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Fifa executives took bribes worth millions of dollars in a culture of “rampant, systemic and deep-rooted” corruption, US authorities claimed yesterday, plunging football’s governing body into the worst crisis in its history.
美国当局昨日声称，国际足联(Fifa)高管收受价值达1.5亿美元的贿赂，该组织存在“猖獗、系统性和根深蒂固的”的腐败文化。这使该足球管理机构陷入史上最严重的危机。
Loretta Lynch, the US attorney-general, said bribes were paid to influence the award of the 2010 World Cup to South Africa, the 2011 Fifa presidential election and in a deal involving sponsorship of Brazil’s national football team.
美国司法部长洛蕾塔•林奇(Loretta Lynch)称，这些行贿意在影响的决定包括：南非获得2010年世界杯主办权、2011年国际足联主席选举，以及一笔涉及赞助巴西国家足球队的交易。
Her accusations came as the Department of Justice, FBI and Internal Revenue Service unveiled charges against nine Fifa officials and five sports executives, and Swiss prosecutors announced a criminal investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
林奇发出指责之际，美国司法部(DoJ)、联邦调查局(FBI)和国税局(IRS)对9名国际足联官员和5名体育高管提出了刑事指控，同时瑞士检方宣布对2018年和2022年世界杯主办权的决定展开刑事调查。
Yesterday’s events mark the most dramatic move by law enforcement agencies against an organisation that in recent years has lurched from scandal to scandal but has so far escaped criminal prosecution.
昨日的事件标志着执法机构对国际足联采取的最为戏剧化的行动，后者近年来丑闻缠身，但此前从未受到刑事起诉。
The bombshell comes just two days before Fifa’s ruling executive was due to meet to elect a president, with current head Sepp Blatter — one of the most powerful figures in world sport — expected to win a fifth term.
这起爆炸性事件发生在国际足联执委会开会选举新任主席的两天之前，预计世界体育界最有权势的人物之一、现任国际足联主席塞普•布拉特(Sepp Blatter)将赢得第五届任期。
Uefa, European football’s governing body, said it was “astonished and saddened” by the events, and called for tomorrow’s election to be postponed.
欧洲足球管理机构——欧足联(Uefa)称相关事件“令人震惊和痛心”，并呼吁推迟原定明日举行的选举。
Mr Blatter said: “This is a difficult time for football, the fans and for FIFA as an organisation. As unfortunate as these events are, it should be clear that we welcome the actions and the investigations by the US and Swiss authorities and believe that it will help to reinforce measures that FIFA has already taken to root out any wrongdoing in football.
布拉特表示：“对足球、球迷以及国际足联作为一个组织来说，这是一个困难时刻。虽然这些事件是不幸的，但应该明确的是，我们欢迎美国和瑞士有关部门的行动与调查，相信这将有助于加强国际足联已经采取的、根除足球领域任何不当行为的措施。”
“Such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game.
“这样的不当行为在足球运动中没有空间，我们将确保那些从事不当行为的人被清除出去。”
Fifa has long been dogged by allegations of corruption, especially over its controversial decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, a country with little tradition of football and where summer temperatures can exceed 50°C.
国际足联长期受到腐败指控的困扰，尤其是针对其授予没有什么足球传统、夏季气温可能超过50°C的卡塔尔2022年世界杯主办权这一备受争议的决定。
The DoJ said the 14 indicted men were charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracies, claiming they had participated in a “24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer”.
美国司法部称，14名受到指控的人员面临的罪名包括敲诈勒索、电信欺诈以及合谋从事洗钱活动，并称他们参与了一个“通过腐化国际足球事业来中饱私囊的长达24年的计划”。
“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” Ms Lynch said.
林奇表示：“起诉书指控，在美国以及海外的腐败是猖獗、系统性和根深蒂固的。”
The officials allegedly received bribes and kickbacks from sports marketing companies in exchange for the commercial rights to football tournaments, including the World Cup. The DoJ said the amount solicited and received was well over $150m. An indictment detailing the charges was unsealed hours after Swiss police swooped on a hotel in Zurich where Fifa officials had gathered ahead of the governing body’s annual congress. Seven of the nine indicted officials, who include two Fifa vice- presidents, were arrested in the raid.
这些官员涉嫌收受体育营销公司的贿赂和回扣，并给予它们足球锦标赛（包括世界杯）的商业权利作为交换。美国司法部表示，索贿和受贿的数额远超1.5亿美元。详细列举指控的起诉书公布几小时前，瑞士警方突袭了苏黎世的一家酒店。国际足联官员在该机构年度大会召开前夕齐聚该酒店。在9名受到指控的官员（包括两名国际足联副主席）中，有7名在突袭中被捕。
