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Fifa sponsors wary as US$150 million bribery scandal unfolds
PUBLISHED : Friday, 29 May, 2015, 5:40am
UPDATED : Friday, 29 May, 2015, 5:40am
Reuters in New York
Visa has told Fifa it could stop sponsoring soccer's governing body if it does not act fast to restore the game's reputation. Photo: AP
Worried their reputations will be tarnished by their links to Fifa, major sponsors are demanding that soccer's global governing body clean up its act, with credit-card company Visa even warning it is prepared to jump ship.
Visa has told Fifa it could stop sponsoring soccer's governing body if it does not act fast to restore the game's reputation after senior officials were arrested on bribery and corruption charges.
The statement from Visa, which became a Fifa partner in 2007 and recently extended the relationship until 2022, was the strongest so far as sponsors lined up to express concern about the scandal engulfing the world's most popular sport.
"Our disappointment and concern with Fifa in light of today's developments is profound. As a sponsor, we expect Fifa to take swift and immediate steps to address these issues within its organisation," the world's largest credit-card company said.
"This starts with rebuilding a culture with strong ethical practices," it said. "Should Fifa fail to do so, we have informed them that we will reassess our sponsorship."
Prosecutors in the United States issued an indictment on Wednesday accusing nine Fifa officials and five sports media and promotions executives of bribes involving more than US$150 million over 24 years.
The indictment also said that in 1996, a global sports company not identified in court documents agreed to pay US$160 million over 10 years to become the Brazil team's exclusive footwear, apparel, accessories and equipment supplier. That was an apparent reference to Nike, which sponsors Brazil's national team.
Nike said it was cooperating with authorities, while German sportswear company Adidas and beverage giant Coca-Cola called on Fifa to increase transparency and resolve the controversy.
Nike later said in a statement: "Like fans everywhere, we care passionately about the game and are concerned by the very serious allegations." The company said it "believes in ethical and fair play in both business and sport, and strongly opposes any form of manipulation or bribery ... we will continue to cooperate with the authorities".
South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor, the sole Asian Fifa partner for the 2018 World Cup due to be held in Russia, said it was "extremely concerned" about the legal proceedings against Fifa executives.
Anheuser-Busch InBev and McDonald's said they were in contact with Fifa and were monitoring the situation.
Blatter set for Fifa election win despite corruption scandal
By Kris Voakes
May 29, 2015 09:02:54
The 79-year-old Swiss is expected to be re-elected as president of the world game's administrators on Friday in what has been a hectic week for the sport
Sepp Blatter is expected to be re-elected for a fifth term as Fifa president on Friday against a backdrop of chaos within world football’s governing body.
Blatter is up against Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan in the first contested election for the post since 2002, with the Swiss 79-year-old the clear favourite to be voted in.
The poll is going ahead as originally planned despite a week of controversy at Fifa, with two separate investigations having hit the headlines on Wednesday.
The United States Department of Justice launched a 47-count indictment against 14 people – including nine former and current senior football figures relating to racketeering, fraud and money laundering hours after a 6am raid on a Swiss hotel housing several Fifa officials had seen seven men arrested .
Also on Wednesday, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General announced that criminal proceedings had been opened against unknown persons in relation to the bidding process for the controversial World Cups in Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022 respectively .
Uefa has called for Blatter to stand down due to Fifa "killing football" , despite insistences from the sport's governing body that the president should not be held responsible from the allegedly corrupt actions of dozens of his colleagues.
English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has told the BBC that he believes things will get worse for Blatter, even if he wins the election.
"I hope he doesn’t win but if he does I think the events of this week have turned him into a diminished figure and I can’t see him lasting more than a year or two," he said.
"Mr Blatter’s statement yesterday in which he basically said ‘Leave it to me, I will clean it up’ - nobody is going to believe that. And I think it is quite ominous for him when the attorney general in America says this is only the beginning, not the end."
Despite all of this, though, Blatter is expected to be elected again. Friday's vote will take place as a secret ballot, with heads of all 209 Fifa nations being eligible to vote. If either candidate gains 139 votes in the first round, they will be declared the winner.
Should neither reach that figure, a second vote will take place in which a majority of any kind will be enough for victory.
The winner will not face the media on Friday, with the official press conference having been delayed until Saturday.
Blatter has been Fifa president since 1998, having succeeded Joao Havelange who had been in place since 1974.
