Interpol suspends 20mn-euro deal with FIFA after scandal

Lyon Interpol on Friday pulled out of a multimillioneuro deal with FIFA to promote integrity in sport as the corruption scandal engulfing the worlds football governing body left it increasingly isolatedThe international police organisation announced it was suspending a 10year partnership deal with FIFA worth 20 million euros 23 million for its Integrity in Sport programme Interpol boss Juergen Stock noted that partners in the programme must share the fundamental values and principles of the organisationFIFA has been in crisis since May after 14 people connected to the organisation were charged as part of a US investigation into alleged corruption The scandal spectacularly brought down FIFA boss Sepp Blatter and has also cast doubt on the fairness of the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to be staged in Russia and Qatar respectivelyFIFA hit back at Interpol voicing disappointment at the decision to suspend the partnership agreement which it called a success Our cooperation over the past four years has been a key part of addressing the transnational problem of match fixing FIFA stressed The programme itself was unrelated to the current crisis surrounding the football body FIFA added calling for it to resume as soon as possible and adding it was in contact with Interpol to resolve the issueEU parliament perplexes FIFAThe Integrity in Sport drive has coordinated global efforts to prevent match fixing and illegal gambling by criminal groups Interpols decision came a day after an educational charity launched by football fan Pope Francis said it would no longer accept money from South American football confederation CONMEBOLScholas Occurrentes had been due to receive a 10000 8900euro donation from CONMEBOL for every goal and penalty kick scored during the Copa America the South American championship which kicked off Thursday in Chile Those indicted in the US investigation include CONMEBOL executive committee members Rafael Esquivel of Venezuela and Jose Maria Marin of Brazil as well as former federation presidents Eugenio Figueredo of Uruguay and Nicolas Leoz of ParaguayIn another potential blow for CONMEBOL Paraguays Congress voted on Thursday to lift the immunity of its headquarters Under a special law the confederations building on the outskirts of Asuncion had enjoyed the same immunity as foreign diplomatic missions since it opened in 1997 And the scandal continues to end careers with the latest person to fall on his sword being FIFAs director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio who resigned on ThursdayDe Gregorio reportedly stepped down after making a joke about the crisis on Swiss TV Meanwhile Blatter dismissed a European Parliament demand for him to quit immediately with a FIFA spokesman saying he intended to continue in office until a successor was appointed probably by the end of the yearEuropean lawmakers overwhelmingly called for his immediate resignation a call FIFA said left it perplexed The net is closing in on the remaining suspects indicted by the United States after ItalianArgentine businessman Alejandro Burzaco handed himself in to police in Italy on Tuesday Brazilian businessman Jose Margulies remains at large along with fatherandson marketing executives Hugo and Mariano JinkisThe Jinkises owners of sports marketing company Full Play have asked a federal court to allow them to remain free and said they would not hand themselves in until they have exhausted all legal options their lawyers saidThe scandal has sparked questions about the relationship between FIFA and its major sponsors who pay an estimated 30 million a year each to be official partners of FIFA giving them the right to promote their products at football games and other events around the world Carmaker HyundaiKia is a presenting sponsor for the 2018 World Cup in Russia along with the likes of Adidas CocaCola Visa Budweiser and McDonalds most of which issued statements welcoming Blatters resignation