Sepp Blatter received a mandate to continue to rule Fifa. But he is no more monarch of all he surveys. Those who voted against him, from Europe and South America, are the most powerful soccer nations. Blatter, 79, only got Asian and African support, as they badly need Fifa funds, unlike bigger nations where the beautiful game is the king of sport. Blatter may have won the election, but he could still be in serious trouble if the Americans are convinced Fifa funding by top multinationals like Visa, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s is illegal under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, aimed at preventing the bribery of foreign officials.
The football body could be crippled if major sponsors are forced to pull out. To prevent that, Blatter has to ensure a very transparent process in backing the investigations against at least 14 Fifa officials, and many more names that are likely to emerge soon. So rampant and systemic has been the corruption that no one believes Blatter is capable of or willing to take action to clean up the Augean stables. Britain’s Prince William has spoken out in public in an unprecedented manner to attack Blatter.
The call from Europe is clear — Blatter must clean up Fifa by directly dealing with the widespread bribery issue, or face possible boycotts by Europeans owing allegiance to UEFA more than Fifa. The message is “reform or perish” — one said so loudly this time that even the allegedly tone-deaf Blatter has to listen and act.
