Blazer to Quit CONCACAF

FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer is set to leave his post as Secretary General of the Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF).

The 66-year-old American has held the position for 21 years and will leave December 31. Blazer’s resignation comes just months after his bribery accusations against former CONCACAF President Jack Warner and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohamed bin Hammam.

Blazer said in May that Warner and Bin Hammam attempted to bribe Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials with US $40, sale 000 each to vote for Bin Hammam in the FIFA presidential election. Bin Hammam received a lifetime bad from FIFA. Jack Warner resigned from the CFU.

Warner’s acting successor Lisle Austin then tried to dismiss Blazer, price sale leading to further disciplinary proceedings, before FIFA suspended him.

Blazer said: “I’ve been running a governing body long enough. We’ve been through a little bit of a stagnation period. I want to do something entrepreneurial. It was the right time. I wanted to give them notice to let them start to look for somebody.”

Blazer’s most significant work for CONCACAF has included launching the Gold Cup and CONCACAF Champions League and relocating the organisation’s headquarters from Guatemala City to New York.

When talking about his future, Blazer said he would “explore new challenges within this wonderful sport.”

US Soccer President Sunil Gulati said: “All of us in CONCACAF owe him a great debt of gratitude for his sustained efforts in helping to take the sport to where it is today. There is no doubt that he will continue to make an impact in whatever role he chooses.”

Blazer will remain on FIFA’s Executive Committee with whom his current term ends in mid 2013.