Sepp Blatter, FIFA facing more criticism this week

[webfact]

Sepp Blatter, FIFA facing more criticism this week
ROB HARRIS, AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — In the House of Commons, they're calling for Sepp Blatter's head. And even inside the FIFA president's own executive committee, there is the threat of resignation.

A new week has brought new turmoil for soccer's embattled 79-year-old president and his scandal-tainted governing body, which is in the midst of the worst corruption case in its 111-year history.

"For the good of the game, it is time for Sepp Blatter to go," British sports and culture secretary John Whittingdale told the House of Commons on Monday.

While the newly re-elected Blatter seems to be going nowhere despite the arrests and indictments of several soccer officials last week in Zurich, others are calling it quits or threatening to do so.

FIFA medical chief Michel D'Hooghe, the longest-serving member on the executive committee, said he would leave unless there were rapid reforms.

"I cannot reconcile myself with an institution where I work, where I have carried the medical responsibility for 27 years and about which I now learn that there is a lot of corruption," D'Hooghe told the VRT television network in Belgium.

"My conclusion is very clear: I will no longer continue to participate (in FIFA) under such conditions. So, it is high time for change to come and we will see over the coming days what may happen. Let's be clear, if this atmosphere prevails at FIFA, I have no place there."

D'Hooghe has served on FIFA's ruling body since 1988, a decade before Blatter's move up from secretary general to president.

"If you are faced with an abscess, simple medication does not suffice," D'Hooghe said. "You have to cut it open."

Heather Rabbatts went a step further and resigned from her post on the FIFA anti-discrimination task force.

That body, until last week, was chaired by Jeffrey Webb, who was suspended as a FIFA vice president and remains in custody in Switzerland along with six others after being arrested as part of the U.S. corruption investigation.

Rabbatts is also a director at the English Football Association, a long-standing critic of Blatter.

"Like many in the game I find it unacceptable that so little has been done to reform FIFA," she wrote in a letter to FIFA. "And it is clear from the re-election of President Blatter that the challenges facing FIFA and the ongoing damage to the reputation of football's world governing body are bound to continue to overshadow and undermine the credibility of any work in the anti-discrimination arena and beyond."

The corruption scandal crept closer to FIFA's Zurich headquarters when The New York Times reported late Monday that U.S. law enforcement officials believe the high-ranking FIFA member mentioned in the indictment as having made a $10-million payment central to the investigation was Blatter's right-hand man, Jerome Valcke.

The report cited unidentified officials who believe Valcke, FIFA's secretary general, transferred the money in 2008 to accounts controlled by Jack Warner, the former CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president. That payment was allegedly made in exchange for Warner and others having voted to give the 2010 World Cup to South Africa.

FIFA said the payment, which South African officials have said was meant to help with soccer development in the Caribbean, was authorized by the then-finance committee chairman, per FIFA regulations. The chairman, Julio Grondona, died last year.

The debate in Britain, where Blatter faces some of his harshest criticism, made its way to Parliament on Monday, and Whittingdale wasn't alone in his condemnation of the FIFA president.

Chris Bryant, the sports spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, said Blatter was a "tainted leader of a corrupt organization" who was re-elected because of "Mafioso cronyism."

FIFA on Monday provisionally banned another soccer official — CONCACAF General Secretary Enrique Sanz — as its ethics committee assesses evidence from the U.S. criminal investigation.

An unidentified co-conspirator listed in last week's indictment fit the description of Sanz' work history. Sanz, who has been battling leukemia, was placed on a leave of absence by CONCACAF on Thursday.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-06-02

[Kerryd]

I would find it really, really hard to believe that the top guy knew nothing about what was going on, and that his underlings were making 8 figure bribes behind his back.

"U.S. law enforcement officials believe the high-ranking FIFA member mentioned in the indictment as having made a $10-million payment central to the investigation was Blatter's right-hand man, Jerome Valcke."

If he didn't know what was going on then he is incompetent.

If he did know what was going on, then he is complicit.

[AndyFarang]

Happy to see that this is moving forward, and from an unlikely source, the USA. Andrew Jennings (and his transparency in sport webpage) as well as New FIFA Now website have been pushing this story (and many other related ones) for a while now. Also alot of online petitions to sign, eg on Avaaz website, so every little helps, suggest people mosey on over if they feel strongly :-)

One other thing though - what would happen if the European clubs refused to let their players have time off for the Qatar games in 2022, and threaten them with fines and/or termination - would that mean alot of country teams would be unable (or unwilling) to play? Some solidarity and action from more sports bodies and teams around the world is needed if Bleeter is to be stopped....

[JAG]

The only way to bring down Blatter and his stinking corrupt empire is for enough of the members of FIFA to turn their backs and walk away.

If this happened then the money tap from the big sponsors would be turned off, and he and his corrupt mates would drown in the cesspit they have created.

[GoodThaiGirl]

The only way to bring down Blatter and his stinking corrupt empire is for enough of the members of FIFA to turn their backs and walk away.

If this happened then the money tap from the big sponsors would be turned off, and he and his corrupt mates would drown in the cesspit they have created.

they wont they are too corrupt..it need eufa to boycott all future tournaments until he goes they would crumble under the weight of sponsorship pull outs..without european teams football is very poor ..

[evadgib]

The best message UEFA could give is to have the referee of the forthcoming champions league final blow his whistle to silence the stadium just before kick off and produce a red card while pointing at images of blatter on giant TV screens to the Moody blues 'Go Now' sung by the crowd....Even a brass neck like blatter couldn't ignore that!

I had hoped the FA would have done same at Wembley last week.

Edited June 2, 2015 by evadgib

[JAG]

Splendid idea, but the old crook would wriggle out of it somehow!

[ronwparker]

Blatter must go -he is too old and must have known what is going on over such a long time-he is just clinging on the old fart.

Disgusted

Ron

[deecee10]

String him up to the nearest crossbar, the corrupt, deceitful little toe-rag.

[razer]

Poor Sepp..... The 5 Star bubble is deflating

[evadgib]

Poor Sepp..... The 5 Star bubble is deflating

I thought he was Swiss Edited June 2, 2015 by evadgib

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.

[Basil B]

The gossip about corruption is nothing new, ever since the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup games to Russia and Qatar respectively (and possibly well before) there has been lots of accusations of foul play, as I recall it has already been proved that some delegates received money for votes.

Yet this geriatric old fart did nothing other than push the dirt under the carpet, the very fact that they re-elected this incompetent fool proves just how corrupt FIFA is, I am one who believes that FIFA is so corrupt that the only answer is to form a new organisation to run the world cup.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Basil B

[Jaggg88]

Don't expect UeFA to help as France Spain and Russia all voted for Blatter.

FIFA is just a private company so we should setup our own - call it WIFA or something similar and invite countries to join. Once all the major countries have joined then FIFA's sponsors would withdraw and FIFA would fold. Any countries found guilty of corruption would be banned from joining.

[cumgranosalum]

Blatter's gone anyway........

[Jingthing]

Blatter's gone anyway........

Indeed.

It's stunning.

[Basil B]

Don't let the door hit you on the way out...

[wooloomooloo]

Bless him. Ol' Septic can sit it out at home and await his rendition to Azerbaijan by the CIA.

[Jimdandy]

HE RESIGNED TODAY

[Jingthing]

yes we know ...

[evadgib]

Great news, i'm only surprized that it took this long. His next stunt will be altzeimers.

Edited June 3, 2015 by evadgib