By Paul Nicholson in Geneva
September 4 – Has sport, and football in particular, lost its self-proclaimed special status right of self-governance, free from government influence and prevailing national laws? Three political grandees speaking at the FITS Forum in Geneva were of the consensus that autonomy for sport was a principal that needs to respected. But within their accepted perameters.
Richard Caborn, former minister of sport in the UK and a current MP, Miguel Cardenal, secretary of state for sport in Spain, and Antonio Silva Mendes, director of youth and sport of the European Commission, were all of the opinion that autonomy is important for sport but that government help – not neccessarily interference – was inevitable.
The view that autonomy is still viewed as important for sports will be music to the ears of administrators afraid of political takeover, but while regulation may not be imminent, the speakers made it clear that the idea that sports can carry on with their own laws superceding national law, is unlikely to be acceptable across a number of policy areas.
“Autonomy has to work within broad public policies. It is a fundamental principal that sport takes the lead and governments are there to support” said Caborn.
He pointed to the example of WADA (the world anti-doping agency) as a potential route forward when it comes to reform of other areas of sport and the need to have fundamental change. “WADA came about because a number of sports ministers were able to back it. I believe as a minister of sport I had a responsibility to make sure that sport was clean,” he said. “It was the fastest convention that has made it on to UNESCO’s books there has been.”
The prevailing political view was that what they are seeing are change agendas in sports.
“There is a lot of scepticsim around FIFA and what we have seen is the president resigning and fundamental debate on the role of FIFA and its governance,” said Caborn.
“Sponsors, tv and fans are demanding fundamental change. Who will regulate these international governing bodies? There needs to be the setting of international benchmarks if there is going to be credibility. I am not pessimistic, I am optimistic. Change is in the air.”
Cardenal was similarly positive about the change that he sees coming but did forsee that government was required to play a role. “Loss of autonomy is something we are often accused of in Spain. It is a real threat that would make sport a tool of political power. In Spain politics used sport for 50 years of dictatorship. It is important to uphold the autonomy of sport,” he said.
“Autonomy does come with difficulties but governance must be principled to control and set up a shield that can make sure we can delete unacceptable practices. Government has a responsibility to make sure the behaviour of sports leaders is irreproachable.”
Cardenal cited an example where the Spanish government has had to step in to encourage the football federation to increase the representation of women on its board.
The view from the European Commission level is much more about encouraging debate and organic change. “Regulation at European level is not the panacea for the problem. More transparency and democracy is needed,” said Cardenal.
“For the first time at the European level we have an article. Last June there was a recommendation to encourage member states and the EC to act. We will not intervene in a legal way, we will not have regulation but we have to support fairness and openness… We have to respect the voluntary basis of sport…We have to encourage peer pressure.”
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