FIFA President Sepp Blatter has indicated that there has been "no change of heart in his decision to step down," according to Martyn Ziegler of the PA. Blatter's former election advisor Klaus Stöhlker said that "remains 'open' for the 79-year-old to run again if a convincing candidate does not emerge." But a FIFA spokesperson said that Stöhlker was "no longer employed by Blatter" (PA, 6/15). FIFA in a statement said that Stöhlker "hasn’t worked for Mr. Blatter in any capacity since May 31, two days after he was elected to a fifth consecutive term" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/16). In N.Y., Sam Borden writes there is "surely too much at risk now" for Blatter to "seriously consider another rise." In all likelihood, nothing that ultimately led to Blatter’s announcing his resignation "will have changed by December." While there certainly are some members of the soccer community who "remain loyal to Blatter, it seems difficult to envision any way in which those loyalists could help alleviate his potential legal troubles." Borden: "A Blatter rebooting is unlikely" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/16).
BLAZER, UNFILTERED: In N.Y., Thompson, Red & Vinton report U.S. District Court Judge Raymond Dearie yesterday ordered former FIFA exec Chuck Blazer's plea agreement and cooperation agreement "unsealed, giving the public a rare view into the inner workings of the multi-year corruption investigation" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/16). Also in N.Y., Andrew Das reports the agreement showed that Blazer was providing information to federal prosecutors for "nearly a year and a half while still a member" of the FIFA Exec Committee. Dearie said that prosecutors had "not met the 'high burden' to keep it under seal" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/16). In DC, Will Hobson reports the agreement "does not detail exactly what evidence Blazer helped collect, nor does it disclose whom he agreed to testify against." Blazer told investigators about an "array of backroom schemes FIFA officials ran" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/16).
PRESIDENT ROMNEY? Former U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney when asked by NBC's Chuck Todd on Sunday's "Meet The Press" about possibly taking over at FIFA, said, “Frankly, I’m focused on trying to make sure that we get this country going in the right direction, so we can help the people who need it most.” In DC, Des Bieler noted the "Romney-for-FIFA movement, such as it is, was pushed along" by Vice Sports staff writer Aaron Gordon, who wrote, “FIFA needs a true outsider to take over and audit the entire operation top to bottom, like Bain Capital did with dozens of dying companies.” Gordon: “Since America has taken it upon ourselves to fix FIFA, let’s roll up our sleeves and get down to business.” Bieler noted among the "myriad reasons why Romney is extremely unlikely to replace" Blatter is the "perception that the U.S. would be taking over the world’s favorite sport" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/15).
PRO CLUB PERSPECTIVE: EPL club Aston Villa CEO Tom Fox said of the perception FIFA has become tarnished, "I don’t think the individual clubs necessarily think that what is happening at FIFA rubs off at all on the brand equity of the clubs themselves. I have heard from none of our partners about the scandal affecting how they feel about Villa." But Fox said that FIFA sponsor Emirates ended its sponsorship of FIFA last year "over concerns about its image." Fox: "I am sure that had quite a bit to do with what they knew about the people they were dealing with and the way they saw the organization was behaving." Fox said of possible replacements for Blatter, such as UEFA President Michel Platini, or someone from the corporate world, "I don’t think necessarily it needs to be someone outside of football but I do think it needs to be someone who is up for the cultural change that needs to happen there within a highly politicized environment. It is a really difficult remit" (John Reynolds, Correspondent).
