Fifa’s foul play

IN a week when football should be hailing the brilliance of Barcelona, the mesmeric European champions, the so-called ‘beautiful game’ finds itself mired in the greatest corruption scandal to ever afflict the people’s sport.

By The Newsroom

Published 1st Jun 2011, 01:00 BST

At its heart is the global governing body Fifa, the supposed arbiters of ‘fair play’, and the illogical decision – probably as a result of financial inducements – to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, a Middle East state with little footballing pedigree.

As the resignations and recriminations mount up, it appears almost certain that Fifa’s discredited president, Sepp Blatter, will be re-elected tomorrow to head a tarnished organisation when his personal reputation has never been lower.

Mr Blatter can only reverse this perception by ordering an immediate rerun of the 2022 vote while, at the same time, making Fifa’s procedures more transparent. If the International Olympic Committee, an organised tainted by scandal in the past, can do so, Fifa should be able to do likewise, especially if the organisation cares sufficiently about the sport’s global role as a force for good.