CARACAS: Ex-Venezuelan football federation president Rafael Esquivel agreed on Friday to be extradited from Switzerland to the US, where he faces corruption changes, his lawyer said.

Luis Garcia said Esquivel will plead not guilty and ask to be released on bail, noting that other former officials with the South American football confederation (CONMEBOL) charged in the corruption sting have been granted bail.

Esquivel, 69, is expected to arrive in New York next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Esquivel was arrested in Zurich on May 27 as part of a US-led investigation into corruption at world football’s now-tainted governing body FIFA.

He was accused of taking bribes worth several million dollars for the awarding of sports marketing contracts in connection with the Copa America.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2016