Fifa backs executives after failure to tell players about sexually abusive coach

Victor Montagliani and Peter Montopoli were at Canada Soccer when the organization failed to tell players the real reason why now-convicted sex offender Bob Birada left in 2008

Fifa has backed senior officials within its organization after a failure to tell players and the public the real reason why now-convicted sex offender and former national team coach Bob Birada left Canada Soccer in 2008.

The officials - Victor Montagliani, the president of Concacaf and a Fifa vice-president, and Peter Montopoli, the chief operating officer for Canada for the 2026 World Cup - were senior Canada Soccer officials with central roles in Birarda's exit from his job as Canada's U-20 women's national team coach after he was found to have acted inappropriately with his own players.