FIFA bans former Brazilian football chief for life

Jose Maria Marin, the former president of the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF), has been banned from the game for life, the world governing body, FIFA said on Monday.

The 86-year-old Jose Marin was sentenced to four years in prison by a New York court in August 2018 on corruption charges.

The sport’s governing body said its adjudicatory chamber had found Marin guilty of bribery relating to various schemes from 2012 to 2015.

FIFA’s ethics committee said in a statement that Marin had participated in various bribery schemes.

“Judges banned him for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level,’’ FIFA statement said.

FIFA also imposed a 1 million Swiss franc ($1 million) fine against Marin, once one of the most powerful figures in world football.

Following his May 2015 arrest at a luxury hotel in Zurich, Marin spent five months in a prison in Switzerland before being extradited to the U.S.

He posted bail of $15 million and spent two years living in luxury at Trump Tower, the Fifth Avenue skyscraper best known for housing the penthouse and company headquarters of the U.S. president.

However, his life of excess dramatically came to a halt at his sentencing in August, when he broke down in tears over the “nightmare” his family had endured.

(dpa/NAN)