Fifa: Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke & Markus Kattner 'awarded themselves £55m'

Fifa has been under intense scrutiny since the investigations began last year

Former high-ranking Fifa officials Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves pay rises and bonuses worth $80m (£55m) over five years, say Fifa lawyers.

Football's governing body revealed the contracts of ex-president Blatter, fired ex-secretary general Valcke and sacked former finance director Kattner one day after a Swiss police raid.

Its lawyers said there was evidence that the trio made "a coordinated effort" to "enrich themselves" between 2011 and 2015.

Documents and electronic data were seized during Thursday's operation, which relates to investigations into Blatter and Valcke.

Suspected of criminal mismanagement of Fifa money, Blatter and Valcke were banned for six and 12 years respectively by the governing body's ethics committee in February. Both deny wrongdoing.

A statement for the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), which carried out the investigations, read: "Documents and electronic data were seized and will now be examined to determine their relevance to the ongoing proceedings."

Fifa said the evidence uncovered by its own internal investigation would be shared with the Swiss Attorney General's office and the US Department of Justice.

Richard Cullen, Blatter's lawyer, said: "We look forward to showing Fifa that Mr Blatter's compensation payments were proper, fair and in line with the heads of major professional sports leagues around the world."

Meanwhile, Blatter's long-time public relations advisor Klaus Stoehlker told BBC Sport he would be ending their professional relationship, adding: "The Fifa volcano is exploding now."

Fifa has been in turmoil since May 2015, when a US investigation exposed widespread corruption at the top of the organisation.

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Copa America: When does it start, what teams are playing, what TV channel is it on and is Lionel Messi playing?

Messi is the biggest star of the tournament

Hang on - haven't we been here before?

Look. We know the normally quadrennial Copa America happened last year. You might still be mopping your fevered brow after the exhausting ordeal that was Chile's extra-time defeat of Argentina. But everyone's second-favourite continental football championship is back for a second consecutive summer because they're celebrating the competition's centenary - this special edition is called the Copa America Centenario.

Alexis Sanchez scored the winning penalty in last year's Copa America

How nice. So it's all in the name of tradition?

Well, yes, except for the glaring XXL-sized fact that it's being hosted by the USA. Sure, it'd take a loose definition of "South America" to include the States. But the Copa America always features guest stars - they even invited Japan last time - and holding it in the USA's backyard will make stacks and stacks of lovely cash.

A familiar sensation for Lionel Messi in an Argentina shirt CREDIT: AP

Who cares? We get to watch Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez!

Mostly. Messi is in line to spend his third consecutive summer dragging Argentina to the final before they inevitably lose and he is forced to accept another unwanted Player of the Tournament bauble. Suárez will miss Uruguay's first game, against Mexico - not because of a biting suspension, but because of a hamstring injury - but should be back to play Venezuela. As Brazilian football's kingpin, though, Neymar's main job this summer is leading his team to Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro, so he'll be giving the Copa America a miss.

Brazil teenager Gabriel Barbosa is one to watch CREDIT: EPA

Whoever can fill his flashy boots?

How about another extravagantly-gifted young forward who's emerged from the Santos academy to the excitement of Europe's big guns?Gabriel Barbosa, 19, is as quick and skilful as his predecessor in the Santos number 10 shirt, and could be following him to Europe if he has a good tournament.

Look out for him - but don't rule out star turns from Colombia forward James Rodríguez, who has something to prove after a tricky season with Real Madrid, and, um, Jamaica's Wes Morgan, who has absolutely nothing to prove after captaining Leicester to Premier League glory. 

Could Wes Morgan add another improbable trophy to his collection? CREDIT: REUTERS

When does it all kick off, and which teams are playing?

The tournament opens with USA vs Colombia on Saturday June 4 at 02.30 UK time. This is the start of the group stage, which encompasses Group A (USA, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay), Group B (Brazil, Ecuador, Haiti and Peru), Group C (Mexico, Uruguay, Jamaica, Venezuela) and Group D (Argentina, Chile, Panama and Bolivia).

Two teams proceed from each group, and the knockout stage culminates in the final, which will take place on June 26 at New Jersey's MetLife stadium.

And is it on telly?

Yes - the tournament will be broadcast in the UK by Premier Sports, who can be found on Sky Channel 428 and Virgin Media Channel 551. It'll cost you, though: £11.99 per month on Sky, and £9.99 per month through Virgin. Oh, and none of the games finish before 1am. Don't say we didn't warn you.

