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Argentine executive to appear in U.S. court in FIFA case

The logo of soccer's international governing body FIFA is seen on its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, May 27, 2015. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - The former chairman of an Argentina-based sports marketing business who was among 14 people indicted in a federal corruption case involving the soccer world's governing body, FIFA, is expected to appear in U.S. court on Friday. Alejandro Burzaco, an Argentine businessman who was the former general manager and chairman of Torneos y Competencias SA, is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, the U.S. Justice Department said. He turned himself in to police in northern Italy on June 9. He had previously indicated he would not fight his extradition to the United States. A lawyer for Burzaco did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Burzaco was one of nine soccer officials and five marketing executives accused by the U.S. Justice Department of exploiting the sport for their own gain through bribes of more than $150 million over 24 years. His arrival in the United States makes Burzaco the third defendant to date to be arraigned on the indictment, which was announced on May 27. Jeffrey Webb, the former FIFA vice president and president of the CONCACAF regional soccer federation, was extradited from Switzerland earlier this month and pleaded not guilty. Aaron Davidson, who was the head of Brazilian sports marketing company Traffic Group's U.S. unit in Miami, had been arrested in Miami when the indictment was first announced. U.S. officials recently disclosed he was in plea negotiations. (Additional reporting by David Ingram and Mica Rosenberg in New York)