By Andrew Warshaw
September 23 – As the fallout from football’s unprecedented corruption scandal shows no sign of diminishing, FIFA are considering a possible new venue and date for its vital year-end executive committee meeting currently scheduled for Japan in December.
The item is on the agenda for this week’s exco session amid uncertainty over whether FIFA president Sepp Blatter would be prepared to travel outside his native Switzerland.
Blatter, who steps down on February 26 after 18 years in the post, has largely avoided leaving his country since the United States indicted 14 senior football officials and sports marketing executives, including several from FIFA, on money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud charges. Since then, his only official trip abroad has been to Russia for the World Cup qualifying draw in St Petersburg even though he has stressed his “conscience is clear”.
Blatter has not been accused of any wrongdoing but it is understood he has been advised by his legal team not to risk being snared by the US justice authorities by visiting any countries that have extradition treaties with the United States – which Japan does. US Attorney-General Loretta Lynch revealed earlier this month that more arrests were expected to be made.
FIFA’s executive committee meets in Zurich on Thursday and Friday and the final item on the agenda is “decision on the date and place of the next meeting” even though FIFA’s website continues to list Japan as the venue.
The December session traditionally takes place in the same country as the Club World Cup tournament, which is returning to Japan after being held in Abu Dhabi and Morocco.
This year’s final exco is particularly important since it is expected to be presented with long-awaited official reform measures for recommendation to the February congress when Blatter steps down.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734890287labto1734890287ofdlr1734890287owedi1734890287sni@w1734890287ahsra1734890287w.wer1734890287dna1734890287