Earlier this week it emerged that Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s seemingly universally maligned president will stand for re-election today. Not only will Blatter stand for re-election, he will waltz in un-opposed. Mohamed bin Hammam, who has been provisionally suspended by a FIFA ethics committee for allegedly bribing Caribbean delegates to vote for him on Wednesday, has withdrawn from the election. Alongside bin Hammam, current vice president Jack Warner was provisionally suspended for assisting with bribery. Was there truly an un-ethical drive to remove Blatter from his long term seat? Or is there the possibility that both these men were ‘framed’ and swept aside by a power hungry Blatter?
Whatever the situation, it cannot be denied that the present general opinion of FIFA is as low as it has ever been. Prior to this latest fiasco, the organization has faced a multitude of accusations since the turn of the year. Perhaps none were more shocking than the claims that World Cup votes were being bought and sold by representatives of FIFA. The Sunday Times accused two members of the executive committee of offering to sell their votes to undercover news reporters. Even as both these men faced investigations, fines and suspensions, further accusations followed.
The BBC soon brought allegations against three more committee members. FIFA this time dismissed the allegations, claiming that the matter had been dealt with. However, the air of suspicion and distrust could not be cleared from the air, especially considering the controversy that Qatar’s successful bid for the 2022 World Cup carried with it. Yet more executive committee members have been accused of corruption since, this time resulting from a British parliamentary meeting concerning why their 2018 World Cup bid had failed. Next to express their outrage and demand answers for what had been going on during the bidding process was Australia, who formally demanded a refund for their failed World Cup bid.
Amid the most pressure of his thirteen year reign as FIFA president, Sepp Blatter has today insisted that football is not in crisis. Speaking publicly after he was cleared of ‘wrong-doing’ by the ethics committee which condemned bin Hammam and Warner, Blatter bullishly stated that this case would be resolved internally.
Blatter’s insistence contradicts the calls that many have made for reform within FIFA. There are those who believe that the institution is corrupt to the core, and who could really argue against these people? The continued allegations cannot have been made without cause. The old saying ‘no smoke without a fire’ certainly seems to apply here. The question remains, though, how do we extinguish this fire?
While many are suggesting wild solutions such as the FA and other like minded associations ‘splitting’ from FIFA to form their own organisation, what’s actually needed is a strong challenge and continued pressure on the internal bodies. Obviously the ship has sailed for a righteous challenger to take on Blatter in an election – an outcome he is no doubt revelling in.
However, the key to this corruption coming to an end is for the smaller footballing bodies to unite. FIFA should be ashamed for letting things go this far and allowing corruption to literally burst at the seams of this organization. They have killed their own image, one which the entire sport of football hinges on, no less. For them to salvage a shred of integrity they must cancel this embarrassment of an election which is set to take place today and introduce reform top to bottom. Only unity from the smaller associations will ensure this reform can happen. If the last few months have shown anything, it’s that there’s no limit to how far FIFA may fall. With Blatter leading the organization again, how do they expect to be taken seriously?
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