EUROPEAN HEADLINES
FT – FIFA officials accused of “rampant, systemic, deep-rooted” corruption. US prosecutors say millions taken in bribes. Swiss probe over awarding tournaments.
WSJE – Corruption charges blast FIFA. US indict fourteen, including seven arrested in Zurich.
INYT – US outlines maze of bribery at FIFA. Officials accused of using soccer’s governing body as fief for extorting cash.
BALTIC STATES
Baltic Times –Ministers approves request for permanent NATO presence in Latvia. Latvian prime minister Laimota Straujuma confirmed Latvia’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved a request to ensure a permanent NATO military presence in the country.
FRANCE
Le Monde – FIFA officials arrested as part of corruption probe. Six officials from the international football federation have been indicted by US authorities in Zurich.
Les Echos – Savings: French people favour life insurance. Life insurances gathered 2.3 billion euros in April, and accumulated 8.8 billion since the beginning of 2015. Contracts linked to the performance of stock markets are meeting with rapidly growing success.
GERMANY
Frankfurter Allgeneine (FAZ) – Seven FIFA officials arrested in Zurich. Suspected of corruption; prosecution headed by American justice; “This is not the best timing.”
Suedeutsche Zeitung – Heavy blow against FIFA. Another scandal is shaking the world of football: top FIFA officials have been arrested for rampant corruption. The WM-lending to Qatar and Russia is also under bribery suspicion.
ITALY
La Republlica – FIFA scandal, “20 years of corruption in soccer” according to the FBI. The FBI arrested FIFA’s senior officers in Switzerland. U.S. indicts FIFA’s officials in alleged $150 million in bribes. The UEFA asks for the report of elections.
Il Sole 24 Ore – Greece: markets bet on debt deal with creditors. Investors in Europe are paying close attention to Greek PM Alexis Tsipras statement: “We are on the final stretch towards a deal with creditors.”
MALTA
The Times of Malta – Blatter out of sight as Fifa corruption scandal deepen.Sepp Blatter kept out of sight for the second successive day on Thursday when he failed to show up at a medical conference the day after world soccer’s governing body was plunged into another corruption scandal
POLAND
Gazeta – Football smacks of a swindle. It has been first such crack-down on football bosses ever. USA accuses nine members of FIFA of bribery and corruption, Switzerland arrests seven and investigates into possible corruption on FIFA’s agreements with Russia and Qatar.
SPAIN
El Pais – Rajoy agrees to change the PP’s leadership to avoid a new failure. Ministers and leaders urge the President to replace Cospedal. Rajoy: “We are going to take the appropriate decisions to face the elections.”
Expansion – €5 billion at a stake for construction companies with Podemos. Contracts with cities are threatened. ACS, FCC, Ferrovial, Sacyr and OHL manage the main services in Madrid and Barcelona.
UK
The Times – World Cup of fraud. FIFA executives accused of corruption after dawn raids. Pressure grows on Blatter as scandal engulfs football.
The Guardian – The stench of corruption. FIFA officials held in FBI swoop on Zurich hotel. Blatter at head of “World Cup of fraud” says US.
©europeanunion2015
