Blazer died in 2017, four years after secretly pleading guilty to racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering and agreeing to help investigators. Luxury watches have had a strangely outsize role within soccer circles, bringing down officials and leading to embarrassing revelations. And after he was arrested in the 2015 scandal, one former FIFA official secured his release from custody, in part, by turning over 11 watches and his wife’s wedding ring. And he claimed that he never received the $12 million bonus he was secretly promised in his last employment contract. Blatter said he would not pursue the $12 million, however, if FIFA returned the rest of his watches.

Source: New York Times May 08, 2019 17:08 UTC