Arrest shows FIFA’s turmoil is far from over

More than a year since FIFA declared the end of its corruption issue, the optimism has proved misguided. The latest arrest, of a man one heartbeat from the presidency of world soccer, demonstrated that on Tuesday.

Fresh wrongdoing undercuts Gianni Infantino’s pledge to set the governing body on a new path to probity after the misdemeanours of the Sepp Blatter era.

Here is a look at fresh offshoots from the scandal that burst into the open when several officials were arrested at a Zurich hotel:

Angel Maria Villar: As FIFA’s senior vice-president, Angel Maria Villar is one rung down the ladder from Infantino.

Now Villar is fighting accusations of improper management, misappropriation of funds, corruption, and falsifying documents as part of a probe into the finances of the Spanish federation he heads.

He was arrested in Madrid on Tuesday along with his son.

Sheik Ahmad: Until April, Sheik Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah of Kuwait was one of the most powerful figures in the sport.

The longtime Olympic power broker was forced out of his position of power in soccer in disgrace after being directly implicated in a bribery plot uncovered by American investigators. Despite denying wrongdoing, the sheik quit the election to remain on the FIFA Council ahead of the May election.

Richard Lai: The claims against Sheik Ahmad emerged in the indictment of FIFA audit committee member Richard Lai in a New York court.

Lai, an American citizen from Guam, pleaded guilty in April to wire fraud conspiracy charges related to taking around US$1 million in bribes.

Vitaly Mutko: As head of the 2018 World Cup, Vitaly Mutko enjoys privileged access to Infantino and Russian President Vladimir Putin despite mounting evidence of how he subverted sport through his role in a scheme to cover up doping.