By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has broken his silence over the stunning corruption claims that have sent shockwaves through the sport by claiming that he personally welcomed efforts taken to clean up the sport.
As Friday’s presidential election showed no sign of being called off despite protests by UEFA that enough was enough, Blatter said the world should not adversely judge his organisation after separate cases instigated by the Swiss and US authorities into years of alleged wrongdoing that dwarfed anything that has gone before.
Seven officials, the most surprising among whom was FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb, were arrested at their Zurich hotel at dawn Wednesday by Swiss authorities acting on behalf of the US Department of Justice, which has indicted 18 people alleging bribery totalling more than $150 million. In a separate case, the Swiss authorities seized documents and electronic data from FIFA’s headquarters and will question 10 current FIFA executive committee members who voted back in December 2010 on the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
“This is a difficult time for football, the fans and for FIFA as an organisation,” said Blatter. “We understand the disappointment that many have expressed and I know that the events of today will impact the way in which many people view us.”
“As unfortunate as these events are, it should be clear that we welcome the actions and the investigations by the US and Swiss authorities and believe that it will help to reinforce measures that FIFA has already taken to root out any wrongdoing in football.”
Four years ago when he was elected unopposed Blatter instigated a widescale reform programme following the scandals over the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process and the separate cash-for-votes scandal that partly led to the downfall of former powerbroker Mohammed bin Hammam.
Wednesday’s astonishing developments were therefore the last thing he needed but illustrated how deeply corruption has taken root during his 17 years in charge.
“While there will be many who are frustrated with the pace of change, I would like to stress the actions that we have taken and will continue to take,” said Blatter. “In fact, today’s action by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General was set in motion when we submitted a dossier to the Swiss authorities late last year. Let me be clear: such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game.”
Blatter then noted that the independent ethics committee had reacted fast by banning provisionally 11 officials indicted by the US Justice Department.
“We will continue to work with the relevant authorities and we will work vigorously within FIFA in order to root out any misconduct, to regain your trust and ensure that football worldwide is free from wrongdoing,” said Blatter.
FIFA’s ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, explaining the speed with which those cited the 47-count indictment from the US Justice Department were forced out, commented: “The charges are clearly related to football and are of such a serious nature that it was imperative to take swift and immediate action. The proceedings will follow their course in line with the FIFA Code of Ethics.”
The banned individuals included Webb and fellow FIFA VP Eugenio Figueredo of Uruguay; new executive committee member Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, disgraced former CONCACAF chief Jack Warner and his one-time general secretary Chuck Blazer, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin, Nicolás Leoz and Daryll Warner.
Warner resigned in 2011 to avoid FIFA sanctions in a bribery scandal during that year’s presidential election. Yesterday he turned himself into police in his native Trinidad and Tobago after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was subsequently bailed on condition he handed in his passport, did not leave Trinidad and reported twice weekly to local police.
Following the twin proceedings UEFA, who have long opposed Blatter going for a fifth term, immediately called for the FIFA congress on Thursday and Friday to be called off and for the presidential election to be postponed.
UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, speaking in Warsaw before the Europa League final, said in a statement: “UEFA believes that the FIFA congress should be postponed and that the election for the president should take place within six months.”
“Today’s events are a disaster for FIFA and tarnish the image of football as a whole. UEFA is deeply shocked and saddened by them. These events show, once again, that corruption is deeply rooted in FIFA’s culture. There is a need for the whole of FIFA to be ‘rebooted’ and for a real reform to be carried out.
“The upcoming Fifa congress risks to turn into a farce and therefore the European associations will have to consider carefully if they should even attend this congress and caution a system, which, if it is not stopped, will ultimately kill football. The UEFA member associations are meeting tomorrow ahead of the FIFA congress. At that point, the European associations will decide on what further steps need to be taken to protect the game of football.
“In the meantime, the members of the UEFA executive committee are convinced that there is a strong need for a change to the leadership of this FIFA and strongly believe that the FIFA congress should be postponed, with new FIFA presidential elections to be organised within the next six months.”
Not surprisingly, the pro-Blatter Asian Football Confederation, itself no stranger to corruption allegations, opposed any delay in the election to take place on Friday.
“The AFC is against any form of corruption in football and fully supports any actions taken by the independent FIFA Ethics Committee where wrongdoing may have occurred, whether such actions affect Asian officials or otherwise,” a statement said.
“The AFC is still undergoing its own process of reform and has taken many concrete steps in the last two years to improve governance in the Confederation, whilst recognising that there is still much work to do.
“Furthermore, the AFC reiterates its decision taken at the AFC Congress in Sao Paulo in 2014, endorsed at subsequent Congresses in Melbourne and Manama in 2015, to support FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.”
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