Tony DiCicco, who led USA to victory at the 1999 Women’s World Cup and the 1996 Olympic Games has died at the age of 68. “Today we mourn the loss of one of http://www.officialauthenticsaintsstore.com/Nike-Delvin-Breaux-Jersey.html the most influential coaches in US Soccer history,” said the US Soccer president, Sunil Gulati. “Tony’s passion for the game as a coach, administrator and broadcaster was always evident and his relationships with everyone in the soccer community distinguished him as a compassionate and much-loved man. US Soccer will forever be thankful to Tony for his vast contributions to the game and we extend thoughts and condolences to his family and to the many people who were positively impacted by him during what was a remarkable life.” DiCicco was goalkeeping coach for the first US team to win a World Cup, the women’s champions of 1991. He took over as head coach in 1994 and led the team to 103 victories and just eight defeats before stepping down after the 1999 World Cup. He still holds the record for most wins by a US women’s coach. Away from his coaching career, he was a lively presence in the broadcasting booth and helped describe the US’s victory at the 2015 Women’s World CupTributes were paid by former US internationals on Twitter. “Great coach, amazing man! We were so fortunate to have him be our teacher/leader. His lessons and love will never leave us,” wrote Mia Hamm, who won the World Cup and an Olympic gold medal with DiCicco. Julie Foudy, who captained the US during DiCicco’s time in charge, said: “Tony was one of the finest to grace this planet.” DiCicco had a fine playing career before stepping up to coaching. He played once for the US national team, as well as a five-year spell in the American Soccer League with the Connecticut Wildcats and Rhode Island OceaneersFifa has been accused of further undermining the credibility of its anti-corruption reforms after it issued a statement reporting that the new chair of its ethics committee had effectively Drew Brees Womens Jersey leared the president, Gianni Infantino, of being under investigation. Gianni Infantino faced investigation by Fifa ethics committee for alleged malpractice Read more Fifa released that statement on Monday in response to the Guardian’s report that Infantino was under investigation for more than one allegation of malpractice when he organised the removal of the two then ethics committee chairmen at the Bahrain congress last month. One of the investigations followed complaints from some football officials in Africa that Infantino and the Fifa general secretary, Fatma Samoura, sought to improperly influence the Confederation of African Football’s presidential elections in March. A witness who had been scheduled to meet Cornel Borbély this month, the former chairman of the ethics committee’s investigatory chamber, is understood to have been told not to fly to Zurich because the investigation had been suspended now Borbély has been removed. Fifa’s statement reported that María Claudia Rojas, the Colombian lawyer appointed to replace Borbély, “has confirmed that all files have been handed over to her and that there are no open preliminary or investigation proceedings involving the Fifa president”. The statement was immediately criticised for blurring the separation between Fifa and the ethics committee, which constitutionally should be independent of the organisation as it investigates its officials. There were also questions over how Rojas had been able to authorise such a categorical statement, having been appointed only one month earlier with, according http://www.authentichurricanestore.com/johnmichael-liles-jersey_c-440.html to Borbély, hundreds of investigations to deal with. No transition or handover process has yet taken place for Rojas and the only contact she has had with Borbély since her appointment has been a letter from her suggesting they have a meeting. Fifa declined to say how Rojas had been informed about the nature of the continued investigations, or whether she had been to Fifa’s Zurich offices in person to visit the secretariat of the ethics committee and see the files. A spokesperson said: “She has been provided access to the files and the official records of the ethics committee. Therefore she is aware of what investigations are ongoing.” Advertisement However, it is understood that not all ethics committee files are held at the secretariat within Fifa’s headquarters. The organisation’s code of ethics gives the committee chairman the power to conduct some sensitive investigations, such as inquiries into the conduct of the president, using outside offices or law firms. Without talking to Borbély, it is not clear how Rojas can have satisfied herself that “all files had been handed over to her”. Borbély has declined to discuss Fifa matters since his removal, when he protested that Fifa’s reforms had been “neutralised” and set back, because it would take a long time for a new chairperson to absorb the detail of the cases in hand. Deborah Unger, of the campaign group Transparency International’s corruption in sport initiative, said: “It is not convincing; there is no evidence of how the new chairperson can have reached this conclusion so quickly. It also does not show real independence for a statement to be issued Jordan Staal Womens Jersey on her behalf by Fifa itself.” Fifa, asked about the basis for the statement that there were no investigations into Infantino, and whether some sensitive files were held outside its offices, said: “Fifa will refrain from commenting any further on baseless speculation
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