INVESTIGATION/ Syrian FA Pressured to Hand Deal to President’s Brother - OCCRP SIRAJ

How a company linked to a relative of the wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s brother secured an exclusive, undisclosed deal granting it 35% of the Syrian Football Association’s revenues. The agreement was awarded under pressure from the security director of the Fourth Military Division — commanded by General Maher al-Assad, the president’s brother and a key figure in Syria’s Captagon network. Based on confidential documents and insider testimonies, the investigation exposes how political influence and corruption infiltrated Syrian sports institutions, turning a national football contract into a vehicle for regime-linked profiteering.