The need for change has become more urgent than ever at Fifa. The governing body of soccer is even further out on a limb after the suspension of Sepp Blatter, his one-time protégé Michel Platini, and general secretary Jerome Valcke. With elections due in February, the federation is in a complete state of flux and being run in an interim arrangement with Issa Hayatou heading it. He, too, is under a cloud brought by the bribery scandals that have engulfed the game’s governance ever since the US and Swiss authorities started investigations and legal action last summer. Apparently a US law firm is currently running the federation.
The administrators of the world’s most popular sport have brought things to such a pass. An unbelievable maze of corrupt deals in handling the showpiece World Cup stands exposed as investigators trawl through 11 terabytes of data and around 100 dubious financial transactions that have now led to many in sports administration facing jail terms. Blatter’s refusal to heed the signs and his moves in trying to put a favoured successor in his seat have complicated matters.
Although legal twists can to be expected in the next five months, it is imperative for Fifa to hold the February election. It is hard to believe that there is no honest sports administrator in the 209 countries affiliated to the federation. The question is whether football can find an administrator beyond this inner circle that has grown fat in the self-perpetuating world of sports administrators who all claim to be holding honorary posts.
