The FIFA presidential election will take place this Friday as planned despite the arrest of seven FIFA officials on charges they received more than one hundred and fifty million dollars in bribes. Among those arrested was FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb. Prosecutors said they had discovered a dozen schemes, including one awarding the 2010 World Cup to South Africa. A separate criminal investigation into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were allocated has also begun. Swiss police said they would question ten FIFA executive committee members who participated in the votes which selected Russia and Qatar in December 2010. But, FIFA has already ruled out a re-vote, insisting Russia and Qatar will remain the respective hosts regardless of how much - alleged - dirty money was - allegedly - paid. Sepp Blatter faces Prince Ali bin al-Hussein in Friday's election as he seeks a fifth term as FIFA president. because, obviously, he's done such a bang-up job in running a piss-up in a brewary during his first four terms. Prince Ali described Wednesday's developments as 'a sad day for football' but declined to comment further. Swiss police made a series of dawn raids at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, where FIFA officials are staying ahead of Friday's presidential election. The seven FIFA officials were arrested after the US Department of Justice issued a forty seven-count indictment charging fourteen defendants with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies in a twenty four-year scheme. The FBI also raided the headquarters of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football in Miami Beach. 'The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted,' said New York Attorney General Loretta Lynch. 'It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.' Nine current or former Fifa officials, including Webb and former FIFA vice-president the odious Jack Warner have been charged with corruption. Four individual and two corporate defendants, including former Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer and Warner's sons Daryan and Daryll have already pleaded guilty to the charges against them. Those arrested in Switzerland were Webb, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel and Jose Maria Marin. They now face extradition to the United States. Warner, a former FIFA vice-president from Trinidad and Tobago, insists he is innocent of the charges. He quit world football's governing body in 2011 after being suspended pending the outcome on an investigation into corruption allegations against him. He is accused of soliciting ten million smackers in bribes from South Africa's government over the hosting of the 2010 World Cup. In a statement, he said the 'actions of FIFA no longer concern me.' In a separate move, just hours after the earlier arrests, Swiss authorities opened criminal proceedings over the awarding of the hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Electronic data was seized from FIFA's headquarters in Zurich as part of a investigation into 'criminal mismanagement' and 'money laundering.' 
Swiss police intend to question ten FIFA executive committee members who took part in the voting process in December 2010. If convicted, the defendants could face up to twenty years in the pokey. Spelling out details of the US case, Lynch said that some FIFA executives had 'used their positions to solicit bribes. They did this over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament. They corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves.' She alleged that some indicted individuals 'engaged in bribery to decide who would televise games, where the games would be held and who would run the organisation overseeing organised soccer worldwide.' Three years ago, FIFA hired a former US prosecutor, Michael Garcia, to investigate allegations of bribery over the awarding of the World Cups to Qatar and Russia. However, it refused to publish his report, releasing only a summary in which it said there were 'no major irregularities.' Garcia quit, saying the summary was 'erroneous.' World football's governing body has been dogged by allegations of corruption and wrongdoing in recent years. The latest events are another major blow, although FIFA's communications director insisted the organisation was committed to reform. 'This is good for FIFA,' Walter De Gregorio told a news conference. 'It hurts, it is not easy, but it confirms we are on the right track.' De Gregorio claimed that Blatter was 'very calm', adding that the seventy nine-year-old Swiss 'is fully co-operating' with the authorities. FIFA later issued a statement welcoming 'actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football.' UEFA, the body that governs European football, said it was 'astonished and saddened by the events', while Jim Boyce, Britain's outgoing FIFA vice-president, said it was 'another sad day for FIFA'. England's Football Association said the developments 'are very serious for FIFA and its current leadership.' FA chairman Greg Dyke added that there 'must be a question mark' over whether the presidential election should take place now. Damian Collins, the MP who has called for FIFA reform, said it was 'a hugely significant development for FIFA' and added that Blatter had 'failed to live up to his promises' to stamp out corruption. 'Because he has totally failed to do this, it has been left to an outside law enforcement agency to do the job and take action,' said Collins.
Swiss police intend to question ten FIFA executive committee members who took part in the voting process in December 2010. If convicted, the defendants could face up to twenty years in the pokey. Spelling out details of the US case, Lynch said that some FIFA executives had 'used their positions to solicit bribes. They did this over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament. They corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves.' She alleged that some indicted individuals 'engaged in bribery to decide who would televise games, where the games would be held and who would run the organisation overseeing organised soccer worldwide.' Three years ago, FIFA hired a former US prosecutor, Michael Garcia, to investigate allegations of bribery over the awarding of the World Cups to Qatar and Russia. However, it refused to publish his report, releasing only a summary in which it said there were 'no major irregularities.' Garcia quit, saying the summary was 'erroneous.' World football's governing body has been dogged by allegations of corruption and wrongdoing in recent years. The latest events are another major blow, although FIFA's communications director insisted the organisation was committed to reform. 'This is good for FIFA,' Walter De Gregorio told a news conference. 'It hurts, it is not easy, but it confirms we are on the right track.' De Gregorio claimed that Blatter was 'very calm', adding that the seventy nine-year-old Swiss 'is fully co-operating' with the authorities. FIFA later issued a statement welcoming 'actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football.' UEFA, the body that governs European football, said it was 'astonished and saddened by the events', while Jim Boyce, Britain's outgoing FIFA vice-president, said it was 'another sad day for FIFA'. England's Football Association said the developments 'are very serious for FIFA and its current leadership.' FA chairman Greg Dyke added that there 'must be a question mark' over whether the presidential election should take place now. Damian Collins, the MP who has called for FIFA reform, said it was 'a hugely significant development for FIFA' and added that Blatter had 'failed to live up to his promises' to stamp out corruption. 'Because he has totally failed to do this, it has been left to an outside law enforcement agency to do the job and take action,' said Collins. 
