Soccer official Chuck Blazer, whose evidence helped trigger the FIFA bribery scandal, died on Wednesday, his lawyers said.
Blazer, who in 2015 was banned for life from all soccer activities for corruption, had been battling cancer up to his death.
He was 72.
Photo: AFP
“We are truly saddened by the passing of our client and friend, Chuck Blazer,” his lawyers said in a statement. “His misconduct, for which he accepted full responsibility, should not obscure Chuck’s positive impact on international soccer.”
The bearded, hulking official was a pivotal figure in the corruption scandal that convulsed FIFA in 2015 and ultimately led to the downfall of former FIFA president 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, globe-trotting VIP lifestyle.
His notorious excesses included an US$18,000-a-month apartment in Trump Tower in New York and a separate US$6,000 unit in the same building just to keep his mob of unruly 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.”
While FIFA banned Blazer in 2015, 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.
Blazer had risen to power through his work with CONCACAF, the ruling body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, where he served as general secretary from 1990 until 2011.
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