FIFA Audit & Compliance Committee Chair Domenico Scala yesterday said that the governing body "will seek to make major changes to its governance in the wake of President Sepp Blatter’s shocking resignation," according to Samuel Rubenfeld of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Scala said that FIFA "has worked hard for years on putting in place governance reforms, but that it must go further." He added that among the proposals under consideration are "term limits for executive committee members, publishing compensation figures of top FIFA leaders, and FIFA-driven integrity checks for all executive committee members, the latter of which ... was previously proposed but rejected by the regional confederations, who he said themselves now conduct such checks" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/3). Scala said “nothing will be off the table” in terms of reforms for FIFA, whose changes "could include a greater focus on transparency" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/3). Canadian Soccer Association President Victor Montagliani said, "It's not about (Blatter). It's about change in the game. I think the game has lost its moral compass. We need to reset it" (Vancouver PROVINCE, 6/3). SI.com's Grant Wahl wrote since indictments against FIFA members or associates came down last week, the question "has been whether this would be FIFA’s version of the Salt Lake City scandal" faced by the IOC more than a decade ago that "helped clean up that organization." Wahl: "Now we have an answer: It is" (SI.com, 6/2). In DC, Steven Goff writes Blatter's resignation "will thrust" FIFA "into a profound period of uncertainty and introspection" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/3).
ALL FOR SHOW? USA TODAY's Martin Rogers writes an overhaul to FIFA "is coming, not thanks to Sepp Blatter but in spite of him and as a result of the culture he allowed to infiltrate the sport's highest reaches" (
USA TODAY, 6/3). But in California, Scott Reid writes it "is too early to tell if Blatter’s impending departure marks a new beginning for an organization that has spent much of the last three decades mired in scandal or just more damage control by a group that historically has been more concerned about its public image than changing its culture of corruption" (
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 6/3). ESPN's Michael Wilbon said the sports world "is a better place getting rid of" Blatter. However, he wondered if that singular move "cures all the problems that FIFA has" (
"PTI," ESPN, 6/2). ESPN's J.A
. Adande: "I wonder going forward if FIFA will really be changed and will it benefit from this" (
"Around The Horn," ESPN, 6/2).
CREATING A POWER VACUUM: FOXSPORTS.com's Kyle McCarthy wrote there "are complex times ahead for FIFA," whose confederations have "a power vacuum in place now with ... many of the entrenched figures looking to fill it." The next few months "will reveal the depths of their political acumen and set the course forward for an organization on course to grapple with structural changes" (FOXSPORTS.com, 6/2). The FINANCIAL TIMES' Malcolm Moore writes Blatter’s skill "in playing to smaller countries and seeing off Europe and the U.S. had exposed the faultlines in football and have left FIFA’s credibility in shreds." Years of corruption scandals, "not just the latest investigations by Swiss and U.S. prosecutors, have left football fans in no doubt that they cannot trust FIFA’s leaders" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 6/3). espnW's Kate Fagan said, "The biggest problem here is that the people who voted for Sepp are now going to be charged with voting for his successor, so how much confidence should we have in FIFA in its current state?" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 6/2).
CULTURAL CONUNDRUM: Transparency Int'l co-Founder Michael Hershman, who served on FIFA's independent Governance Committee, said that there is a "fundamental split inside the organization over what rules it should play by." He added, "Culture plays a major role in this. It’s no secret that Blatter had locked up, for example, the votes from Africa (in Friday’s election). And if you look at the individual countries in Africa, those countries have had corruption problems, transparency problems, for years now. They look at these things in a different way … These countries are more interested in getting financial support from FIFA than they are in seeing clear and fair and equitable rules" (GLOBE & MAIL, 6/3). ESPN's Shaka Hislop said, "A lot of the problems that we see within FIFA, for me, is less organizationally than it is the culture within FIFA, the culture that heads of confederations can strong-arm their members to block votes for an election ... (and) that goes against democracy." ESPN's Taylor Twellman added, "I'm not sure the problem is the leadership; I think the bigger problem with this whole thing with FIFA is the way it's all set up. It begs for corruption ... racketeering and ultimately, this is step one of what all of us hope in the world of soccer ... (is) a real change within in FIFA" ("SportsCenter," ESPN 6/2). Fox Sports' Alexi Lalas asked, "Where does FIFA go from here? It has to continue with reforms if we ever hope to have a better FIFA" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 6/3). In London, Tom Peck writes even after Blatter's departure, fans should not expect FIFA "to suddenly curtail its vast marketing activities of for its huge revenues to suddenly reduce." Peck: "It will maintain an obligation to spread that wealth around its members, which number more than the United Nations. Ensuring none is misappropriated or becomes the common currency for political favours is an all but impossible task" (London INDEPENDENT, 6/3).
TRYING TO RE-WRITE HISTORY? Blatter yesterday in his resignation speech said that the Exec Committee "must be reduced in size and elected through the FIFA congress, 'not organized through the regional confederations.'" Blatter: "We need term limits not only for the president but for all members of the executive committee" (LONDON TIMES, 6/3). But SI's Grant Wahl said, "It’s certainly worthwhile to ask the question, can you trust the inside of FIFA to continue this reform process? Blatter’s talking about having term limits -- that he’s always wanted these things, and that’s a complete lie. He’s been against term limits before and things that could have reformed the organization, and now he says he’s going to support those things” ("America's Pregame," FS1, 6/2).
TIMES ARE A'CHANGING: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jason Gay writes the chaos "roiling through FIFA stretches much further than the president’s sanctum." Last week’s roundup in Switzerland "was a stark indication of the obvious: this is a sickened organization." FIFA "needs a total purge" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/3). In Toronto, Bruce Arthur writes the FIFA "kingdom has been thrown into disarray, and the fight for power and money and status and protection will begin as the Americans continue to dig." Arthur: "FIFA has a chance to change, really change. Don’t waste it" (TORONTO STAR, 6/3). A BOSTON GLOBE editorial states if there is "one persistent theme with FIFA, it’s that money talks." Sponsors and other contributors to FIFA "should leverage their financial stake in international soccer to demand reform." Otherwise, the "pattern of corruption -- and the human rights abuses that go with it -- will never end" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/3). A S.F. CHRONICLE editorial states what comes next "should be a complete house cleaning of a powerhouse sports organization," as leadership "committed to open dealing and full disclosure must be found" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/3).
