Football
Associated Press 9y

FIFA's Jerome Valcke cancels trip to Canada for Women's World Cup

ZURICH -- FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has cancelled his trip to Canada for the opening of the Women's World Cup in the wake of an ongoing investigation into soccer corruption.

FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said Monday that "due to the current situation," Valcke will not attend this weekend's opening game "as previously scheduled."

Fischer said "it is important that he attend to matters at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich."

She added that FIFA president Sepp Blatter still intends to travel to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which is hosted by the United States and Canada in July.

Several high-ranking FIFA officials were arrested in Zurich last week in a U.S.-led probe into corruption.

The women's World Cup starts Saturday with Canada playing China in Edmonton.

Also on Monday, a judge in Paraguay said former CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz has been placed under house arrest amid FIFA's corruption scandal.

Judge Humberto Otazu also said on Monday that 86-year-old Leoz is expected to be released later in the day from a hospital in the Paraguayan capital where he is being treated for high blood pressure.

Leoz, the president of the South American confederation from 1986 to 2013, is one of several former and current top soccer officials named in the FIFA corruption investigation.

The Paraguayan foreign ministry has received a note from the U.S. Embassy requesting Leoz's arrest and seeking his extradition.

Lawyer Fernando Barriocanal said his client is in good spirits and ready to defend himself when the time right time comes.

FIFA's Independent Ethics Committee took further action on Monday, banning the vice president and general secretary of the Congolese Football Association from carrying out their duties.

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