FIFA Sponsors Likely To Resist Knee-Jerk Response To Indictments, But Reactions Loom

While FIFA's biggest sponsors "probably will take a close look at their relationships" with the governing body after today's arrests and indictments, "they’re unlikely to take any immediate action," according to Aaron Ricadela of BLOOMBERG NEWS. London-based Futures Sports & Entertainment Managing Dir Kevin Alavy said that official FIFA sponsors such as adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa "may conclude that the U.S. Justice Department allegations of 'systemic and deep-rooted corruption' don’t undermine the game’s integrity in the way performance-enhancing drugs or match-fixing do." A Gazprom spokesperson, whose Russia-based gas producer is an official FIFA sponsor, said today's development “doesn’t influence” its sponsorship agreement in place through the end of the '18 World Cup in Russia. Ricadela notes calls to Hyundai and Kia "weren’t answered outside working hours in Seoul." An official at Visa "wasn’t immediately able to comment." Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and A-B InBev "didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment." NPD Group VP/Industry Analysis for Sports & Leisure Matt Powell said, "Certainly this tarnishes the FIFA brand. I expect that sponsors will show restraint until the story plays out a bit more" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5/27). In N.Y., Teri Thompson notes adidas "has encouraged FIFA to maintain ethical and compliance standards, falling short of threatening to pull its sponsorship." adidas in a statement said, "The Adidas Group is fully committed to creating a culture that promotes the highest standards of ethics and compliance, and we expect the same from our partners. Following today’s news, we can therefore only encourage FIFA to continue to establish and follow transparent compliance standards in everything they do." Thompson notes several FIFA sponsors, including Visa and Coke, last year "publicly criticized FIFA's handling of its investigation into the bidding process" for the '18 and '22 World Cups (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 5/27). Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Kelly Currie today noted the marketing execs who were arrested were "handing out bribes to protect their contracts from competing marketing companies who might want to come in and perhaps bid higher" (ESPN, 5/27).