Banned ex-Fifa official Chuck Blazer dies
Disgraced football official Chuck Blazer has died at the age of 72, his lawyers say.
Blazer, whose evidence to US investigators helped trigger the Fifa corruption scandal, had been suffering from cancer.
He
was a larger-than-life character, and formerly the general secretary of
Concacaf, the governing body of North and Central American football.
In 2013 he pleaded guilty to bribery, money laundering and tax evasion.
He was banned from all football activities for life in 2015.
"We are truly saddened by the passing of our client and friend, Chuck Blazer," his lawyers said in a statement.
"His misconduct, for which he accepted full responsibility, should not obscure Chuck's positive impact on international soccer."
The
official served on Fifa's executive committee from 1997-2013, during
which time he pocketed millions to fund a globe-trotting VIP lifestyle.
A 2013 report by Concacaf's integrity committee said he had received
more than $20.6m (£16m) in commissions, fees and rental payments from
the organisation between 1996 and 2011.
His personal excesses included two apartments in New York's Trump Tower, one of which was exclusively for his cats.
In his blog Travels with Chuck Blazer and his Friends...,
he was pictured enjoying time with football legends like Pele and Bobby
Charlton, and other high-profile names like Prince William and Hillary
Clinton.
He also introduced readers to his pet parrot,
a blue-and-gold macaw named Max Blazer, even uploading a video of the
bird dancing on the basket of his mobility scooter in New York's Central
Park.
According to one account, Mr Blazer was arrested by the FBI and an Internal Revenue Service official in 2011 as he rode his scooter to a favourite New York restaurant.
"We can take you away in handcuffs now, or you can co-operate," he was reportedly told.
Mr Blazer made his choice, and agreed to become an informant to help the US government expose corruption in football.
His information led to charges against 14 other current or former Fifa officials, and contributed to the downfall of Sepp Blatter, the organisation's president.
BBC
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