Blatter scrapped whistle blowing initiative, FIFA's head of security reveals

By Andrew Warshaw at Soccerex in Manchester

March 29 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter suddenly halted a much-lauded whistle blowing programme designed to weed out match-fixing and illegal gambling before it even got off the ground, it has emerged.

The initiative to grant amnesties and rewards to players and officials who came forward with vital information was the brainchild of FIFA’s outgoing head of security Chris Eaton (pictured) and was launched amid huge fanfare last September.

Eaton was appointed by FIFA to lead the fight against corruption but revealed during a debate on betting in football here at the Soccerex conference that his project was put on ice just two weeks later when Blatter decided to instead integrate it into the general reform process being carried out by an Independent Governance Committee headed by Swiss professor Mark Pieth.

Pieth’s initial proposals for change, contained in a 15-page report, are being discussed this week by the FIFA Executive Committee in Zurich.

“President Blatter suspended the programme specifically focused on match-fixing since the organisation was reviewing all anti-corruption issues in FIFA,” Eaton said, prompting a number of raised eyebrows.

“The programme therefore did not proceed as it was launched.”

Eaton’s name was virtually unknown in football circles until his innovative amnesty programme was devised, coupled with a hotline that was supposed to be in several languages.

Late last year the straight-talking Australian gave a number of briefings about how the project, which should have started on February 1, would help root out the match-fixing criminals in what Blatter recently described as the “biggest scourge” affecting the game.

But Eaton never got the chance to see it through.

The former Interpol crime-buster quits FIFA in May to join the Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS).

But he insisted his decision was not influenced by FIFA scrapping his whistle blowing initiative.

“It’s true to say that I was disappointed but I understood,” Eaton said.

“The decision to suspend was made with the best of intentions.

“I’m certain it’s on the agenda of the Governance Committee but I can’t be certain what they’ll recommend.

“Particularly when you are a massive business, such as FIFA, you need to have professional programmes in place to show their transparency.

“It will happen but in a different context and later this year.

“I’m pleased that they saw this as being a valuable programme to apply in a more total way.”

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734801018labto1734801018ofdlr1734801018owedi1734801018sni@w1734801018ahsra1734801018w.wer1734801018dna1734801018