義憤填膺:四問國際足協腐敗問題

and corruption allegations - we have heard it all before. So what's new?

1. 國際足協和腐敗指控我們都已經耳熟能詳了。這次有什麼新意?

It is true that football's governing body has been mired in bribery allegations for years. Recently this has centred on claims – strongly denied by all involved – that Russia and Qatar in effect bought the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Fifa investigated the claims and, to no one's surprise, found nothing to substantiate them.

的確，足球管理機構多年來一直深陷腐敗指控之中。這一次面臨的指控是，俄羅斯和卡塔爾的2018和2022年世界盃的舉辦權是賄賂得到的，而涉事官員對此都矢口否認。國際足協對這項指控做了調查，結果發現沒有足夠的證據證實這項指控，這個結果也在大家預料之中。

Three things are new: geography, the nature of the investigation and the nature of its evidence-gathering. The arrest last week of 14 Fifa officials and marketing executives was sparked by a four-year US department of justice investigation. Many think it was timed deliberately to place maximum pressure on Fifa president Sepp Blatter before Friday's crucial vote on his presidency, which he won.

這次有三點跟以往不同:地理位置，這次調查的性質，以及這次收集證據的方式。上週逮捕十四名國際足協官員以及營銷人員的是美國司法調查部的一個成立了四年的部門。許多人認爲這是蓄意向國際足協主席Sepp Blatter施壓，而他正面臨着週五的至關重要的主席人選的投票（最後還是成功連任）。

It is significant that the US is now leading the way in tackling corruption at Fifa after European investigators have conspicuously failed to land a blow. The Americans have had a Fifa whistleblower, Chuck Blazer, helping them amass large volumes of evidence. The detail in the 164-page indictment unveiled last week is astonishing. It paints a picture of systemic corruption on the part of Fifa officials and marketing officials over two decades. The corruption allegedly centres on marketing and television deals for regional football competitions in the Americas, not the World Cup.

繼歐洲調查者對於FIFA的腐敗無能爲力之後，很明顯美國現在挑起了這杆大旗。美國人這次得到告密者Chuck Blazer的幫助，他幫忙收集了大量的證據。上週公佈的長達164頁的指控書着實讓人很吃驚。這些證據顯示了在超過二十年的時間裏部分FIFA官員和營銷官員的系統式腐敗。據稱，腐敗主要集中在美洲當地的足球賽事中的市場營銷和電視轉播協議上面，關於世界盃的腐敗並未證實。

Chuck Blazer has helped the US amass a huge evidence file. Photograph: Jasper Juinen - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Chuck Blazer 幫助美國收集了大量證據。攝影：Jasper Juinen - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

2. Hurray for the Americans! Is a new sheriff riding into town and cleaning up the mess?

2. 美國人真給力!但這是新官上任三把火嗎？

Football fans will truly hope so. But, despite efforts to paint the investigation as a total success, the indictment hints that Fifa officials knew of the US investigation long ago, suggesting some may have covered their tracks. The indictment states that "beginning in or about 2012 and continuing through the present, as their awareness of law enforcement scrutiny began to increase, many conspirators engaged in additional conduct designed to prevent detection of their own illegal activities and to provide one another with mutual aid and protection".

球迷們真是希望如此。儘管這次反腐調查進行的很成功，但是這些證據也顯示，在很久以前就有些官員發現了這項調查，從而很好的躲藏了起來。指控書上說"從2012年左右到現在，一些官員由於發現法律強制的檢查逐漸增加，他們開始致力於阻止對於他們的腐敗調查，同時也爲其他人提供幫助和庇護。"

The indictment suggests that a key witness was pressured so that he or she would not disclose everything; that officials were warned they were being recorded and that evidence was destroyed. How crucial these factors will be in bringing about a successful prosecution remains to be seen. Then there remains the issue of extradition. The Americans have failed to extradite the film director Roman Polanski from Switzerland on sex abuse charges. It could be a long time before those arrested in Switzerland last week see a US courtroom. Given the complexity of the investigation, this case will drag on for years.