'I knew 




nothing', says



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Shaandaar (English: Fabulous) is an upcoming Indian romantic comedy film, directed by Vikas Bahl and produced by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane. It stars Alia Bhatt and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles, with Pankaj Kapur and Sanjay Kapoor in supporting roles. The Times of India described Shaandar as "India's first destination wedding film". The Principal photography began in August 2014 in Leeds, and the film is scheduled for release on 22 October 2015 and coinciding with Dussehra.

Cast

• Shahid Kapoor as Jagjinder Joginder
• Alia Bhatt as Aila Alia
• Pankaj Kapur as Tata
• Sanjay Kapoor
• Diipakk Kwatra
• Sanah Kapoor as Isha
• Sushma Seth
• Diljit Dosanjh
• Shibani Dandekar
• Anjana Sukhani
• Tessa Vellara
• Teena Vellara
• Niyati Shah
• Karan Johar                                                     
•                                                       
•                                       www.googleappz.com

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The World's Highest-Paid Country Acts 2015

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Garth Brooks may have friends in low places, but his earning power is quite the opposite.

The country legend pulled in $90 million over the past year, making him No. 1 on our annual Country Cash Kings list. In addition to being the highest total this year, it’s also the biggest single-year payday FORBES has ever recorded for a country act.

Together with wife Trisha Yearwood, Brooks has spent much of the past year playing arena shows across the U.S. in his long-awaited return from semi-retirement. That pent-up demand has allowed the duo to sell out arenas multiple nights in a row, sometimes while playing back-to-back shows in a single night.

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ATLANTA MOTORSPORTS PARK: A NEW TYPE OF COUNTRY CLUB 2015-16

Motorsports

Country clubs are lovely. They’re a wonderful place to pass the time, enjoy a game of golf or tennis, take a swim in the pool and enjoy dinner at a private restaurant. But wouldn’t they all be better with a little extra power added in?

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Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP) is the result of adding that power to a country club experience, catering to drivers with a taste for luxury and a need for the track. Of course, this isn’t just any track. With the intent of providing the best possible experience for every member, the AMP track was designed by Hermann Tilke, famed racecar driver and designer of the some of the world’s finest F1 tracks.

But even if you’ve never been on a track before, you’re ready for this one. Nearly 75 percent of the 436 current members at AMP had never driven on a track before. While it’s not a wheel-to-wheel racing facility, AMP does offer the necessary tools members need to drive their cars fast and legally, all in a controlled environment.

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Tilke has built 27 F1 tracks through Tilke Engineering, and this is the only design of his that was specifically crafted for a country club. It covers a total of two miles and draws its inspiration from the world’s most renowned courses, including the Spa-Francorchamps and the Nurburgring’s Carousel. The elevation changes, with a difference of 100 feet between the highest and lowest points, and the details are even F1 specific – down to the curbing and rumble strips.

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A map of the grounds at Atlanta Motorsport Park (click to enlarge)

If you keep your track car at home, you can drive it over for the day, but if you’d prefer to keep the distance between storage and acceleration as short as possible, AMP offers garages for rent in a variety of sizes. It’s the perfect opportunity to escape for some alone time with your favorite car, and it’s an even better opportunity to spend an entire day with the family.

Though this rigorous track is the primary draw to AMP, there are countless other ways to spend your time while there. There’s a pool, fitness center, basketball court and kart track, a restaurant to enjoy lunch or dinner, a series of hiking trails and fire pits for some natural exploration and locker rooms for when the day draws to a close. Stillwater Farms is just across the street, where horseback riding lessons, trail rides, storytelling and arts and crafts are all available.

Really, it’s a new kind of country club designed with the automotive enthusiast in mind. Whether spending the day with the family, with a friend, entertaining a client or enjoying some solitude, Atlanta Motorsports Park can provide the perfect setting. Just get in, hit the gas and go.

             

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TEN FUTURE COLLECTIBLE CARS 2015 - 16

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Our specialty may be exotics, but collectibles are just as important. A few of our salespeople have been here for more than three decades, and they have helped us develop a keen eye for undervalued iron. Here are our ten cars that may become future collectible cars. Everyone has to have at least one story about something on this list, so tell us why you think these will be worth more than their original value in a few years.

Editor’s Note: This information is not meant to be used as advice for financial investments. Consult a financial planning expert prior to making any investment decisions.

