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Fifa calls in lawyers to help resolve staff disputes

Fifa has called in two lawyers to act as mediators in conflicts with staff amid mass changes at world football's governing body, based in Zurich.

Fifa calls in lawyers to help resolve staff disputes
File photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP
A Fifa spokesman said that specialist labour lawyers Nirmala Dias and Andreas Blattmann would “work with employees of Fifa to explore and assist them in determining options to help resolve conflicts, problematic issues or concerns.”
   
Since Gianni Infantino took over the scandal-tainted body from Sepp Blatter last February, Fifa has forced out many of its top managers.
   
In October, medical director Jiri Dvorak left suddenly and said at the time he had not intended such an “abrupt” departure.
   
The head of the troubled new Fifa museum Stefan Jost, head of security Ralf Mutschke and several members of the development department have also left.
   
Two heads of service who allegedly told Fifa's ethics watchdog about how Infantino used private jets have also left, according to sources within the body.
   
The investigators found there was no evidence to back a formal inquiry into the Fifa president.
   
Fifa has attributed the departures to “restructuring”.
   
Dias and Blattmann started their work on Tuesday.
  
Fifa said they would also “bring systemic concerns to the attention of the organization for resolution.” But it added that the lawyers would not have any dealings with Fifa's member associations.
 

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FOOTBALL

Trial over 2006 German World Cup corruption opens in Switzerland

Three former German football officials and ex-FIFA Secretary General Urs Linsi went on trial on Monday in Switzerland over suspicions that Germany bought votes to obtain the 2006 World Cup.

Trial over 2006 German World Cup corruption opens in Switzerland
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

The three defendants have indicated that they will not be present at the hearing in Bellinzona for a variety of reasons, including fear of travelling because of coronavirus contagion.

Swiss Linsi, 70, former German Football Association (DFB) presidents Wolfgang Niersbach, 69, and Theo Zwanziger, 74, and 78-year-old former DFB General Secretary Horst R. Schmidt are being prosecuted for “fraud”.

They are accused by the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office (BA) of concealing from the DFB the true destination of a transfer of 6.7 million euros ($7.6 million today), paid in 2005 by the organising committee to former Adidas boss, the late Robert Louis-Dreyfus, via FIFA.

The case of former World Cup organising committee chairman Franz Beckenbauer is being heard separately because of the former Germany captain's poor health.

The investigation was prompted by a report in German publication Der Spiegel in 2015 that Germany had used a secret fund of 10 million Swiss francs (6.7 million euros at the time) to buy votes and obtain the rights to host the competition at the expense of South Africa.

Beckenbauer is suspected of having asked Louis-Dreyfus, to contribute to this fund shortly before the vote on the host in the summer of 2000.

Louis-Dreyfus was allegedly reimbursed by the German Football Association on the pretext of expenses related to a FIFA gala evening, which ever took place.

Zwanziger, Niersbach and Schmidt have also been charged with tax fraud in Germany and the case is expected to come to trial in the coming months. cpb/pb/td

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