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Leagues and Governing Bodies

FIFA's Blatter Says He's Working On Reform; Frontrunner For Succession Has Yet To Emerge

Outgoing FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Thursday said that he has "already started working on ways to clean up the sport's governing body," according to Graham Dunbar of the AP. Blatter tweeted a photo of himself sitting in a leather chair with a light blue jacket and no tie, accompanied by the message, "Working hard on reforms after meeting Audit & Compliance Committee Independent Chairman [Domenico] Scala" (AP, 6/4). Meanwhile, the AP reports Blatter "will not attend an Olympic meeting next week in Lausanne, Switzerland" (AP, 6/5).

STEP RIGHT UP: REUTERS' Patrick Johnston reported the Middle East has emerged as "one of the sport's most powerful blocs" during Blatter's 17-year reign and is "likely to have a big say" in who will replace him as president. The "power and oil wealth" is allowing the Middle East to "muscle in among the kingmakers at football's top table," once monopolized by Europe and South America (REUTERS, 6/4). BLOOMBERG NEWS' Tariq Panja reported all of the "prospective candidates" to replace Blatter "are men" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 6/3). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Joshua Robinson writes the circumstances surrounding FIFA are "so unpredictable at the moment that there seems to be more reluctance to run for president now than when it meant almost certain defeat" against Blatter. The issue of the '22 World Cup in Qatar, "in particular, could be decisive." Then there is the matter of "Blatter's endorsement," as he "still enjoys widespread support in certain parts of the world." It is "unclear whether anyone would seek out" Blatter’s seal of approval (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/5).

BUCK OF THE IRISH: Football Association of Ireland CEO John Delaney confirmed that FIFA paid the FAI "a figure reported to be" about $5.6M (all figures U.S.) to "not pursue legal action" in relation to former France men's national team F Thierry Henry’s handball during an '09 World Cup qualifier. He said that the FAI was "paid the money after a meeting" between himself and Blatter "in the aftermath of the incident that denied Ireland a place" at the '10 World Cup (London INDEPENDENT, 6/5). In Ireland, Declan Whooley notes FIFA "confirmed that it provided the FAI" with a $5.6M loan following the Henry handball incident, which was "written off when Ireland failed to qualify" for the '14 World Cup in Brazil. FIFA claimed that lump sum "was to be reimbursed if Ireland had qualified" for the '14 World Cup and "was to be used for the Aviva Stadium." FIFA "wrote the loan off" in December '14 after Ireland "failed to qualify" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 6/5). The GUARDIAN's Owen Gibson writes while the FAI payment revelation may seem like an "amusing diversion from the more serious matter of the collapse of the House of FIFA at the hands of U.S. federal investigators," it becomes clear on closer inspection that the payoff "rather neatly encapsulates one of the great contributory factors to FIFA's existential crisis." It might tell "quite a lot about the way the FAI does business, but it also cuts to the heart of FIFA's issues." Gibson: "Who knows what other skeletons will now come tumbling out of the expensively upholstered closets in FIFA HQ?" (GUARDIAN, 6/5).

CLEAN UP TIME
: A CHICAGO TRIBUNE editorial states it "seems obvious that Blatter should leave immediately." He "has no credibility." A new FIFA president and exec board will "have to rip up the organization and create a new body committed to operating in the open." FIFA must "start with airing" former U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia's "report on the decision on hosting" the '18 and '22 World Cups. The editorial: "It sure looks like it'll be called the Corruption Cup if it isn't moved" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/5). IOC member Dick Pound said that the crisis currently engulfing FIFA is "far worse than anything the IOC had to face after its Salt Lake City scandal." He claimed that it will "take far longer for FIFA to turn itself around compared to the IOC's reformation" in '98. Pound told the London Times, "FIFA, that's a lot more serious. The needle is a lot further to the right. As you can see from the charges, this is corruption, money-laundering, bribery, criminal offences. The Salt Lake City experience for the IOC was not criminal. Tacky beyond belief and it did a lot of damage but it certainly wasn't criminal" (ESPN.com, 6/4).

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