Martin Sorrell, the boss of advertising company WPP, whose clients include FIFA sponsor Coca-Cola, compared football’s governing body to a “burning platform” but believes its next president can be an internal candidate just as long as he has a “very independent mind.”
Sorrell appears more optimistic about possible internal candidates for the top job at the world government body than IOC President Thomas Bach, who recently urged FIFA to consider a “credible external candidate” as president to repair FIFA’s image.
Sorrell, who sat on the advisory board for England’s doomed 2018 World Cup bid, said an internal candidate or someone from outside of football could take the presidency role, just as long as they had an agenda for change.
He said, “If they found somebody who is of a very independent mind within the organization I am sure that would be OK. There has to be an attitude of change. Many companies try to create burning platforms to try and get change. You have a burning platform here [at FIFA], that is the platform for change." FIFA's exec committee on Tuesday met to discuss whether to postpone February’s presidential election.
UEFA’s embattled President Michel Platini insisted that he will stand for the FIFA presidency, despite the allegations leveled at him.
Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein and former Trinidad and Tobago midfielder David Nakhid have said they will stand for the presidency.
Former Tottenham player Ramon Vega is also considering standing to replace Blatter.
APPLYING PRESSURE: Sorrell, meanwhile, defended the role played by FIFA sponsors -- which include Visa, adidas and Hyundai --- saying they did all they could in pressuring for change at FIFA in light of all the damning allegations.
He said, “I think the sponsors have been very involved in trying to get change at FIFA. My sense is that they put pressure on. It’s very difficult in the situation where you have unproven charges, the lawyers inside the sponsors will say you can’t go out on a limb publicly too much unless there is proof. And there isn’t proof. There is the threat of litigation but nothing of yet has been proven."
John Reynolds is a writer in London.
