were no formal proceedings against Infantino, the recently-elected president of soccer’s global body, after a German newspaper reported that he was facing a provisional ban for unethical conduct. The committee would not confirm or deny whether prelim- inary investigations had taken place. German newspaper Die Welt said on Thursday that Infantino, elected in February, was facing investigation over possible ethics breaches. “We are not in a position to indicate if we have or have not preliminary investigatory proceedings against an individual,” said the ethics committee’s investigatory chamber in a statement to Reuters. “We would, however, like to point out that there are no formal proceedings going on against Mr. Infantino.” Die Welt said it had seen emails suggesting that Infantino had ordered senior FIFA officials to delete recordings of a con- ZURICH: File shows former FIFA president Sepp Blatter looking on as fake dollar notes fly around him, thrown by a troversial meeting of the FIFA Council, formerly the executive British comedian during a press conference at the FIFA world-body headquarters in Zurich. Former FIFA President Sepp committee, before last month’s Mexico City Congress. FIFA Blatter and two deputies ‘enriched themselves’ with $80 million, the FIFA announced yesterday. —AFP was swept into new controversy when the Congress in Mexico passed a resolution giving the FIFA Council the power to appoint or dismiss members of its independent watchdog. This effectively gave the Council, headed by Infantino, the right to fire ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert and ethics Di Matteo named as investigator Cornel Borbely and the head of the audit and compliance committee, Domenico Scala. Scala, who had over- seen the FIFA reforms, resigned in protest the following day. new Villa’s manager Former UEFA general secretary Infantino replaced Sepp Blatter in February promising to clean up an organization taint- ed by years of corruption and scandal. Criminal investigations LONDON: Roberto Di Matteo has been English champions announced the Champions League during a short spell in the United States and Switzerland have resulted in the handed the task of restoring Aston Italian as their new manager yesterday. in charge of Chelsea in 2012, takes over indictment of dozens of soccer officials and other entities for Villa’s fortunes after the seven-times The 46-year-old, who won the weeks after the club were relegated corruption, many of them serving or former presidents of from the Premier League. “It’s a wonder- national or continental associations. FIFA has also been forced ful honour for me to become manager to investigate controversies surrounding the awarding of its of this great football club, and I’m look- showpiece, the World Cup finals, especially the decision to ing forward to the challenge of taking grant the 2018 tournament to Russia and the 2022 finals to Aston Villa back to its rightful place,” Di Qatar. Swiss authorities are reviewing more than 150 reports of Matteo said. suspicious financial activity linked to those awards.—Reuters Former Chelsea team mate and coach Steve Clarke has also been appointed as Di Matteo’s assistant. Di Leicester and German Matteo has previously worked as a man- ager in the second-tier Championship, keeper Zieler ink deal gaining promotion with West Bromwich Albion in 2009-10. Villa will be hoping LONDON: Leicester City have signed Germany goalkeeper he can have a similar impact after a Ron-Robert Zieler on a four-year deal from Bundesliga side dreadful season in which they finished Hannover 96 for an undisclosed fee, the English Premier bottom with only three wins and sacked League champions said yesterday. Zieler, 27, one of two two managers, Tim Sherwood in back-up keepers to Manuel Neuer in the Germany squad October and his replacement Remi that won the 2014 World Cup, will compete for a place in Garde in March. Swiss-born former Italy Leicester’s starting side with current Foxes number one midfielder Di Matteo played for Lazio Kasper Schmeichel. “It feels great coming to Leicester and and Chelsea and once scored after 42 seconds in the 1997 FA Cup final against joining the club after they’ve had such a great season-it’s Middlesbrough. He won two FA Cups, a really nice to be part of the club now,” Zieler told Foxes League Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Player HD after signing a contract set to keep him at the King Cup while at Stamford Bridge and Power Stadium until 2020. Zieler is the first addition to returned to Chelsea as assistant manag- Leicester’s squad since the one-time 5,000/1 outsiders were er to Andre Villas-Boas in 2011, stepping crowned champions of England. up as interim manager when the “I’ve been shown around the training ground and it looks Portuguese was sacked in March 2012. very good and I’ve been to the stadium-I heard about the Against all expectations, he guided great atmosphere and the great fans, so my first impression Chelsea to a Champions League semi- is very good,” added Zieler, who already knows several of final defeat of Barcelona and then beat Leicester’s squad, having played in the same Manchester Bayern Munich on penalties in the final United academy side as Danny Simpson, Danny Drinkwater, in their own stadium. Di Matteo was rewarded by being appointed manager Ritchie De Laet and Matty James. Zieler will add experience on a permanent basis but by November, as Leicester begin both the defense of their Premier League he had fallen out of favour and was title and take part in the club’s first Champions League cam- sacked after a Champions League defeat paign in 2016/17. A veteran of more than 200 domestic and by Juventus. Since then, he managed European appearances with Hannover, Zieler has also won Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga but six Germany caps since making his debut in 2011.—AFP Roberto Di Matteo resigned in May 2015.—Reuters