Chuck Blazer, former CONCACAF general secretary and FIFA Executive Committee member, is dead at the age of 72.
Statement from Blazer lawyer addresses misconduct, ‘for which he accepted full responsibility,’ head on. Expresses his ‘sorrow & regret.’ pic.twitter.com/kAiTluEKyB
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) July 13, 2017
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His career began with laying the foundations for modern day American soccer, and ended in allegations of bribery, fraud, and general corruption. He suffered from rectal cancer, diabetes, and a coronary artery disease.
Blazer began working with the U.S. Soccer Federtion in 1984, when he was elected executive vice president in charge of international competition, where he helped boost the reputation of the U.S. Men’s National Team by adding many more games to their schedule. He was a major player in the USA’s campaign to host the 1994 World Cup and helped form the U.S. Women’s National Team in 1985.
He also founded the short lived American Soccer League in 1986.
He was elected CONCACAF general secretary in 1990 and held that post until 2011. He was a FIFA Executive Committee member from 1996 to 2013. It was during that tenure that he and former CONCACAF president Jack Warner were accused of bribery and fraud, which eventually got him banned from the game on July 9, 2015.
He did serve as an informant in the American-led FIFA investigation when he clandestinely recorded meetings with other corrupt FIFA executives. His finances had been the subject of an FBI investigation at the time of his death.
got what he deserves*
Fat globalist traitor got deserve. One less traitor!
Proud hater <
treason = DEATH!
RIP Chuck Blazer. Thanks for all you did to put soccer on the map in this region of the globe. As a fan I have enjoyed countless hours watching the Gold Cup and watching US soccer steadily improve, in part, because of the millions of dollars that poured into the game due to your efforts.
For those hating on Blazer, people and most things in life are neither entirely good or entirely bad. Blazer’s life reflected that. Until I’ve walked in the man’s shoes and accomplished what he did – working in what were likely already corrupt business climates to do it – I’ll reserve my judgement. Hate for a man who some bad things, is still hate.
I am not a Chuck Blazer fan and backer. He had his demons and was not without controversy but let’s please remember that he had family and his family is no doubt reeling. Let’s keep that in mind. No need to condemn the man now.
He should’ve died in prison like the rat that he was.
He still did a lot for the game in the US. He grew the game when no one believed in it and from what I understand almost singlehandedly made the Gold Cup a thing.
I can’t forgive stealing from the region and the damage caused by that lack of funds to needy programs, but during his career he did do some great things for raising up soccer in both the US and CONCACAF in general.
What a load of crap.. he was a thief who lived an ostentatious lifestyle by stealing from others.
He only cooperated once he was approached by the government… it’s not like he had some dramatic change of heart…
He was a rat trying to scurry off a sinking ship. He wanted to save himself and did whatever he could to effectuate that.
Let’s not act like it was anything different.