The protestors forced their way into the Hallenstadion as Sepp Blatter delivered a speech. They were quickly escorted out by security
Pro-Palestine protestors interrupted Sepp Blatter's speech at Friday's Fifa Congress, calling for a “red card” for the organisation.
Incumbent president Blatter, who is expected to be voted in for a fifth term when the election is held at the Congress on Friday , was speaking when the protestors burst into the main conference hall at the Hallenstadion in Zurich.
While they did not create any physical problems, Blatter called on security to deal with the issue before moving on to commemorate the deaths of those in football over the past year. He then led a moment of silence to mark the 30th anniversary of the Heysel Stadium disaster which saw 39 people killed.
Protestors had dominated the scene outside the Hallenstadion as delegates arrived, with the deaths of migrant workers in Qatar one point of contention, while pro-Palestine groups called “Free football, Free Palestine”.
Palestinian officials recently asked for Israel to be suspended by Fifa for what it called “humiliating treatment at the border by relevant Israeli authorities” and “violent acts by Israeli security forces during football matches… under the authority of the Palestinian National Authority”.
But Blatter then met with Israeli officials and insisted: “We’ll promote a regular exchange between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities through a working group with the participation of Fifa that should meet on a monthly basis.
“As Fifa president, I do not see that a suspension of an association is a solution.”
Uefa have hinted at pulling European sides out of upcoming competitions if Prince Al bin al-Hussein does not become Fifa president, and the FA chairman has backed that stance
Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has admitted England would consider boycotting the World Cup if Sepp Blatter wins Friday's Fifa presidential election.
Blatter is the favourite to beat Prince Ali bin al-Hussein and remain in the post, despite opposition from Michel Platini and Uefa following Wednesday's arrests of a number of high-profile Fifa officials in Zurich.
And Dyke has revealed the FA would think about joining with the rest of Uefa if they chose to pull out of upcoming tournaments, but would not take the lead themselves.
"There would be no point pulling England out if everyone else stays in," he told Sky Sports. "It would have no impact. It would just be forgotten.
"But if you could pull Uefa out, that might have an impact. If Blatter gets re-elected, then that should be discussed.
"I thought the evidence the Americans produced was devastating and I don’t think Blatter can survive that. He might survive this weekend but I don’t think he can survive in the long-term.
"During his period in charge, the level of corruption has been unacceptable. It's just frightening."
I have a question mark over timing of Fifa arrests - Blatter
By Kris Voakes
May 29, 2015 10:40:10
The president has questioned the timing of the indictments by the US Department of Justice which have rocked the world game in the week of the presidential elections
Sepp Blatter has called into question the timing of a series of arrests and indictments ahead of his expected re-election as Fifa president.
The 79-year-old, addressing the Fifa Congress, at which he is likely to be given a mandate for a fifth term at the top of the world game , has been speaking about the events on Wednesday which saw 14 people indicted for racketeering, fraud and money laundering. These included nine current and former senior members of the football hierarchy .
And in his President’s Address at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Blatter told the 209 member nations that there must be questions raised about the timing of the arrests by the US Department of Justice.
“It is not good for all this to occur two days before the election. I’m not going to use the word coincidence but I do have a small question mark,” Blatter explained.
But he also added that Fifa needs to pull together in its times of trouble.
“You will know that right now we are going through troubling times. I will not call them unprecedented.
“These events have cast a shadow so let us try to lift that shadow. Let us try to lift our spirits. We can’t let the reputation of football be dragged through the m&d like that.
“They are truly at fault, especially if they are found guilty. They are not the entire organisation, those certain individuals who have forgotten that Fifa is based on respect, discipline and a team sport with the same goal. We need to be singing from the same song sheet, especially when we talk of the character of the organisation.
“It is our goal to share this respect with all of you.”
Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan is Blatter’s only challenger for the presidency, with the Swiss expected to extend his current 17-year spell in power.
Palestine and Israel shake hands over new monitoring committee
May 29, 2015 15:46:00
Fifa's member associations passed a new motion for the formation of a committee to monitor the troubles
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) and its Israeli counterpart shook hands on a new proposal to end their dispute after a chaotic exchange at the Fifa Congress in Zurich on Friday.
The PFA had originally requested the IFA were suspended from the world game’s governing body but opted to withdraw that demand with president Jibril Rajoub explaining he was persuaded to alter his stance due to the intervention of several Fifa members and South African politician Tokyo Sexwale.
