By Andrew Warshaw
November 27 – Emirates Airlines, one of FIFA’s most important sponsors, want to see some kind of improvement in the organisation’s image before putting pen to paper on any further deals.
The Dubai-based carrier’s $195 million (£122 million/€150 million), eight-year sponsorship of FIFA expires in 2014 and senior vice-president Boutros Boutros says it is looking forward to the results of the reform drive instigated by FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured top, left) after two years of bribery and vote-rigging scandals.
“So far they talk a lot about them, but we are yet to see,” said Boutros.
“They look serious about it and we are optimistic.
“We hope they will work on it and do what the public want.
“We are waiting until after 2014 to evaluate.
“Our research is to see how people perceive our brand – how they perceive our relationship with them, how they look at it.”
FIFA’s reputation has been sullied by bribery and vote-rigging in the last two years but Boutros says Blatter is doing his best to clean up the operation before he almost certainly stands down in 2015.
“Blatter is working on cleaning the image of FIFA – they had unfortunate events and incidents and issues,” Boutros said.
“In one way, I am glad they were courageous enough to talk about it and discuss it.
“And they were courageous enough to announce they were taking measures.
“I am yet to see the outcome of these measures and we are waiting and watching.”
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