Napout agrees to be extradited to US

Juan Angel Napout has agreed to be extradited to the United States following his arrest last week, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) has confirmed.

FIFA vice-president and CONMEBOL president Napout and Alfredo Hawit, president of CONCACAF, were taken into custody by Swiss police last Thursday at the request of the US.

Both men are suspected of accepting bribes of millions of dollars.

Napout had previously contested his extradition but a statement from the FOJ read: “Juan Angel Napout, president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and FIFA vice-president has agreed to be extradited to the USA.

“The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) was therefore able to approve his extradition immediately in a simplified procedure. As is customary, no details concerning when he will be handed over are to be disclosed for reasons of security and privacy.”

A further 16 FIFA officials have since been charged as part of the US investigation into corruption within world football’s governing body, while a BBC investigation has claimed outgoing suspended president Sepp Blatter is the subject of an FBI probe into bribery allegations.

FIFA’s ethics committee handed Blatter a provisional 90-day ban from all football-related activities following the opening of a criminal investigation into allegations he sold a World Cup TV rights contract to former FIFA official Jack Warner in a deal that was unfavourable for FIFA.

Blatter is also alleged to have made “a disloyal payment” of two million Swiss francs to UEFA president Michel Platini, with the Frenchman and secretary general Jerome Valcke also receiving provisional suspensions.