Although nearly a decade has passed since the issuance of a report devoted to saving the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) from what was described as an “existential crisis,” the appetite of the game’s regulating bodies for reform, including FIFA itself, “has diminished,” according to a newspaper report.The New York Times“.
The rich report on reform proposals, prepared by several football insiders in December 2015, was FIFA’s best chance to show its business partners, US investigators and billions of football fans that it could be trusted again after one of the biggest corruption scandals in the sport’s history.
The report, one of whose authors was current FIFA President Gianni Infantino, concluded that concrete and revolutionary changes have been made for FIFA, including transparency in how major decisions are reached, term limits for senior leaders, new limits on presidential power, and the abolition of well-funded committees. which is widely viewed as a system of institutional graft.
Among the most important reforms that were adopted was limiting the terms of the FIFA President and members to 12 years (3 terms according to the current system), in addition to establishing the FIFA Council instead of the Executive Committee currently, to be tasked with setting the general strategy and policies of the Federation, with the General Secretariat following up on the required executive and commercial steps. To implement this strategy.
Next Friday in Bangkok, Infantino will ask FIFA members to approve a list of changes to the statute that would undo more of the changes he once adopted, and restore the organizational structures he previously sought to remove.
Critics say this would distance football from the sound principles of good governance it embraced amid a previous corruption scandal that toppled former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, along with a number of other officials.
The Zurich-based game’s governing body said in response, “FIFA does not agree with this opinion at all.”
FIFA, and Infantino personally, often cites strong support for its reforms whenever questions of integrity are raised.
While Infantino rarely gives interviews, FIFA said in response to questions about rolling back reforms that the changes made since the 2015 scandals had transformed it “from a toxic institution into a respectable, reliable and modern governing body.”
He added that this pivot to the governance model “has been recognized by many external organizations, including the US Department of Justice.”
But US officials said last week that they had never reviewed FIFA’s rules or governance standards, and the Attorney General’s Office, which has brought many corruption cases, refused to stand behind the changes made by the International Federation.
“Our office has not supported the effectiveness of any of FIFA’s current reform efforts,” said John Marzoli, spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
The Swiss Infantino reached the presidency in February 2016, and succeeded his compatriot Blatter, who was suspended by the Federation’s Ethics Committee in December 2015 from engaging in any activity related to football, in a case that also toppled who was his likely successor, the Frenchman Michel Platini, who was then president of the European Football Association. Foot.
“Plucking the bad apples is not enough.”
FIFA had 26 permanent committees when the scandals hit. The 2015 report recommended reducing these committees to 9 “to improve efficiency,” while the number of current committees reached only 7 committees.
But as part of proposed rule changes being considered this week in Bangkok, Infantino will ask members to agree to increase committees fivefold, to 35, as well as have the power to create new committees — and appoint members — when he sees fit.
FIFA said it needed the additional committees because it had significantly expanded its functions, and noted that the roles would create more positions for women.
She added that some meetings will be held remotely. He did not mention how those appointed to the committees would be selected.
One sports official, who works for another major sports body but had previously served on FIFA committees, smiled when he was told about the increase in the number of committees.
The official asked the New York Times not to mention his name because he is still connected to the organization, but he said he hopes to be offered a position; Because the perks traditionally include access to valuable World Cup tickets.
On the senior FIFA Board of Directors, for example, members receive between 250 and 350 thousand dollars annually for a job that may require attending at least 3 meetings annually.
Infantino himself has doubled his salary since taking office, to nearly $5 million, and recently oversaw an amendment to term limits – his own – that could allow him to remain in office for 15 years instead of the 12 years required by FIFA’s statute.
At the level of continental federations, promises of change towards reform are diminishing. The AFC will vote this week to abolish term limits, allowing its president and members of its board of directors to remain in their positions indefinitely.
The Asian Football Confederation said that 4 of its member associations had requested the change.
On the Old Continent, the UEFA president’s bid to remain beyond his 12-year term was approved, but became meaningless when he said he would not run.
He said he was not planning to extend his term, but wanted to test members’ loyalty.
The Confederation of North American Football (CONCACAF), which was on the verge of collapse due to a corruption scandal in 2015, also failed to follow through on promised changes such as hiring independent board members. CONCACAF did not respond to a request for comment.
An external audit of CAF, commissioned after FIFA took control of the organization, identified tens of millions of dollars in misappropriated funds.
Miguel Maduro, the first head of FIFA governance appointed by Infantino after his election, blamed the organization’s culture of returning to old ways. “It is not enough to uproot bad apples if the trees that produced them remain in place,” he said.
Maduro, who left office in 2017, described the latest changes as “confirmation” of a process that has been underway unofficially for years.
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