Andrew Jennings, journalist who exposed corruption at FIFA and the IOC, dies

British journalist Andrew Jennings died last Saturday (8), at the age of 78.

According to information published on his social media account on Monday (10), he could not resist a “brief and sudden illness”.

Known for his investigative journalism that revealed scandals until then well hidden by major sports entities, Jennings was already an experienced BBC reporter when he began his career in this field, with investigations into the IOC (International Olympic Committee) in the late 1980s. , would turn to the excesses in FIFA, the highest authority in world football.

He has published books such as “The Lords of the Rings” (1992) and “Foul Game — the Secret World of Fifa” (2011).

His work has been one of the pillars for investigations against FIFA in recent years, such as the so-called FIFAgate. Brazilians such as João Havelange and Ricardo Teixeira were protagonists of his denunciations. In Brazil, Jennings was heard by the CPI do Futebol, in the Federal Senate.

The actions of the Swiss police and the US Department of Justice against corruption in football were topics that animated the British journalist.

After the Fifa top hats were first arrested in 2015, Jennings said that even if they didn’t stay in prison for long, the episode was an opportunity to “cleanse” the football world of its dirtiest problems.

“They [os procuradores dos Estados Unidos] have all the documents. They’re looking at the Nike contract [com a CBF]. These are exciting times. There is a chance to build Brazilian football from the ground up. Now it is time for the Brazilian government to arrive and say that it is going to organize football. You [brasileiros] voted for this government. If there is a cleanup in the CBF, Brazil will be making a legitimate contribution to world football,” he told leaf in season.

In addition to books, the journalist produced episodes of the British BBC documentary series Panorama. Two stand out. His debut on the board took place in 2006, with allegations of bribery within FIFA.

Then, in 2010, an edition aired that revealed that FIFA directors had accepted to receive bribes to vote in Russia to host the 2018 World Cup – and among the names mentioned by Jennings, was that of Brazilian Ricardo Teixeira, then president from CBF.