#soccer federation

Within hours of the FIFA scandal breaking, Sergio Jadue, the president of Chile's soccer federation, was declaring his innocence even though he wasn't formally accused of anything. Jadue was referring to a part of Wednesday's sweeping U.S. Justice Department indictments that, without specifying them by name, said the 10 presidents of the South American Football Confederation were to receive bribes from a company called Datisa in exchange for transmission rights to games of the Copa America, the tournament of the continent's national teams. Jadue said $1.5 million was indeed transferred in late 2013 from the confederation, known as CONMEBOL, but it was an advance on a contract for Copa America. Source: The Associated Press

Brazilian organizers will test the stadium hosting the World Cup opener one more time after a request from FIFA. The local soccer federation has changed the Brazilian league schedule so another match can be played at the troubled stadium. But soccer's governing body and the local World Cup organizing committee want another game ''to ensure the entire infrastructure is tested at full capacity'' before the opener. Source: The Associated Press