Rajoub asked instead for the matter to be taken to the United Nations but was overruled when IFA president Ofer Eini instead suggested the formation of a new Fifa-led committee to monitor relations between the two.
That motion was put to the vote on Blatter’s insistence – and seemingly against the wishes of the Palestinians – and was passed with 90% of the congress members voting in favour.
Rajoub and Eini then shook hands in what could be the first act in a long road to addressing the issues in the region.
Prior to Sexwale’s intervention, the PFA were demanding action due to the restricted movement of players around the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank and the existence of five teams in the Israeli league based in illegal settlements.
Rajoub’s speech called for co-operation and Eini went further, claiming football could be an avenue to peace.
He said: “I don’t want to point any fingers at the Palestinian side. Football must serve as a bridge to peace. Let’s leave it to the politicians to deal with politics. Let’s join forces and produce the best football we can on both sides. I want us to work together, co-operate together, hug together. If we have differences we should resolve them by talking.”
The Jordanian royal is pitching for the Fifa presidency and says he is the right man to lead the world governing body following the latest scandals to hit this week
Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein says he is the man to lead Fifa from the wreckage of the 65th Congress this week as he stands against Sepp Blatter in the presidential election.
The Jordanian royal was addressing all 209 member associations as he pitched for their vote in the impending election and vowed to bring a "new dawn" to the governing body.
Prince Ali is up against long-serving incumbent Sepp Blatter and pledged "never to lead it unilaterally" should he be elected.
The Jordanian also recognised that the "eyes of the world" are upon Fifa HQ this week following the arrests of seven Fifa officials in Zurich by Swiss authorities on request of the US Justice Department and the Swiss Office of Attorney General investigation into "criminal mismanagement and money laundering" in relation to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
"The eyes of the world are upon us, and not for the first time. But this time, everything is at stake," he said.
"The world that is watching is not a stakeholder that is somehow separate from our game. Fifa does not exist in a bubble; the world that is watching is part of us, and we are part of it.
"There could not be a more defining moment in time for our governing body than this one, and I humbly wish to convey on behalf of all of us a message to those who watch us now: We, the family of Fifa, recognise the responsibility that we carry for the game that is dear to the world. And we cherish the honor of the trust you invested in us and understand the fragility of that trust."
Prince Ali admitted there were no easy answers as to how Fifa's reputation had sunk so low but insists he is the right man to lead from the front.
"We have heard in recent days, voices which described our Fifa as an avaricious body which feeds on the game that the world loves. We have heard questions raised about whether our family is morally bankrupt. And we have heard countless individuals ponder how on earth it could have gotten so bad.
"There are no easy answers. And no blame that can be cast that will wash away the stain that marks us all. And yet, nothing in life can exist without hope. And even the darkest nights are broken by a new dawn.
"We stand here today at a crossroads for football, and it will take a committed leader to fix this mess that we are in. I will be proud to shoulder the responsibility for fixing our governing body, protecting our players, our game and our fans, and drawing on our collective energy, and collective commitment, to deliver a Fifa that we can all be proud of.
"While we will do this together, I give you my pledge: I will not hide among your ranks when things are bad, stepping forward when things are good. If you give me the honour of your vote, I will take full responsibility and hold myself accountable to all of you, and to the world."
The Swiss will serve a fifth term as the head of the game's world governing body - despite calls for him to resign after Wednesday's corruption scandal
Sepp Blatter has been re-elected as president of Fifa after winning the vote against challenger Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.
Blatter had missed out on the required two-thirds majority in the first ballot - receiving 133 votes to his rival's 73 - but Prince Ali then took to the stage to withdraw before a second round could begin.
Delegates at the 65th Fifa Congress in Zurich opted for Blatter despite the widespread controversy that engulfed the event this week.
Seven Fifa officials, including vice-president Jeffrey Webb, were arrested at dawn by Swiss authorities on request of the US Justice Department on Wednesday and are facing extradition to the United States on money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud charges.
In all, 11 individuals were also banned from Fifa activities for their alleged part in the corruption scandals.
The Swiss Office of Attorney General also announced its own investigation into the awarding of the Russian and Qatari World Cups against persons unknown on charges of "criminal mismanagement and money laundering" with Fifa's plush headquarters being raided in the process.
IRS chief of criminal investigation Richard Weber has described the events as "a World Cup of fraud" and American investigations are set to continue.
