FIFA Bans Former Panama Federation President For Life

Ariel Alvarado, a Panamanian who was a member of FIFA’s ethics committee, has been banned from football for life, the governing body announced on Thursday.

FIFA’s adjudicatory chamber said in a statement Alvarado was “guilty of bribery in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.”

The charges stem from the sale of television rights for matches involving Pananama and other teams in the region. Alvarado is only the latest former FIFA official to be banned. Several have been jailed by US courts.

Alvarado who was president of his national federation and a member of the executive committee of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean football (CONCACAF) was also fined 500,000 Swiss francs (459,000 euros or $511,000).

The statement said in calculating the fine “the Panel took into consideration the undue pecuniary advantages offered and accepted by Mr Alvarado as bribes ($230,000)” and decided the amount should both “have a preventative effect” and “be higher than the benefit Mr Alvarado obtained.”

Alvarado has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in the sprawling Fifagate scandal which involved millions of dollars in bribes paid by sports marketing companies to football officials in exchange for TV broadcasting and promotional rights to tournaments including the Copa America and Copa Libertadores.