FIFA's reform committee "kept its plans for overhauling the scandal-plagued organization's structure under wraps" after its second meeting on Sunday, saying only that discussions had been "rich and in-depth," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. Committee Chair Francois Carrard said that he would present "concrete recommendations" to FIFA's exec committee on Tuesday and that progress was "on track." FIFA is facing "unprecedented pressure to reform its governance structure" following the May indictment by U.S. authorities. Swiss public prosecutors are "also investigating the decision" to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. The crisis "escalated further on Oct. 8" when both FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini were banned for 90 days by FIFA's ethics committee, pending a full investigation. Carrard said, "It's been a very positive session characterized by rich and in-depth discussions on all aspects of the proposal for the reforms package which is being prepared." FIFA Audit & Compliance Committee Chair Domenico Scala "has already produced an extensive package of proposed reforms which he has made public (REUTERS, 10/18). REUTERS' Franklin & Sprich reported Switzerland's Attorney General Michael Lauber suggested that an investigation into alleged corruption at FIFA "could take five years." Lauber: "Realistically, in all big investigations, longer than five years is bad." Lauber said that last month the probe, which began in March, "had not yet reached the half-way mark." Lauber added that the level of FIFA's cooperation with his office "had been good but could still be better." He also said that the OAG was "currently not investigating" the bidding for the 2006 World Cup (REUTERS, 10/17).
BLATTER WANTS TO RETURN: Franklin reported in a separate piece Blatter said that he "aimed to return to office in time to hand over power to a successor to be elected at a special congress in February." He had previously announced he was standing down but had hoped to retain his post for the formal handover, "asserting his innocence of any wrongdoing." Blatter: "If I run away now and let everything fall, then I denigrate myself. That's my goal, that I can lead the Congress" (REUTERS, 10/16). In London, Andrew Benson reported F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said that Blatter should remain in charge of FIFA "despite facing corruption charges." Ecclestone: "I don't think he should have ever stepped down. I don't think he should have been challenged. If people allegedly have been corrupted to make things happen in their country, it's good. It's a tax football had to pay." Ecclestone also backed Russian President Vladimir Putin and said there was "no place for democracy." Ecclestone has become "notorious for controversial comments in the past," referring to women as "domestic appliances" and praising Adolf Hitler as someone who "got things done" (BBC, 10/16).
