SHARE
COPY LINK

FOOTBALL

Swiss parliament narrowly reappoints top prosecutor despite FIFA probe

The Swiss parliament on Wednesday voted to extend the mandate of attorney general Michael Lauber, despite suspicion of misconduct in his handling of the massive corruption investigation targeting FIFA.

Swiss parliament narrowly reappoints top prosecutor despite FIFA probe
Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

With just 129 out of a possible 243 parliamentary votes in favour, Lauber saw his mandate renewed for an additional four years come January. 

The parliament's judiciary commission had earlier this month recommended not handing the 53-year-old prosecutor a second term after investigators opened a disciplinary investigation looking into a series of secret meetings that he had with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the midst of a corruption probe into football's world governing body.

That recommendation came after the Swiss Federal Criminal Court ruled in June that he had committed professional misconduct by failing to report and document several meetings with Infantino, and ordered him to recuse himself from the case.

Two Lauber-Infantino meetings were exposed last year by “Football Leaks”, a cross-border investigation by several European news organisations.

The body that oversees Lauber's office, known as the AS-MPC, has said that those two 2016 contacts, held shortly after Infantino took charge of FIFA from the disgraced Sepp Blatter, were “not problematic”. But during the inquiry into those two meetings, Lauber told the oversight body that he had had no other informal contacts with Infantino.

Then Swiss media reported a third Lauber-Infantino meeting in January 2017. Switzerland's FIFA investigation concerns alleged misconduct that occurred before Infantino replaced Blatter in 2016.

Lauber's office has steadfastly defended the Infantino meetings, insisting they were logistically necessary given the scope of the FIFA graft probe.

Switzerland has pursued a number of cases since a raid on a luxury hotel in Zurich in May 2015 led to the arrests of a several FIFA executives and exposed a corrupt underbelly in world football.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

SPORT

Shaqiri ends Switzerland career after 125 caps

Xherdan Shaqiri announced his retirement from international football on Monday after winning 125 Switzerland caps and becoming the only player to score in each of the last three World Cups and European Championships.

Shaqiri ends Switzerland career after 125 caps

Midfielder Shaqiri, 32, who now plays with Chicago Fire in the United States, is Switzerland’s second most-capped player after team-mate Granit Xhaka on 130 caps.

The former Bayern Munich and Liverpool winger made his international debut in March 2010 aged 18. He represented his country at four World Cups and three European Championships.

In what was his last game for the Nati, Shaqiri scored in the shoot-out as England beat Switzerland 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in their Euro 2024 quarter-final in Düsseldorf on July 6th.

“Seven tournaments, many goals, 14 years with the Swiss national team and unforgettable moments. It’s time to say goodbye to the national team. Great memories remain and I say to you all: thank you!”, he said on social media.

Shaqiri retires as Switzerland’s fourth top goalscorer with 32 goals, behind Alexander Frei with 42 and Kubilay Turkyilmaz and Max Abegglen on 34.

The Swiss Football Association (SFV) said most of his goals were “bangers”.

Shaqiri first scored for Switzerland in a 3-1 defeat by England in Basel in 2010, in his seventh appearance.

He scored all three as Switzerland beat Honduras 3-0 in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

His final international goal came at Euro 2024, pouncing on a loose ball and blasting in the equaliser from outside the penalty box in Switzerland’s 1-1 draw with Scotland in the group stage.

The strike means he is the only player to score in the last three World Cups and the last three Euros.

‘Special moments’ 

The SFV governing body paid tribute to Shaqiri’s imprint on the national football team.

“With Shaqiri, a big part of the Nati’s history is gone. In recent years, the attacking midfielder was the man for special moments,” the SFV said.

“We thank you with all our hearts for the many unforgettable commitments and the wonderful goals and assists in the national team and wish you the best for your future, and much success.

“You have touched and conquered our hearts with your game and your goals.”

Nobody has scored more goals for Switzerland in finals tournaments than Shaqiri with 10: five in the Euros and five in World Cups.

“Only six other players have scored five or more goals at both the Euros and the World Cup: Michel Platini, Jurgen Klinsmann, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku,” said the SFV.

Born in 1991 in Kosovo, which was then part of Yugoslavia, his family emigrated to Switzerland in 1992.

Besides his international exploits, Shaqiri won the Champions League and the Club World Cup with both Bayern Munich and Liverpool, plus three Bundesliga titles and the Premier League.

He also won three Swiss league titles in his early years with Basel, in a career that has also taken him to Inter Milan, Stoke City and Lyon.

SHOW COMMENTS