After a series of corruption scandals that has beset soccer’s governing body in recent months, Fifa’s re-elected president, Sepp Blatter, promised to implement reforms, while arguing repeatedly that the “family” must address its governance problems from within.
Blatter admitted that great damage had been done to the organisation’s image during four tumultuous days in Zurich. But that did not stop him from being overwhelmingly elected for a fourth term after his challenger, Qatar’s Mohamed bin Hammam, was suspended for alleged bribery.
Blatter’s principal proposal is to have a strengthened ethics committee that will govern conduct internally. Its members will be elected by the national football associations — the conduct of which it will police.
At his victory press conference Blatter announced that a key member of the new internal structure to clean up the governance of Fifa would be former United States secretary of state Henry Kissinger. His precise role is still unclear.
He also pledged that the World Cup host country would be decided by the associations, 208 in total, and not just the 24-member executive committee — a widening of influence portrayed as reducing the risk of corruption in the bidding process.
After his unopposed victory in the ballot of the 205 national associations present at Fifa’s 61st annual congress, Blatter told the delegates: “Reforms will be made, radical decisions. We must do something because I do not want ever again the institution of Fifa to face a situation which is undignified. Football belongs to everyone and we are the ones in charge. We will have four years.”
A recurring theme in all Blatter’s statements is that football’s world governing body must remain immune from government influence and keep control of the Fifa football “family”. In Switzerland, Fifa and other sports governing bodies enjoy historic exemptions from tax and immunity from Âanticorruption Âtreaties. This protected status is subject to an investigation by the Swiss government that is expected to take three years.
The English Football Association’s place in the family might now be characterised as errant — a grumpy uncle — after its chairperson, David Bernstein, failed in his call for the uncontested election to be postponed.
Bernstein explained his reasons against the backdrop of scandals that have led to 10 of Fifa’s 24-man executive committee being accused of, suspended or investigated for alleged corruption.
“We are subject to universal criticism from governments, sponsors, media and the wider public,” Bernstein said. “A coronation without an opponent provides a flawed mandate. I ask for a postponement for an additional candidate or candidates to stand in an open and fair process.”
The English FA’s secretary general, Alex Horne, said later he had been taken aback at the vitriolic attacks on England and the English media by delegates supportive of Blatter before the vote, which overwhelmingly approved the election to go ahead.
A series of speakers — the presidents of football associations in Haiti, Congo, Benin, Fiji and Cyprus — lined up immediately afterwards to support Blatter and, in increasing degrees, suggested that the corruption affairs were an invention of the English media. “What a beautiful English word, allegations,” said Costakis Koutsokoumnis, president of Cyprus’s FA.
Those criticisms were followed by a broader assault on England itself by the Argentinian, Julio Grondona, a senior Fifa vice-president and long-term Blatter ally.
“We always have attacks from EngÂland,” Grondona said, “mostly with lies and the support of a journalism which is more busy lying than telling the truth. Please leave the Fifa family alone.”
Despite accepting repeatedly the need to reform Fifa’s governance and procedures from within, Blatter nevertheless also suggested that the scandals besetting Fifa had emerged because of English jealousy after England was not awarded the 2018 World Cup.
“Where does all this evil come from?” he asked. “It has to do with the popularity of our competition, the World Cup, and everything around the vote. That kicked off a wave of accusations, allegations, criticism.” This widely expressed view — that the wave of scandals was an invention of the English media — came as a shock after the Fifa president had pledged “zero tolerance” of corruption.
At the end of a day of attacks on the English, Geoff Thompson, a former England FA chairman for eight years who is stepping down from Fifa’s executive committee after serving since 2007, was handed a pennant as a memento. Not even referring to the remarks about the English, Thompson thanked Fifa’s delegates for their “friendship, support and loyalty”.
In his victory speech, Blatter, who has been president for 13 years and will be for another four, told the delegates: “I am deeply touched, honoured, I thank you. Something marvellous has happened today in this unity.” And the chief administrators of football, the world’s most popular team sport, rose to give the head of their “family” a standing ovation. —