Despite the arrests and alleged bribery which has taken place on his watch, Blatter had earlier insisted that only a "tiny minority" of officials at Fifa were corruptible and has re-iterated his belief all week that he remained the man to lead Fifa out of its current storm.
"You know me already, I don’t need to introduce myself to you," Blatter told delegates before the ballot. "You know who you’re dealing with. I also know I can count on you. We need to recover our good name. We will start tomorrow morning with this goal in mind."
Uefa president Michel Platini tried in vain this week to persuade Blatter to step aside as president in order to usher in a new era at Fifa and also confirmed Uefa's votes would largely go to the challenger Prince Ali.
However, the Jordanian royal was unable to garner the necessary votes to topple Blatter, who can now settle in for four more years at Fifa HQ, where he will serve as president until the age of 83.
The Swiss will serve a fifth four-year term at the head of football's governing body after seeing off sole challenger Prince Ali bin al-Hussein
Sepp Blatter insists that he can restore Fifa's tarnished reputation after being re-elected president on Friday, claiming that while he is "not perfect", he can solve all of the organisation's problems.
The Swiss secured a fifth four-year term at the head of the game's governing body, after his sole rival for the role, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, conceded defeat after racking up just 73 votes to Blatter's tally of 133 from the first round of voting.
Blatter praised his Jordanian challenge before vowing to rebuild Fifa's shattered image following the arrest of nine officials on suspicion of accepting bribes over a 24-year period dating back to 1991, as well as confirmation of the opening of a Swiss-led criminal investigation into alleged corruption relating to the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively.
"I would like to give compliments and express my gratitude to his royal highness Prince Ali because Prince Ali was a competitor, a challenger and he has obtained a very good result," the 79-year-old said during his victory speech.
"In this situation it would be easy to say, 'No, let's go further, perhaps I will receive more votes [in a second round].
"On the other hand, I thank you [Fifa's members] for accepting me for the next four years.
"I will be in command of this boat called Fifa and we will bring it back offshore and we will drag it to the beach, we will bring it back to where football can be played.
"But we have to work on that.
"You remember four years ago [at his last re-election] I had lots of problems to solve. I challenged you at that time, I am not going to challenge you now but we also have to sort some organisational problems in Fifa because we must have a better configuration in the confederations.
"We need ladies in this committee, we have to do more, we have to do more in our competitions also but I will not touch the World Cup because the World Cup is too important.
"But I take the responsibility to bring back Fifa, we must do it, and I am convinced we can do it.
"I promise you I will give Fifa to my successor in a very strong position, a strong Fifa and a robust Fifa.
“My age is not a problem. I told you at the beginning, when we started this election, I like my job.
“I am not perfect, no-one is perfect but we will do a good job together so I thank you for the confidence placed in me. Let’s go Fifa, let’s go Fifa."
'Football has lost' - Figo hits out at Blatter re-election
Alec Fenn
May 29, 2015 19:55:37
The 79-year-old will serve a fifth term as Fifa president, but remains under pressure to resign following the corruption scandal surrounding the game's world governing body
Luis Figo says "football has lost" after Sepp Blatter was re-elected as Fifa president on Friday and again called for him to quit his post.
The 79-year-old beat off competition from Jordan's Prince Ali to hold on to his position, which will see him serve a fifth term as the head of the game's governing body.
Blatter polled 133 votes to his rival's 73, which would have been enough to take the contest into a second round of voting, but Ali opted to withdraw.
His victory comes as Fifa is embroiled in a major investigation that began earlier this week, which saw US authorities make seven arrests and charge 14 senior executives on suspicion of bribery and corruption.
Figo - who originally intended to run for presidency before withdrawing in a bid not to split the vote and aid Blatter's campaign - said he was devastated by the result.
"Today was another dark day in Zurich," said the Portugal legend. "Fifa has lost, but above everything, football has lost and everyone who truly cares about it has lost too.
"Mr. Blatter had a very cynical reaction when he said that he couldn't control everyone. It offends everyone's intelligence. These persons, whom Mr. Blatter has promoted through years, turned, with him, Fifa in to a decadent organisation.
"If Mr. Blatter were minimally concerned about football, he would have given up of the re-election. If he has a minimal of decency, he will resign in the next few days."
Dyke on Blatter re-election: This isn't over by any means
By Alex Young
May 29, 2015 20:15:00
The 79-year-old will head Fifa for a fifth term after Friday's vote, but the Football Association chief and Gary Lineker have continued calls for change
Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has maintained that Fifa cannot continue under Sepp Blatter despite the president being re-elected for a fifth term.
