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FIFA spokesman Walter de Gregorio described it as ‘a good day’ for the organisation. Wednesday was anything but.
FIFA said they were surprised by the 6am raids. Few others were.
Football’s governing body has so long viewed itself as a deity in the business world. Because, for too long now, it’s seemed as though this is a vehicle for profit rather than an institution to take the game forward.
If anything, the latest findings have set football back, not aided its moral standing.
First, the facts. Two separate, but cooperative, investigations were launched. One by Swiss authorities into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups; the second a federal pursuit in the United States following leads on US$100 million worth of bribes.
More:
» It’s time Blatter’s cronies developed a conscience
» FIFA corruption scandal – who’s been arrested and what did they do
» US Feds raid FIFA hotel, arrest officials
» FIFA corruption scandal – latest updates
On Wednesday evening, the US Department of Justice charged 14 people with “racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies” in what they say has been a “24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer”.
Nine of the defendants are either former or current FIFA officials, including current vice president and executive committee member Jeffrey Webb, former vice president and ExCo member Jack Warner and current FIFA vice president and ExCo member Eugenio Figueredo.
The situation continues to develop and this is just the start of a defining week in the horrifically blighted history of FIFA. As a number of key players in the World Cup bidding game head to courts – and possibly face extradition to the US – we would expect to take some solace in the fact that the deep-seeded corruption is finally being addressed.
But it’s a mere first step on the road to reclaiming football.
It was a typically gutless display from president Sepp Blatter to not front the media himself on Wednesday. Instead, he offered up the Director of Communications, who managed to do more harm than good on some fronts.
Sepp Blatter faces fierce opposition
He insisted Blatter is feeling ‘relaxed’, despite his organisation crumbling around him, as he is an innocent party in all this. Then he revised it to claim the 79-year-old is merely ‘calm’, ‘not dancing in his office’.
Just two days out from an election, it should not have been De Gregorio’s duty to defend FIFA on arguably the most important day in Blatter’s reign. The Swiss continued to show no accountability, putting his own interests above those of his many colleagues and the health of the game itself.
We were fed the erroneous line that Blatter remains unfazed by the hotel shakedown, impending law suits and prison sentences, all because he had no involvement. We’re supposed to believe that the most powerful man in football was oblivious to the circus going on around him.
So instead of the man in charge being brought into the spotlight, he’s absolved of all wrongdoing, palms the responsibility onto those lower down in the food chain and prepares to become even more powerful, should he be re-elected on Friday as expected.
De Gregorio explicitly stated that both the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 event in Qatar will be going ahead regardless of the latest findings.
The clear message here is that it’s acceptable to launch a dirty bid, provided you only get caught after the fact. Should claims of corruption in both bidding processes be recognised, there will be no punishment beyond that handed out to individuals.
And let’s not forget Australia’s involvement in all of this.
Last year’s Garcia Report proved scathing of the FFA’s $43 million bid for the 2022 World Cup. The summary released by Hans-Joachim Eckert – though criticised by the report’s head Michael Garcia – labelled Australia a guilty party in the murky world of corruption.
Eckert said Australia attempted to divert funds “towards initiatives in countries with ties to FIFA executive committee members with the intention to advance its bid top host” and “the Australia 2022 bid team appears to have reached the conclusion to provide financial support under the title ‘football development projects’ preferably in some areas home to FIFA executive committee members.”
The development project he speaks of is the near half-million dollars deposited into an account controlled by then-CONCACAF president Warner. The intention was to upgrade the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya, Trinidad – land believed to be owned by Warner, though something he has denied.
It has been widely reported that this move was designed to persuade Warner’s vote ahead of the vote in 2010. Of course, it proved fruitless. $43 million of tax payers’ money and an allegedly failed bribe all amounted to nothing for Australia.
Now that Warner has been chased down by the US authorities, the FFA should have every reason to be watching their back. If this is a thorough investigation, which we must expect it to be, chances are that all guilty parties down the ladder will also be brought into question.
Another man dragged into the mud is former FIFA ExCo member Chuck Blazer. Reports suggest the American became an FBI informant and planned to bug a number of meetings with football officials, including FFA chairman Frank Lowy during the 2012 London Olympics.
This action would suggest those meeting Blazer would have damaging information to offer, though it is not known whether Lowy met with the 70-year-old.
There is likely to be more to come for Australia over the coming weeks. The FFA was declared a guilty party by some measure following the tentative release of the Garcia Report. And with the full report set to be released eventually, it’s time for the organisation to either clear its name if innocent, or be probed further if not.
Far from a good day for FIFA and football, this is just another dark one. It’s encouraging that action is being taken, but the game will take another significant hit if Blatter is re-elected over Prince Ali bin Al Hussein on Friday.
Commercial sponsors must surely start to realise the power they have in forcing FIFA into greater accountability. The shamed body may just meet its match in taking away the money that motivated this wave of crime.
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