Advertisement

FIFA corruption probe means big changes: French expert

The corruption scandal sweeping through FIFA will lead to profound changes in the way world football's governing body is run, marking the end of the Blatter era, according to French geopolitical and football expert Pascal Boniface. Boniface, head of IRIS centre for strategic research and a consultant to the French Federation of Football on the future of the game, sat down with AFP to discuss the ramifications of the scandal which has seen seven top football officials arrested and increased pressure on FIFA head Sepp Blatter to stand down. Was the massive scandal now engulfing FIFA foreseeable? Boniface: There had long been rumours, information and denials. We knew that not everything was clean, that things were going on. But this bombshell right before the (FIFA) world congress with several people arrested at the same time, no one saw that coming. That shock effect was deliberate, there was a touch of 'justice drama' about it, as the world media has been talking about nothing else for the past 24 hours. There was also an aspect of seizing the opportunity: by acting as they did (with the arrests of the seven officials at a Zurich hotel on Wednesday) the American and Swiss authorities were sure to be able to pick up all the suspects at the same time without anyone escaping the net and able to organise a joint defence. Everyone was caught in the same trap. What consequences do you see for FIFA? Boniface: In our societies, the wish for transparency is becoming ever stronger. Corruption, which was before considered as a necessary evil against which it was impossible to act is today, with the worsening crisis, seen as unacceptable and the public is becoming more and more demanding on the issue. You'd think that the current way that FIFA governs cannot survive this episode given the global media and political impact. Even if Sepp Blatter manages to force through his re-election tomorrow (Friday), something that the European federation (UEFA) will oppose, he won't be able to complete his mandate. He will always face difficulties, doubts. There will inevitably be a 'before' and an 'after' because FIFA cannot escape very radical changes to its governance and procedures. When you have been president since 1998, like Blatter, bad habits are bound to develop over time. (But) Blatter has greatly helped the development of football by helping the smaller federations. What do you make of the reactions from countries such as Russia, Brazil and France? Boniface: Everyone has their role. Russia has to organise the 2018 World Cup and besides currently has very strained relations with the United States. Therefore the fact of seeing American justice launch an extraterritorial inquiry which could call into question the decision to hand the World Cup to Russia is not acceptable for the Russians. For Brazil it's different. They've got a corruption scandal surrounding the political classes. The Brazilian football federation has been accused of corruption many times. Therefore Brazil's political powers have an obligation to play this one cleanly so as to avoid accusations that they were complicit in this corruption. (Brazilian President) Dilma Rousseff will be in trouble if she isn't seen to be firm enough in the fight against corruption. As for France, it considers sport to be an instrument of 'soft power,' that is to say international influence.