The 79-year-old failed to win a majority in the first round of votes but opponent Prince Ali withdrew before the second ballot to extend the president's stay, amid continued corruption allegations surrounding Fifa.
Dyke, a long-time critic of Blatter, insists change remains a must despite the result, telling Sky News: "We think that's the impact of the events of this week, but this isn't over by any means.
"The events of this week were so dramatic for Fifa, but I cannot see Fifa reforming itself under Blatter. He's had 16 years to reform it but he hasn't done it.
"England won't withdraw from anything on its own and you can be absolutely certain about that. That'd be ridiculous. There'll be discussions about this and what Fifa should do next but that won't be England alone.
"This is the beginning not the end. I think there is a lot more of this to play out. This is not over by any means. To quote the Attorney General this is the beginning of the process, not the end.
"The idea Blatter could reform Fifa is suspect. I'd be very surprised if he was still in this job in two years time."
Meanwhile, former England international and prominent TV pundit Gary Lineker was blunt with his assessment of Blatter's re-election, taking to Twitter is vent his anger at the result.
The Uefa president is proud that his body opposed the status quo but believes football's governing body must evolve
Michel Platini says Fifa must change if it is to regain any level of credibility after Sepp Blatter was re-elected as the organisation's president on Friday.
The 79-year-old faced competition from Prince Ali of Jordan, but polled 133 votes to his rival's 73, which saw the challenger withdraw rather than enforce a second round of voting.
Blatter will now remain in charge for a further four years, but is under pressure to stand down after Fifa became embroiled in two serious criminal investigations earlier this week
Uefa president Platini said: "I am proud that Uefa has defended and supported a movement for change at Fifa. Change which in my opinion is crucial if this organisation is to regain its credibility.
"I congratulate my friend Prince Ali for his admirable campaign and I take the opportunity to thank all the national associations who supported him."
US authorities arrested seven Fifa officials in Zurich on Wednesday after 14 senior executives were indicted on suspicion of corruption and bribery.
Swiss officials later launched their own inquiry into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Sepp Blatter re-elected as Fifa president after Prince Ali concedes
Swiss earns fifth term after taking the first round 133 votes to 73
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 30 May, 2015, 1:56am
UPDATED : Saturday, 30 May, 2015, 1:56am
Associated Press and Reuters
Sepp Blatter celebrates after beating Jordan's Prince Ali and winning a fifth term as Fifa president. Photos: Reuters
Sepp Blatter was re-elected as Fifa president for a fifth term on Friday, chosen to lead world soccer despite separate US. and Swiss criminal investigations into corruption.
The 209 Fifa member federations gave the 79-year-old Blatter another four-year term after Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan conceded defeat after losing 133-73 in the first round.
Prince Ali’s promise of a clean break from Fifa’s tarnished recent history was rejected despite the worst scandal in the organization’s 111-year history.
In a victory speech, Blatter declared: "Let’s go Fifa, let’s go Fifa," to a standing ovation. “I like you, I like my job. I am not perfect, nobody is perfect, but we will do a good job together I am sure.”
The election went ahead on Friday after US and Swiss federal investigations struck at the heart of Blatter’s "football family" this week. Two Fifa vice presidents and a recently elected FIFA executive committee member were still in custody on Friday as the votes were counted.
Still, soccer leaders worldwide stayed loyal to their embattled president of 17 years, even though Prince Ali pushed the election to a second round by getting a surprising 73 votes.
Before the second round started, Prince Ali stood and before the congress and conceded.
“I want to thank all of you who were brave enough to support me,” said the prince, who previously spoke of a culture of intimidation at FIFA. “It’s been a wonderful journey in terms of knowing you, working with you.”
Prince Ali is consoled by Fifa delegates after conceding defeat in the election.
Blatter has blamed others for bringing shame and humiliation on the sport. In a pre-election address to voters, Blatter said it was "impossible" for him and Fifa to "keep an eye" on everyone and be responsible for everything that happened in world soccer.
Blatter won despite calls for his resignation from Uefa president Michel Platini and others. Platini said on Thursday that Uefa could pull out of Fifa and withdraw from the World Cup if Blatter was re-elected.
Fifa’s big-money sponsors have also called for change within Fifa. Visa had warned that it could pull out of its contract, which is worth at least US$25 million a year through 2022.
