Lawyers acting for FIFA have revealed the scale of corruption within the organization claiming disgraced former President Sepp Blatter, ex-General Secretary Jerome Valcke, and former finance director Markus Kattner awarded themselves $80 million in pay rises and bonuses since 2011.

Sepp Blatter (l) and Jerome Valcke (r) celebrate something or other. Wonder what that could be?

A media release from FIFA on Friday, June 3, stated in direct terms that: “The evidence appears to reveal a coordinated effort by three former top officials of FIFA to enrich themselves through annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses and other incentives totaling more than CHF 79 million – in just the last five years.”

The incredible claim is the result of an internal investigation by FIFA conducted by Quinn Emanuel, a U.S.-based legal firm.

According to FIFA, the investigation can reveal:

   ·       On 23 May 2016, FIFA announced that it had terminated with immediate effect the contract of the then-Deputy Secretary General Markus Kattner for breaches of his fiduciary duties to FIFA. That decision was based on documents and evidence collected as part of the internal investigation.

    ·       The documents and evidence also raise serious questions about the way a series of problematic contract amendments in favour of Mr. Blatter, Mr. Kattner and former Secretary General Jérôme Valcke were approved. These amendments resulted in massive payouts – amounting to tens of millions of dollars – to the former FIFA officials in the form of salaries and bonuses between the years 2011 and 2015.

    ·       In total, the new documents and evidence appear to reveal a coordinated effort by three former top officials of FIFA to enrich themselves through annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses, as well as undue severance payments.

The Swiss police claim to be “on it” and the payments appear to contravene Swiss law.

The U.S. Department of Justice will be briefed by FIFA’s attorneys.

Repeat again: $80 million.