Blatter Resigns as FIFA President
Sepp Blatter served as FIFA president for almost two decades, but his fifth term in the organization’s top spot lasted only three days. Re-elected on 29 May with more than 70 percent of the vote, the 79-year old Blatter announced his resignation on Tuesday. “FIFA needs profound restructuring,” he said during the snap press conference.
The Latest Domino to Fall
Blatter’s resignation comes while a corruption scandal rocks the governing body of the world’s most popular sport. He has been president since 1998, presiding over a period many associate with rampant bribe-taking. Blatter has never been charged with any wrongdoing but, hours after the resignation, it became known that he is under investigation by the US Department of Justice.
On 27 May Swiss police arrested seven high-ranking FIFA officials in the city of Zurich – among them FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb. The arrested are to be extradited to the United States to face charges relating to corruption, racketeering, and conspiracy.
In a parallel action, the Swiss authorities filed criminal charges against 18 FIFA officials on “suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering” during the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
It has also been alleged that former vice-president Jack Warner, now a politician in his home country of Trinidad and Tobago, accepted $10 million from the South African government during the bidding for the 2010 World Cup.
What Pushed Blatter Over the Edge?
Blatter was neither among the seven arrested in Zurich nor among the 18 charged by the Swiss authorities. So what was behind his decision to step down?
The organization has allegedly been corrupt for decades. Blatter was able to maintain leadership, believing himself to be the best person to clean it up. The recent scandal shows he was unable to do so.
The long-standing president’s reputation had become irreparable: “I do not feel that I have a mandate for the entire world of football – the fans, the plays, the clubs, the people who live, breathe and love football as much as we all do at FIFA.”
Joseph Larsen