FIFA president Sepp Blatter has announced that world football’s governing body has adopted a new code of ethics in the wake of a series of damaging corruption scandals.
One of the central planks of the new code is that there will no longer be a time limitation for the prosecution of bribery and corruption cases.
The announcement comes after a rocky few days for world football’s governing body, with Blatter having to defend his stance on bribery after a Swiss court revealed that his predecessor Joao Havelange had accepted enormous kick-backs.
Havelange, FIFA president for a 24-year spell up to Blatter’s election in 1998, pocketed at least 1.5 million Swiss francs (about $A1 million) from FIFA’s discredited Swiss-based marketing partner ISL, according to court documents.
Blatter has come under heavy fire for his handling of the affair, with the head of the German football federation Wolfgang Niersbach on Saturday declaring himself “shocked” at Blatter’s handling of the scandal.
Blatter has sought to distance himself from the Havelange case, declaring last Thursday that he was powerless to sanction the 96-year-old Brazilian and pointing out that such payments were not illegal under Swiss law at the time.
Responding to calls that he should consider his position, Blatter was defiant.
“It’s not enough that somebody in the press says ‘resign, resign’. If somebody wants that then he has to lodge a demand before (FIFA) Congress. If they don’t want me any longer … I will go quietly but I remind you that I was elected by Congress.”
Earlier, there were calls from Germany for Blatter to return his Order of Merit, the country’s highest civilian honour, which he received in 2006 from Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“I don’t want to discuss this but if they decide to take it back, they will take it back,” Blatter responded when asked about the calls.
FIFA’s move to introduce more transparency into the way it deals with corruption sees former US attorney Michael Garcia appointed to lead the investigatory chamber.
Germany’s Hans-Joachim Eckert will head the judging panel of the new Ethics Committee.
Garcia previously headed the federal investigation into the disgraced former governor of New York Eliot Spitzer over a high-priced call girl scandal in 2008.
Johnf679
Guest
Your goal is to breed all the different dragons available to you fgdagffeebcc
Mick H
Roar Rookie
Sepp Blatter is the worst thing for FIFA / football at the moment and needs to leave. The corruption and politics is very obvious add to that this dinosaur who does not want to see the progression of football. Blatter also hates the EPL and English teams mainly, because, well they're English and would be burning that Chelsea won the CL this year. Hence, why suddenly there needs to be a change to the penalty shoot out situation and goal line technology which has been banging on the door since the South African world cup.
nordster
Guest
Haha yeah a Warmongering nato indeed, they'll wear their hypocrisy on their sleeves
Harry
Guest
Or the United States 'pretending' they are NOT a warmongering nation - LOL!
nordster
Guest
Well now the cas hearings are done maybe we will hear more from him...keen to keep on clearing his name id guess...now he's not bound by the lawyers so much. In the world of politicking dont be surprised if what u thought was one thing turns out to be something else entirely....
Bondy
Guest
Its convenient MBH is cleared of all claims ; Conclusion retires from International Football effective.
Midfielder
Guest
Thank God
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
News coming through on Twitter that Mohamed Bin Hammam has just told the BBC's World Football programme he is quitting football because he has found himself and peace. I bet they'll be breathing a sigh of relief at FIFA HQ.
nordster
Guest
well he is entitled to some process folks ...overturned due to lack of evidence, sure u can point to it not being a declaration of innocence ...but surely it is still meant to be the other way round. Declare guilt or he has no restrictions on him surely. A closer look at the case beyond the smarmy veneer reaction to the story, theres more than enough doubt and conjecture. Makes me sick to think how the media can distort a whole process and perceptions of someone...
Midfielder
Guest
Fuss Just makes me sick to think MBH could be put back in charge of Asia never mind FIFA ...
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
BREAKING NEWS Guardian Sport has just Tweeted @guardian_sport Mohamed Bin Hammam has had his lifetime Fifa ban annulled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport … -- This is massive news ... maybe, MBH will gain the numbers to make another challenge for the FIFA Presidency? If MBH does make a run for the Presidency, then the FFA has played the perfect political game - not taking sides & not making public denouncements of either Blatter or MBH. FIFA politics - more Machiavellian than "The Prince"; more strategic than Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" :-)
Bludger
Guest
So, they will investigate the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids which, as everyone on earth now knows, were purchased by Russia and Qatar? Qatar and Russia would have gotten to the FIFA head honchos by now and bought them off so they would bury this issue.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
We are so far away from that decision that it isn't even worth getting to rumour stage
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
I must admit, it does make one wonder
apaway
Roar Guru
A headline that includes "Blatter", "FIFA" and "Ethics." What a laugh!
Griffo
Roar Guru
A back-to-back Asian World Cup? Dunno about that one...
nordster
Guest
Makes sense...
pete4
Guest
If you believe the rumors the 2026 World Cup is already going to China
Australian Rules
Guest
Sepp Blatter announcing FIFA's new ethics code is like Bashar al-Assad announcing Syria's new humanitarian program.
nordster
Guest
Another emerging economy id guess, maybe things will have come full circle by then and the USA will be in pole position. ;)