Fifa informant Blazer dies

Corrupt soccer official-turnedwhistle-blower Chuck Blazer, pictured, whose evidence helped trigger the Fifa bribery scandal, died on Wednesday, his lawyers said.

Blazer, who was banned for life from all soccer activities for corruption in 2015, had been battling cancer up to his death. He was 72.

“We are truly saddened by the passing of our client and friend, Chuck Blazer,” his lawyers said. “His misconduct, for which he accepted full responsibility, should not obscure Chuck’s positive impact on international soccer.”

The bearded, hulking soccer official was a pivotal figure in the corruption scandal which convulsed Fifa in 2015 and ultimately led to the downfall of former supremo Sepp Blatter.

Yet, for years, Blazer himself was seen as emblematic of the worst excesses of Fifa during the Blatter era, unapologetically pocketing millions to fund a luxurious, globetrotting VIP lifestyle.

His notorious excesses included an $18 000 (R235 000)-a-month apartment in Trump Tower in New York and a separate $6 000 unit to keep his cats.

Blazer had pleaded guilty in 2013 to charges of racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion as part of a web of corruption that spanned multiple decades.

“Chuck felt profound sorrow and regret for his actions,” his attorneys said. “He expressed sincere remorse towards his former constituents and colleagues, and to all of the soccer players and fans disappointed by his conduct.”

Fifa banned Blazer in 2015 but he had in fact cut a deal to work with investigators years earlier, taking recording devices into meetings to help build a case against corrupt officials across the globe. – AFP