The defeated 39-year-old prince was a Fifa vice president for the past four years with a close-up view of Blatter’s previous scandal-hit mandate.
Blatter was re-elected unopposed in 2011 after promising to fight corruption and support key investigations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests and a bribery scandal which removed his Qatari opponent from the presidential ballot.
Those probes were conducted in-house by Fifa’s own judicial bodies. The latest investigations promise deeper trouble for Fifa with federal law enforcement agencies delving into soccer’s affairs.
Raids on Fifa’s favourite luxury downtown Zurich hotel and its own headquarters were launched early Wednesday by Swiss police.
Senior FIFA officials were among seven men arrested at the request of American federal prosecutors investigating bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud. The 2018 and 2022 World Cups - awarded to Russia and Qatar, respectively - are the focus of a separate Swiss federal probe of suspected financial wrongdoing.
Last November, Blatter and Fifa filed a criminal complaint with the Swiss attorney general’s office against non-Swiss nationals.
Bomb threat at Fifa congress in Zurich as Sepp Blatter addresses graft scandal
PUBLISHED : Friday, 29 May, 2015, 7:57pm
UPDATED : Friday, 29 May, 2015, 8:03pm
AFP and Reuters in Zurich
Fifa president Sepp Blatter (right) called on members of world soccer's governing body to stick together to stamp out corruption. Photo: Reuters
Zurich police confirmed today that they were responding to a bomb alert at the venue where international soccer's governing body Fifa is hosting its widely-watched annual congress, amid a massive corruption scandal that has seen several Fifa officials detained.
Zurich police spokeswoman Brigitte Vogt confirmed that a bomb alert had been received at the venue, where Fifa is holding the high-level meeting on the eve of a scheduled vote for the Fifa presidency that longtime leader Sepp Blatter is expected to win.
"I can confirm there has been a bomb threat against the Fifa congress, officers have been dispatched," the spokeswoman said.
“The police are there,” she said, refusing to provide further details.
Seven Fifa officials were arrested in Zurich on Wednesday and other leading figures were charged as both the United States and Switzerland investigated allegations of bribery and money laundering stretching back more than two decades.
Fifa president Blatter had earlier told delegates at the opening of the annual congress in Zurich that he could not be blamed for the controversy as he could not “monitor” every official.
Before the congress, Blatter had defied his vice-president Michael Platini's demand, in a face-to-face meeting, to resign.
READ MORE: US - 1, Fifa - 0: why American law enforcers are so keen to fight global corruption
“The next few months will not be easy for Fifa. I am sure more bad news will follow but it is necessary to begin to restore trust,” the 79-year-old Blatter said.
“We cannot allow the reputation of football and Fifa to be dragged through the m&d any longer. It has to stop here.”
Blatter called the scandals “unprecedented” and said the “actions of individuals bring shame and humiliation on football and demand action had change from us all”.
The Fifa president was re-elected for a fifth term on Friday but has been criticised by many high-profile figures
Sepp Blatter is too old to change his ways and won't be able to restore faith in Fifa after his re-election as president on Friday, according to DFB chief Wolfgang Niersbach.
The 79-year-old will serve a fifth term as the head of football's governing body following his victory over Prince Ali of Jordan, who stood down after being out voted 133 to 73 in the first round of the election.
But faith in Blatter and the organisation is at an all-time low after Fifa were implicated in two serious criminal investigations this week
Niersbach said: "After the events of the last week you could feel there was a headwind for Blatter, but in the end it was not strong enough to bring the change we wanted.
"Inside Uefa there was the feeling that Prince Ali had a chance.
“I don’t believe Blatter will change. At 79-years-old you have grown your style. My biggest concern is that it will not be possible to keep things calm. We need a strong Fifa but that is incredibly hard.”
On Wednesday, US authorities arrested seven Fifa officials in Zurich, while a further 14 were indicted on suspicion of corruption and bribery.
A separate investigation launched by Swiss officials will investigate the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
'Small countries are to blame for Blatter re-election'
By Alec Fenn
May 30, 2015 00:10:59
A leading official in European football has slammed a "rotten system" and has hinted that a breakaway competition for major nations could be formed
KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Union) CEO Bert van Oostveen says football's "smaller nations" should form their own organisation after slamming their influence on the re-election of Sepp Blatter as Fifa president.
The 79-year-old beat challenger Prince Ali of Jordan on Friday, meaning he will be serve for a fifth term, despite a host of leading Uefa nations voting against the incumbent.
