Ex-marketing executive: Fox Sports involved in soccer bribes

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The official match ball for the 2018 soccer World Cup in Russia is displayed during the unveiling ceremony in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. Lionel Messi has presented the ball for next year's World Cup in Russia. The Telstar 18 has a retro black-and-white design harking back to the original Adidas Telstar ball used for the 1970 World Cup. (AP Photo/Oleg Shalmer) Photo: Associated Press/Oleg Shalmer

NEW YORK (AP) — A former marketing executive has testified that Fox Sports partnered with his firm to pay bribes to soccer officials to secure broadcasting rights to major soccer tournaments.

The accusation came Tuesday at the U.S. trial of three former South American soccer officials accused of taking bribes in a sprawling corruption investigation of FIFA, sport’s governing body.

Alejandro Burzaco, the former CEO of a marketing firm based in Argentina, testified that Fox was among several media companies paying bribes through sham contracts for the Copa America and other events.

As evidence, prosecutors produced a 2008 agreement for the partnership to pay $3.7 million to a holding company in Turks and Caicos that was signed by a former Fox executive.

Fox Sports didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

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