2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8

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The engineers at Chrysler are a rowdy sort, and as such they decided to stuff their most potent V8 into the Grand Cherokee. The result was an SUV capable of lapping purpose built race cars. A steep retail price kept production numbers very low, and because of that SRT8 Jeeps are poised to trade for much higher prices in the near future

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1987 Porsche 928

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Finding a decent 928 is becoming very hard, and finding a qualified shop to work on it is another task altogether. They have become a hotbed for Chevrolet engine swaps and many have been stripped into track cars. This one looks to be untouched with only 64,000 on the odometer. At this price, who can pass it up?

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1994 Mazda RX-7 R2

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Federal clean air laws and upcoming fuel economy standards will probably be the end of the rotary engine. Their rugged and simple construction was heavily utilized by Mazda and powered their RX series of sports cars for decades. Because rotary engines are easily modified, you can more than double your power with an afternoon’s work. That’s why finding an unmodified RX-7 is almost impossible. You may not win any races in showroom form, but spinning the small mill to 9,000 rpm is a completely rewarding experience. Buy this one before it becomes Fast and/or Furious.

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1974 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

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Japan’s answer to the Land Rover Defender, the original Toyota Land Cruiser FJ 40 was a six cylinder go-anywhere 4WD. Because they were used as intended, finding even a decent running one will take some time. While not big on luxury, they are light and nimble, which is an advantage in muddy situations. They were built from 1960 to 2001 and have an aftermarket second only to the Jeep Wrangler. This one has upgraded wheels and tires along with a marine grade surround sound system.

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1996 Chevrolet Corvette

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Corvette’s fifth generation was supposed to hit dealers as early as 1992, but an economic slump and the development of the all-aluminum LS1 engine pushed the C5 back to a 1997 launch. Because the C4 had been in production since early 1983, Chevrolet decided to give it a proper sendoff. The upcoming LS1 engine meant the end of the traditional Chevrolet small block V8, so a larger camshaft and cylinder heads were fitted to make 330 hp and 340 lb-ft of torque. Grand Sports were admiral blue and white, with two hash marks on the front left fender recalling Corvette racers of the past. They were fitted with 11” wide rear wheels from the ZR1 that required fender flares to fit inside the body. Only 810 coupes and 190 convertibles were built, and they rarely change hands.

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2005 Cadillac CTS-V

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Why would you put a Corvette Z06’s engine and transmission into a heavy 4-door sedan? Cadillac said “Why not?” The 405 hp LS6 V8 and six-speed manual transmission were borrowed from the top-level Corvette and offered in CTS-Vs built from 2004 to 2007, with only a few thousand built each year. Only a few color choices and lack of an automatic transmission limited the car’s appeal, but they were a force to be reckoned with on the street.

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1999 BMW M3

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Every time we hear about the BMW E36 platform, it’s related to track days and winning trophies. This chassis makes for the perfect race car, and that’s why their value and collectability are poised to takeoff. This is the first one we have seen in awhile that doesn’t have a roll cage and race slicks; at this price you can’t go wrong.

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1989 Nissan GT-R

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Our federal government’s 25-year import ban was meant to protect our domestic auto makers, but it also hurts the market for late model performance cars. What you see here is among one of the first 1989 Japanese Domestic Market Nissan GT-Rs to be legally imported. This right-hand drive model was tuned to 690 hp in Japan, but had to be detuned to run on pump gas. If you want a GT-R with a real manual transmission, this one is undoubtedly your opportunity.

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1981 Mercedes-Benz 250 GD 4×4 

WagonSure, G-wagens are all the rage on South Beach and Wilshire Blvd, but they are also quite capable off road. This 2-door short wheelbase model features the sought after soft-top with an immaculate interior. Shod in Nitto Trail Grappler tires, this five speed, five cylinder diesel has enough torque to pull the heaviest of toys. A loving owner has upgraded the stereo and headlights, and the leather lumbar seats are a far cry from the army buckets originally offered in 1981. When was the last time you saw one for sale?

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2012 Fisker Karma

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Every year we keep hearing rumors that Fisker is almost ready to resume production. Some said the technology wasn’t perfected, others knocked the unique styling, but the facts speak for themselves. The turbocharged Chevrolet four-cylinder generator is a smooth runner, and offers unlimited range if you don’t have time to charge. Around 1,800 were sold and Hurricane Sandy wiped out an entire shipment on the docks in New Jersey. They stand alone as the most advanced gas-electric hybrid built to date. If you need a fast stylish sedan, good Karma is destined to come your way.

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