FIFA on Friday "took a first step toward overcoming years of corruption and scandal" by passing a "set of reforms intended to make it more transparent, professional and accountable" by a vote of 179-22, according to Simon Evans of REUTERS. The package should help to guarantee that new FIFA President Gianni Infantino "will face closer scrutiny and have less influence over the day-to-day management of the organization's business affairs." The changes include "term limits for top officials and disclosure of their earnings, and a separation of powers between an elected FIFA Council responsible for broad strategy and a professional general secretariat, akin to a company's executive board, handling the business side." FIFA Reform Committee Chair Francois Carrard said, "It is not the end of the process, it is the beginning of one which will be developed over the years and is designed to restore the credibility and reputation that FIFA deserves" (REUTERS, 2/26). FS1's Rob Stone called the passage of the reform package a "major moment in FIFA’s history.” FS1’s Alexi Lalas said the new reforms are going to a "certain extent not necessarily neuter" Infantino, but they will "certainly limit the powers" the president has had in the past. Lalas: "On this day where we’re talking so much about transparency and change, these are the types of reforms that might be much more important in the long-term as opposed to the presidency. But reforms are only as good as how they are implemented" ("FIFA Presidential Election," FS1, 2/26).
STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: FS1's Mark Young said getting rid of the Exec Committee is a "step in the right direction for FIFA." He noted last May, seven members current or former members of the committee "were arrested and charged with a crime." He also said "diluting the role of the president" will be good, as it is "not going to be this kind of dictator role where it all emanates from one person." Young: "They definitely want to spread it out, they want it to be more inclusive.” That includes increasing the “amount of women on the council” and “separating the duties of the various bodies." The reforms include a mandate for at least six women to be on the 36-member FIFA committee, and current Exec Committee member Sonia Bien-Aime said that means "everything -- not just for women in football, but football on the whole." Bien-Aime: "It is generally known that people classify football to be a men’s world and, yes, there are a lot of challenges for women along the way. I don’t think it has ended. I think this is the beginning of progress for women’s football. ... It's a beginning of a very great step in football for women’s inclusion and even at the higher level of FIFA, and throughout all of the organizations" ("FIFA Presidential Election," FS1, 2/26).
