Cleaning the Stables

When Poland takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union in June, it faces a long list of task. Aside from the financial crisis affecting various countries, the EU is currently trying to form a coherent response to the events to its south, as Arab nations attempt, with varying results and death tolls, to overthrow their despots. So it would perhaps not seem a good time to take on one of the most powerful non-governmental organisations in the world. Yet Poland should make reform of FIFA a priority. While FIFA vigourously rejects any attempts by governments to interfere, it has demonstrated no willingness to purge the corrupt elements within its structure. As recent events have shown, the organisation still tends to circle wagons. At this juncture, the European Union, because it remains both football’s biggest market, as well as FIFA’s primary source of revenue, is the only body which might have a chance of imposing order on FIFA, and its autocratic president, Sepp Blatter.

Presidents of FIFA tend to remain in the job for a long time. Since the organisation’s inception in 1904, only eight men have held the office. Blatter’s predecessor, Joao Havelange, held the position for 24 years, so Blatter’s dozen-year reign is not unusual. In many respects he has been good for football. Under his tutelage, the sport has truly gone global. Before he took over in 1998, the World Cup had never been held outside Europe or the Americas. Since then, it has gone to Asia and Africa. The amount of money in the game has increased exponentially. More than any of his forebears, Blatter has come close to achieving the Holy Grail and establishing football in the United States.

However, Blatter’s reign has been anything but quiet. Under his stewardship FIFA, always a murky organisation, has retreated into outright secrecy. There is no disclosure of salaries of senior staff.  Votes are held behind closed doors, and results are often predetermined by backroom deals cut by middlemen. Given that FIFA is the sole regulator of an industry worth tens of billions of euro a year, it would be expected that there would be some sort of mechanism to ensure accountability. Yet Blatter has fiercely resisted any interference by outside parties. Both Manchester United and Juventus, two of the biggest clubs in the world, were threatened with suspension or even expulsion from FIFA for considering taking legal challenges to decisions made against them, in the former case over Rio Ferdinand’s draconian punishment for missing a drugs test, and in the latter over being relegated for their involvement in the 2006 Italian match-fixing scandal.

Ireland’s request to be included as the 33^rd team in the 2010 World cup following an unseemly exit at the hands of Thierry Henry was indeed laughable, laughing it off was perhaps not very tactful. Blasé comments about female footballers, and gay fans, have not exactly enhanced Blatter’s reputation.