By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
February 25 – FIFA’s much trumpeted reform proposals, due to be approved at its Congress in May, have received a timely boost after being backed by CONCACAF which represents football in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
CONCACAF, whose 40 member associations comprise just under one fifth of FIFA, also support the same age limit for FIFA executive committee candidates, who would be limited to three four-year terms.
These and other recommendations in a statute-changing 10-point plan are to be voted on in Mauritius in a bid to make FIFA more accountable and credible following a string of corruption scandals. FIFA’s 209 members, rather than its executive committee, will also be asked to choose future World Cup hosts and approve security checks for any new members of the executive committee.
The reform proposals have been put forward by an independent governance committee (IGC) headed by Swiss law professor Mark Pieth.
“After more than a century since FIFA’s inception, the global landscape of our game has clearly changed,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “It is gratifying to see we are finally accompanying this profound renovation of the world of football.”
“Member response has been overwhelmingly supportive of the reforms, which confirms the auspicious timeliness of this exercise of statutes review that analyses football’s fundamental principles, focuses on increasing transparency and accountability and places improved governance standards throughout the football industry.
“We thank FIFA’s independent governance committee for this timely initiative of reform and express our pride to our member associations for their commitment to supporting this transformation.”
While Blatter is currently serving his fourth term of office at the age of 76, Argentina’s Julio Grondona has been present in the FIFA inner circle since 1988 and Cameroon’s Issa Hayatou since 1990.
CONCACAF’s support could end up being hugely important for FIFA which may not be able to push through its reform package in Mauritius with as much ease as originally anticipated.
Already UEFA, which comprises 53 nations, has opposed a number of the reform proposals whilst at the same time putting forward its own alternative agenda. For instance UEFA is against the eight-year limit for the FIFA president, instead suggesting a first term of eight years followed by a second of four.
Pieth’s IGC recently criticised the European associations for “attempting to dilute the thrust of the reform” while Blatter has also taken a swipe at UEFA for what he said were attempts to block the entire process.
” I’m surprised by the reaction of UEFA, because the (FIFA) executive committee told the confederations they should consult their national associations about the reforms and what they think about the last part of the amendments to the statutes,” Blatter said recently. “And I’m surprised because it did not seem like a consultation, it seemed like was decision-making from UEFA where the national associations have signed a declaration against this.
“The idea was that at the FIFA Congress, all national associations have the right to speak on the amendments in favor or against. We have asked the confederations to make consultations, we have not asked them to make decisions. If all the Confederations make decisions, what is the point of the FIFA Congress?”
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