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FIFA oust judge and prosecutor

May 9, 2017

FIFA has ousted judge Hans-Joachim Eckert and prosecutor Cornel Borbely. The pair say the decision taken on Tuesday by Gianni Infantino's organization 'puts an end to reform efforts.'

https://p.dw.com/p/2chz1
Hans-Joachim Eckert
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Walter Bieri

Eckert (pictured, top), from Germany, and Borbely, from Switzerland, failed to be nominated for re-election to the council headed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The vote is to be carried out by the congress of member federations on Thursday in Bahrain.

The departing pair have multiple ongoing cases against soccer officials implicated in a widespread US federal investigation of bribery and corruption.

"The impending and clearly politically motivated non-reappointment puts a de facto end to the reform efforts," Eckert and Borbely said in a statement. "This will inevitably lead to a renewed loss of trust and further hurt the already tarnished image of FIFA.

"Consequently, the non-reappointment will have a negative impact on FIFA in the medium and long term."

Eckert and Borbely were heavily involved in the cases that brought down Infantino's predecessor Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini. Vassilios Skouris of Greece, a former president of the European Court of Justice, has been nominated to replace Eckert while Borbely is to be replaced by Colombia's Maria Claudia Rojas.

A statement from FIFA said that candidates "will be presented for election en bloc to the FIFA Congress, each for a term of office of four years which would come into effect immediately."     

Pogba move to be investigated

Fußballspieler Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba re-joined Manchester United last yearImage: picture-alliance/BPI/K. McManus

FIFA also announced on Tuesday that Paul Pogba's transfer to Manchester United from Champions League finalists Juventus is to be investigated.

The organization says it has asked for details from the Premier League club about the 105-million-euro (then $116 million) deal. 

FIFA says it had "requested information from Manchester United on the transfer." That would be information beyond the details retained by FIFA's Transfer Matching System, which has to ratify player moves between nations.

United responded on Tuesday evening with a statement saying: "We don't comment on contracts. FIFA have had all the documents since the transfer was completed last August." 

mp/mf (AP/Reuters)