Australian sports administrator Kevan Gosper said that the "arrogance" of senior officials "brought corruption-related turmoil" to world football but important governance reforms could restore its credibility. Gosper said that FIFA "deserved credit for its commitment to reforming itself, even if those efforts had been largely overshadowed by the corruption investigations." He said, "I think what they have done, which is to take on all the recommendations that we made in terms of changes to statutes and regulations, integrity and their agreements on more transparency on what people have been paid, on limits to office, they're going in the right direction and I think they can build on that. There are a lot of elements of the management of FIFA, the bureaucracy of FIFA where they've done some good work" (REUTERS, 5/10).
'POSITIVE MEMORIES': FIFA President Gianni Infantino "is disappointed on a personal level" that his former colleague at UEFA, Michel Platini, decided to resign as the chief of the European football body on Monday. The decision "was taken by the former French footballer after he failed to overturn his ban handed by the FIFA Ethics Committee. Infantino: "Obviously as FIFA president I need to respect the decision of the CAS, there is no doubt about that. On a personal level, of course, I am very sad about the decision. I have worked with Michel for the last nine years in UEFA, seven as general secretary. All together we did some great things. And I really want to keep these positive memories, at this moment focus on the positive memories" (INT'L BUSINESS TIMES, 5/10).
FOOTBALL BRIEFS ...
The Nigeria Football Federation has been fined $5,000 by the Confederation of African Football "due to over-crowding and a lack of security during its national team's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt in March." The 1-1 draw "took place at Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna -- a 16,000-capacity venue, although multiple reports have suggested around 40,000 people were in the ground" (OMNISPORT, 5/9).
FIFA has asked All Nepal FA "to reinstate its four suspended officials and hold presidential election to replace Ganesh Thapa, who was banned from all football related activities for 10 years by FIFA's independent Ethics Committee." ANFA CEO Indraman Tuladhar said that "the association received an official letter dated May 9 from the FIFA on Tuesday." He confirmed that FIFA "has asked ANFA to reinstate the three vice presidents -- Karma Tshering Sherpa, Bijay Narayan Manandhar and Kishor Rai -- along with member Pankaj Bikram Nembang." ANFA sacked Sherpa, Manandhar, Rai and Nembang on Sept. 28 "after the dissident group had filed complaints" against Thapa at the Public Accounts Committee of the legislature-parliament (REPUBLICA, 5/10).
For the first time, the ball for a football game was delivered to the field by a drone at an official FIFA game. The action was conceived by the Fischer agency for its client, the Federacao Paulista de Futebol (Paulista Football Federation), and took place at the final game of the Paulista Championship in Brazil (Fischer).
