FIFA Officials Charged on Conspiracy: President Sepp Blatter Not Arrested During Swiss Raid

On Wednesday morning the world of professional soccer was turned upside down when several officials in FIFA were arrested in Switzerland on corruption charges. The charges were made against Eduardo Li, Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Jack Warner, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, Jose Maria Marin and Nicolàs Leoz. While these officials were charged, FIFA's president Sepp Blatter, who is considered one of the most powerful men in sports, was not one of the men arrested.

Swiss authorities will now be extraditing the FIFA officials to the United States. During one of FIFA's annual meetings, more than a dozen plainclothes officers arrived at the Baur au Lac hotel in the Alps. Their arrival was unannounced. During the arrest, Mr. Li of Costa Rica asked officers if he could walk out with his luggage and they complied. The luggage was said to of been filled with FIFA stickers.

Since the arrest, FIFA has stated they are willing to work with United States authorities.

"FIFA welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football."

It's being said that several international soccer events were tainted by bribes and kickbacks. World Cup qualifiers in the North, Central America and Caribbean Association region, the Gold Cup, Copa Amèrica, the South American club championship, the Copa Libertadores all fell victim to bribes and kickbacks. Even the 2010 World Cup may have been tainted.

The allegations of corruption might be going back more than two decades. Most of the allegations include bids for World Cups, and marketing and broadcast deals. The arrests will surely comfort anybody who has criticized the enormous pay scales high-ranking FIFA officials have. Between 2011 and 2014, the sporting empire made over $5.7 billion in revenue.