American Huckster

June 6, 2016
With journalistic candor, Papenfuss and Thompson, former New York Daily News editors, still seem to have a love-hate relationship with Chuck Blazer, a scam artist who turned the massive profits of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) into his personal piggy bank. The writers methodically unearth Blazer's many schemes. He and his Caribbean sidekick, Jack Warner, were two jet-setters who were courted by world leaders and celebrities while pocketing over $20 million in bribes, kickbacks, and other graft from members of FIFA and CONCACAF, the regional soccer federation of the Americas. The authors also survey the brazen criminal activities of ousted FIFA president Sepp Blatter. The writers follow Blazer's 17-year rise to the top, with his charm and cunning, lavish lifestyle, and yen for strippers, before the FBI brokered a deal to bring down the FIFA hierarchy in 2011. This grim, always entertaining cautionary tale of greed and runaway ego is a worthy addition to any reader's collection of business fantasies gone awry.

May 15, 2016

In 2015, Swiss and U.S. authorities arrested 18 members of the executive committee of FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association), the global governing body of soccer, on charges of fraud, bribery, and embezzlement--notably the buying and selling of votes to base the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. These treacheries were discovered with the help of Chuck Blazer, the former general secretary of CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football), who was banned from FIFA for the same charges he helped uncover. Journalists Papenfuss (Killer Dads) and Thompson (coauthor, American Icon) outline Blazer's path to power, including how he earned more than $20 million in bribes and kickbacks over two decades. Portrayed as a greedy, power-hungry thief, while begrudgingly admitting that he transformed CONCACAF from a bankrupt global laughingstock into a financial powerhouse, Blazer revolutionized TV rights for soccer in North America, bringing in billions in revenue and revitalizing teams throughout CONCACAF, while also serving as the driving force behind the creation of the Gold Cup. Readers will decide how to assess Blazer: modern-day Robin Hood or common swindler. VERDICT Every soccer fan knew FIFA was corrupt long before this story broke; those who wish to find out just how corrupt will devour this book.--Tyler Hixson, Library Journal

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