FIFA execs "may face fixed terms of office and tougher checks following a U-turn on proposals about how the organisation is run," according to Richard Conway of the BBC. A "raft of other reforms will be discussed at a two-day meeting" of FIFA's exec committee in Zurich. Initially, committee recommendations had "ruled out fixed terms but they will now be put forward for approval." The U-turn means proposals by FIFA Audit & Compliance Committee Independent Chair Domenico Scala are "likely to form the basis for reforms." Last month, FIFA Reform Committee Chair François Carrard published recommendations "permitting executives to remain in post for an unlimited period of time." Sources close to the process said that the former IOC director general "has since been effectively side-lined." Instead, it is believed that Scala's earlier framework from September "is set to form the basis of the reform proposals and will be put forward for approval almost wholesale." It is understood that a "coalition of figures within world football have acted together to enhance the reform measures -- with Carrard reduced to no more than a peripheral figure." FIFA acting Secretary General Markus Kattner and FIFA Legal Dir Marco Villiger are said to have "played principle roles in ensuring Scala's original plans go before executives for approval" (BBC, 12/2).
FIVE YEARS: ESPN's Vivek Chaudhary reported Swiss officials have said that it will be "at least five years" before any cases are brought to court from its investigations against suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter and alleged corruption in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The Switzerland Office of the Attorney General "formally opened its investigation" into the two World Cups, which will take place in Russia and Qatar, respectively, in March '15. OAG spokesperson Andre Marty said, "These are very large and complex investigations and it will take at least five years for them to come to court, if it even comes to that. We are still a long way off from making any decision on formally charging anybody and cannot give a precise time on when this will be." Marty "warned football fans to be patient" and said that they should not expect any major announcements from the OAG on its FIFA investigations for the "foreseeable future" (ESPN, 12/2).
BILITY APPEALS: In London, Piers Edwards reported Liberian FA Chair Musa Bility appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after "being excluded as a candidate" for the FIFA presidential election. Bility was ruled out by FIFA's Ad-hoc Electoral Committee "after failing integrity checks." Bility: "I find this decision of FIFA to be unfair, troubling and disappointing." The 48-year-old, who has questioned the veracity of the integrity checks, has also called on FIFA to "share its findings on each presidential candidate with its 209 member associations, rather than keep them in-house" (BBC, 12/2).
