Transparency International (TI), the anti-corruption organisation, has called on world football’s governing body, FIFA, to carry out comprehensive governance reforms overseen by a group composed of representatives from outside FIFA (elder statesmen, sponsors, media and civil society) and inside football (federations, clubs, professional leagues, players, womenโs football, referees, supporters) in a way that ensures its independence.
The proposed group would watch over an independent investigation of existing corruption allegations and the introduction of new procedures to ensure transparency and good governance, such as term limits for senior positions and a conflict of interest policy, with external figures present in bodies that make major decisions.
Berlin-based TI has called on FIFA to take similar steps before, but developed its advice more specifically after FIFA showed a new willingness to change: asking for advice on anti-corruption policies and providing more information about its financial management and governance structures. This has allowed TI to provide detailed recommendations on governance issues targeted to the highest echelons of FIFA.
โFIFA says it wants to reform, but successive bribery scandals have left public trust in it at an all-time low. Working with an oversight group โ taking its advice, giving it access, letting it participate in investigations โ will show whether there is going to be real change. The process has to start now,โ said Sylvia Schenk, senior advisor on sport to TI.
TI’s eight-page recommendation document, Safe Hands: Building Integrity and Transparency at FIFA, is based on years of experience providing tools for companies and institutions that want to become more transparent and less vulnerable to corruption.
Reform backing
Because of the special nature of FIFA, meaningful reform requires everyone who has a stake in the game to join the debate and increase the pressure for reform, including supporters, bodies representing clubs and players, and the sponsors, says TI.
With its unprecedented reach, political clout and enormous worldwide social influence, FIFA is answerable only to national football officials from 208 countries. TI is also sending the recommendations to national football federations in countries where it has chapters, calling upon those federations to support reform.
โLeaders in the world of sport have a particular responsibility to behave with integrity, not just because sports like football face corruption challenges such as match-fixing, but because sport provides role models for people everywhere, especially young people,โ said Schenk.
TI prepared the FIFA recommendations after bribery allegations and a lack of transparency marred FIFAโs presidential elections in June 2011, as it did the selection of the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December 2010.
โWhen an organisation says it wants to change, TI stands ready to provide constructive advice. Now that we have laid out clear, straightforward steps, itโs up to FIFA to prove its commitment to transparency and accountability,โ said Schenk.