指控書上表明，關鍵證人都被施壓以確保他們不會泄露什麼，那些官員被警告說已經將他們記錄在案並且證據都已銷燬。這些措施都確保了這次起訴的成功。美國之前就沒能以性虐罪把Roman Polanski 導演從瑞士引渡回來，而這次在瑞士被逮捕的官員估計又得好久才能引渡到美國。鑑於這項調查的複雜性，這個案子估計得耗費好幾年。

3. But isn't Sepp Blatter fatally wounded by the scandal?

3. 足協主席Sepp Blatter不是應該由於腐敗醜聞而身敗名裂嗎?

Crucially, the scandal is confined almost exclusively to the Americas and, with the exception of an allegation about securing votes for South Africa's World Cup bid, focuses on the allegedly corrupt practices surrounding the sale of television and marketing deals. Nothing that has emerged so far has threatened to eject Blatter from his post. Indeed, if anything he has emerged stronger within Fifa. Many countries, notably those in Africa, who lionise him for channelling vast amounts of money their way to nurture the game at the grassroots, see the US action as a crass political act of revenge for America failing to win the rights to host the World Cup.

仔細觀察就會發現，這次醜聞僅限於美洲地區，並不涉及關於南非世界盃買賣投票的指控，並且這些指控也僅限於電視轉播和市場營銷方面的腐敗。沒有什麼證據能夠威脅到Sepp Blatter的連任。其實，如果美國如果調查的更加深入的話。一些國家，尤其是非洲的把發展足球視爲賺大錢機會的國家，會把這認爲是美國沒有成功競選舉辦世界盃的報復。

4. So nothing is going to change, then?

4. 所以說一切照舊，那麼接下來呢?

Well, just wait for the smoke to clear. A source familiar with the investigation suggested to the Observer that the US prosecutors will look to "work their way up" the Fifa chain of command. Blazer has cooperated with them. Others now indicted might too. And they may have some very interesting information to share, given their senior positions. Significantly, US prosecutors have hinted that more arrests are in the pipeline, suggesting there will be a drip-feed of bad news for Fifa for months to come.

我們只需等到時勢更加明朗些的時候。一位熟悉情況的消息人士告訴筆者，美國準備"按照自己的方式"來做好國際足協管理層的工作。Blazer已經開始和他們合作，而其他人也有合作的跡象。鑑於他們的高層身份，估計他們還有更多爆炸性的消息。尤其重要的是，美國並沒有曝光全部被捕的人員，這表明在接下來的幾個月裏FIFA的日子不會好過。

In the interim, the court of public opinion is sitting. Fifa is lampooned on social media. Major advertisers are nervous that their association with the World Cup is becoming toxic. If they show signs of pulling out, Blatter may lose support. As Blatter understands better than anyone, money talks. A nuclear option would see Uefa, the European governing body, make a unilateral declaration of independence, but few want this to happen.

在此期間，公衆輿論有很大的作用。國際足聯被社會媒體極力諷刺。廣告商們擔心世界盃的廣告會對自己不利。而如果他們有退出的跡象，Blatter就可能失去支持。Blatter比任何人都瞭解，錢決定一切。一個飲鴆止渴的方法就是歐足聯，使歐足聯單方面宣佈獨立，但是沒人願意看到這種情況的發生。

Separately, Swiss prosecutors are also investigating the awarding of the Russia and Qatar World Cups. Given the way that the US is enthusiastically going about its inquiries, they will be under pressure to throw resources at their investigation. They may yet come up trumps. Blatter appears safe for now but he is wounded.

另外，瑞士檢方也在調查俄羅斯和卡塔爾世界盃賄賂案。而迫於美國方面的壓力，瑞士方面估計得提供他們得到的消息。他們目前可能還沒有使出殺手鐗，Blatter雖然目前是安全的，但已經傷了元氣。