Maryland Journal of International Law Volume 32 | Issue 1 Article 5 The eP rfect Crime? FIFA and the Absence of Accountability in Switzerland Bruce W. Bean Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/mjil Recommended Citation Bruce W. Bean, The Perfect Crime? FIFA and the Absence of Accountability in Switzerland, 32 Md. J. Int'l L. 68 (2017). Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/mjil/vol32/iss1/5 This Symposium: Articles and Essays is brought to you for free and open access by the Academic Journals at DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maryland Journal of International Law by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. 5_FINAL_BEAN_ (DO NOT DELETE) 11/6/2017 2:12 PM The Perfect Crime? FIFA and the Absence of Accountability in Switzerland PROFESSOR BRUCE W. BEAN† The true test of a man’s character is what he will do when no one is watching. John Wooden1 INTRODUCTION In 1904 the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, universally known as FIFA, was established to organize, govern and promote “football,” the sport North Americans and Australians call “soccer.” Football has hundreds of millions of participants everywhere on Earth. Four-year old girls and boys and multi-millionaire superstars play this game, unquestionably the world’s most popular sport. In May and December 2015 the United States Department of Justice released two indictments charging more than forty FIFA-affiliated persons and entities with bribery and other corrupt transactions extending over twenty-four years.