Fifa's voting system means each nation carries the same weight, regardless of a country's standing within the game.
As a result, Blatter retained his presidency thanks to the backing of multiple smaller countries.
Van Oostveen said: "This can't go on. With all the respect to everyone that's here today: it is always the small countries that create the majority. But it is countries like France, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands - and a lot more - that are making the global football big.
"They should have to take a blank sheet and create a new Fifa organisation with each other. I know that outside Europe, in America, Canada, Australia and a few countries in Asia, people think like this.
"There are no concrete plans. The only thing I can say is that this can't go on. This system is rotten. We have to continue our protest."
Van Oostveen did not dismiss the idea of pulling out of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and even hinted breakaway nations could form a brand new tournament.
"A boycott of the World Cup in Russia? I don't exclude anything at this moment. But it only has an impact when you take action as a collective. Then you will make a serious statement.
"A separate tournament away from the World Cup is an extremely interesting thought."
Blatter has been urged to step down by Uefa president Michel Platini and Portugal legend Luis Figo after Fifa became embroiled in two serious criminal investigations earlier this week.
On Wednesday, US authorities arrested seven Fifa officials in Zurich, while a further 14 were indicted on suspicion of corruption and bribery.
A separate investigation launched by Swiss officials will investigate the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The re-elected Fifa president says he will not forget the fervent opposition of Michel Platini and has hit out at both the British media and Americans
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has accused Uefa of a campaign of hatred following his re-election on Friday.
After a week which has seen Fifa embroiled in turmoil following the arrests of a number of officials, the Swiss was elected into a fifth term of office at the head of the game's governing body after seeing off the challenge of Prince Ali bin al-Hussein.
Uefa president Michel Platini said earlier this week that he had asked Blatter to step down from his role following the scandal which has seen several officials indicted on corruption charges, with a potential boycott of World Cups 2018 and 2022 by European nations being mooted.
Blatter, however, has branded Uefa's rhetoric as little more than hate-mongering and issued an ominous warning to Platini.
"It's hatred, coming not only from one person at Uefa but the organisation of Uefa, who can't accept that it was 1998 when I became president," he said, speaking to Swiss television's RTS.
"The journalists made a deal: Blatter out. I forgive everyone, but I do not forget."
Asked about Uefa boycotting Fifa events, he added: 'We cannot live without Uefa and Uefa cannot live without us."
Blatter also accused the English and Americans for orchestrating the timing of the Zurich arrests due to the fact they feel aggrieved at having lost bids to host the next two World Cups.
"If they have a financial crime that regards American citizens, then they must arrest these people there and not in Zurich when we have a congress here," he said.
"This corruption affair is between North America and South America. It was taken to Zurich and they say it is Fifa.
"No one is going to tell me that it was a simple coincidence that this American attack came two days before the Fifa elections. It doesn't smell right. This has touched me and Fifa.
"Not only did they try to denigrate me but also they used the moment to say, 'This is the time to go'. Then it was said, 'We are going to boycott the congress'. But where are we? Where is the sportsmanship? There are signs that cannot be ignored.
"The Americans were the candidates for the World Cup of 2022 and they lost. The English were the candidates for 2018 and they lost, so it was really the English media and the American movement."
The 79-year-old has been encouraged to start his new term as Fifa president by releasing the full document to the public
United States senator Chuck Schumer called on re-elected Fifa president Sepp Blatter to release the Garcia Report in full.
Blatter beat challenger Prince Ali of Jordan in Friday's election meaning he will serve for a fifth term, but his victory has been met with widespread criticism.
He has since promised to reform Fifa after the organisation became embroiled in two serious crime investigations this week and Schumer says the Garcia Report is the perfect place to start.
The full report, produced by former US attorney Michael Garcia, into alleged corruption in the World Cup bidding process is yet to be released.
"I write to urge you to make the first action of your new term the release of the complete, un-redacted version of the 2014 report written by former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael Garcia," the statement read.
"In light of the recent federal indictments by the United States Department of Justice, it is critical that Fifa release the full report.
"The executive summary of the report issued by the Fifa Ethics Committee Chairman Hans-Joachim Eckert in November 2014 was, in the words of the author of the report Michael Garcia, "materially incomplete" and contained "erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions".
"The public has a right to know what unethical and illegal practices Garcia unearthed in the full report.
