MIAMI: North America’s football federation has filed a lawsuit claiming it was victimised by two defendants charged in the FIFA bribery scandal.

In papers filed earlier this week in federal court in Brooklyn, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) accuses former FIFA officials Jack Warner and Chuck Blazer of making a fortune through embezzlement allegations that mirror those in a sprawling US criminal investigation that has resulted in charges against several top football officials.

The suit accuses the pair of negotiating bribes and kickbacks in connection with lucrative broadcasting rights for tournaments including CONCACAF’s Gold Cup championship.

“There can be no doubt that Warner and Blazer victimized CONCACAF, stealing and defrauding it out of tens of millions of dollars in brazen acts of corruption for their own personal benefit at the expense of the entire CONCACAF region,” the suit says.

The suit seeks $20 million in compensatory damages and unspecified punitive damages.

Blazer has pleaded guilty and cooperated in the criminal probe. One of his attorneys in that case declined comment on Friday.

Warner is fighting extradition in Trinidad and Tobago, where he’s denied any wrongdoing.

FIFA, international football’s governing body, filed a restitution claim last year in the criminal case that similarly portrayed it as a victim of the defendants.

“Their actions have deeply tarnished the FIFA brand and impaired FIFA’s ability to use its resources for positive actions throughout the world, and to meet its global mission of supporting and enhancing the game of football, commonly known in the US as soccer,” it says.

The claim includes a demand for tens of millions in payments, including $10 million it says was stolen by Warner, Blazer and others.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2017