By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – Visa has issued the most critical statement yet from any major World Cup sponsor in response to the spate of arrests of past and present FIFA officials on racketeering and bribery charges that have made worldwide headlines.
In a statement released on its corporate website that sent a blunt warning to FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his administration, Visa – which has a contract to sponsor the World Cup until 2022 at a reported estimated value of $185 million – said it would have to “reassess” its sponsorship if FIFA does not clean up its act in the face of the latest stunning corruption revelations.
“Our disappointment and concern with FIFA in light of today’s developments is profound,” said the hard-hitting statement.
“As a sponsor, we expect FIFA to take swift and immediate steps to address these issues within its organisation. This starts with rebuilding a culture with strong ethical practices in order to restore the reputation of the games for fans everywhere.”
“Visa became a sponsor of FIFA because the World Cup is one of the few truly global sporting events with the power to unite people from around the world through a common love of football.
“Our sponsorship has always focused on supporting the teams, enabling a great fan experience, and inspiring communities to come together and celebrate the spirit of competition and personal achievement – and it is important that FIFA makes changes now, so that the focus remain on these going forward. Should FIFA fail to do so, we have informed them that we will reassess our sponsorship.”
Visa have issued similar statements over the past few months and only last week told FIFA it had “grave concerns” about reports of abuse of migrant workers working on construction sites in Qatar.
The latest remarkable corruption claims also drew reaction from other mainline sponsors who have put further pressure on FIFA to show radical and robust reform.
Adidas said it was “fully committed to creating a culture that promotes the highest standards of ethics and compliance.
“We can therefore only encourage FIFA to continue to establish and follow transparent compliance standards in everything they do. Adidas is the world’s leading football brand and we will continue to support football on all levels.”
Coca-Cola went further in a statement saying: “This lengthy controversy has tarnished the mission and ideals of the FIFA World Cup and we have repeatedly expressed our concerns about these serious allegations.
“We expect FIFA to continue to address these issues thoroughly. FIFA has stated that it is responding to all requests for information and we are confident it will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities.”
McDonald’s, meanwhile, said it “takes matters of ethics and corruption very seriously and the news from the U.S. Department of Justice is extremely concerning. We are in contact with FIFA on this matter. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely.”
Meanwhile, it is understood that Swiss police authorities who announced Wednesday they were to question 10 current non-Swiss FIFA executive committee members will carry out their interviews today or tomorrow on the fringes of the FIFA congress.
The 10 all voted in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup ballot and although they are only being asked to provide information amid suspicion of criminal activities on foreign soil and have not been charged with any offense, the move represents yet another unwanted distraction for Blatter as he bids for a fifth term as president.
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