"FIFA's request that Michael Garcia, a former U.S. Attorney from New York, investigate the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids indicates your interest in ensuring that ethical standards are upheld within FIFA.
"Public comments made by yourself, as president, and by several high-ranking members of Fifa, have made your desire to root out corruption clear. However, the failure to release the full report to the general public demonstrates only a superficial commitment to ending corruption.
"To repair the damage caused by rampant allegations of corruption within the organisation and diminishing public trust, Fifa must release the complete report."
Schumer said "a cloud of corruption" would hang over FIFA until the public was satisfied a full accounting of the allegations had been made.
On Wednesday, US authorities arrested seven Fifa executives on suspicion of corruption and bribery earlier this week, while Swiss officials have opened a separate case looking into the bidding process for the the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The 79-year-old says the 2018 and 2022 tournaments will not be expanded so that more nations can compete
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has confirmed there will be no changes to the upcoming World Cup tournaments in relation to qualification and allocation of regional places.
Speaking a day after he was re-elected for a fifth term at the helm of football's world governing body, the 79-year-old insisted the sport's global showpiece would not be altered.
Russia will stage the 2018 competition before Qatar hosts four years later, and Blatter explained the allocation of 32 places at the finals will remain the same.
Europe will therefore retain 13 qualifying places, with Africa keeping five. South America and Asia will each have four automatic qualifiers, with their fifth-placed nations entering play-offs with countries from CONCACAF (three automatic qualifiers) and Oceania, who remain without an automatic route to the World Cup. The host nations will complete the respective line-ups.
"This morning we [the FIFA Executive Committee] had an excellent meeting," said Blatter. "Among other things we decided that the slots of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup would not change.
"So, we will stick to 32 teams and the same distribution [of places from across the confederations] accepted by everybody, although some were more grumpy than others.
"Furthermore, in relation to the 2026 World Cup, we decided that all associations in Fifa can ask to host except those who are in the continent of the 2022 hosts – in other words Asia.
"All the other confederations will be able to present bids."
Blatter won Friday's presidential election at the Fifa Congress in Zurich after winning 133 votes in the first ballot against Prince Ali bin Al Hussein.
Prince Ali withdrew before the second round of voting, having only received support from 73 member nations.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter 'to be questioned' by Swiss authorities in World Cup corruption probe
The newly re-elected Fifa chief will be quizzed as a 'person providing information'
Adam Withnall
Sunday 31 May 2015
The Fifa president Sepp Blatter will be questioned by Swiss prosecutors investigating the votes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, it has been reported.
The Swiss Attorney General’s office, which is carrying out a criminal probe into how the tournaments were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively, has said it will interview 10 serving Fifa officials who were involved in the process.
Andre Marty, a spokesman for the Swiss authorities, declined to identify the 10 officials involved, but according to the Sunday Times they include the Uefa president Michel Platini, the Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko and Mr Blatter himself.
Prosecutors have already begun questioning the 10 as “persons providing information” – a status somewhere between witness and suspect in Switzerland – as they investigate alleged “criminal mismanagement” and money laundering during the contest to decide the World Cup host nations.
According to the Sunday Times’ Insight team, which has reported on alleged corruption within Fifa for some years, Mr Blatter and Mr Platini will be among the last of the 10 to be questioned since they will remain based in Zurich after Fifa’s annual congress has disbanded.
Meanwhile, speaking at Wembley on Saturday in his role as president of the English FA, Prince William called on Fifa to “reform” and backed FA vice-chairman David Gill’s decision to immediately stand down from Fifa’s executive committee in protest against Mr Blatter’s re-election.
“Fifa must now show that it can represent the interests of fair play and put the sport first,” he said. “Those backing Fifa, such as sponsors and the regional confederations, must do their bit to press these reforms – we are doing football and its fans no favours if we do not.”
On Sunday morning, the FA chairman Greg Dyke told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that he would “work with other footballing nations and sponsors to put pressure [on Mr Blatter].
“I don’t think Blatter will last four years,” Mr Dyke said. “I think the events of last week were, as the [US] Attorney General said, the beginning, not the end.”
On Friday Mr Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term (Getty Images)
Mr Dyke said the investigation by the Swiss authorities was “not something they normally do” and “very interesting”, and said that probe could see “the whole Qatar World Cup come under question again”.
Mr Blatter, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing by the US or Swiss authorities, was asked after his re-election if he was concerned that he might be arrested in a possible second round of indictments. He said: “Arrested for what? Next question.”
