Given the popularity of football and Fifa’s position at the centre of the beautiful game, the events of the past few days have been nothing short of momentous. Even before last week, Sepp Blatter cut a controversial figure as the head of football’s organising body. On his watch, Fifa’s brand has greatly expanded and revenues have soared. At the same time, however, Fifa’s reputation has been called into question by persistent allegations of wrongdoing by high-ranking officials.
These competing narratives came to a head last week when Swiss officials arrested several senior Fifa executives on an extradition request from the United States. The indictments, for alleged bribery and racketeering, fuel suspicions that corruption exists at the heart of Fifa.
Sepp Blatter should not misread Friday’s election result, which saw him returned for a fifth term as president. He has been given a mandate to root out corruption rather than to rest on his laurels. Mr Blatter must use the qualified endorsement he received from the Congress – he fell short of winning a two-thirds majority in the first round of voting – to restore broken trust.
This is no small task, particularly as Mr Blatter has appeared bullish since his reelection, countering suggestions of continuing controversy by saying “I don’t see how Fifa should have been directly affected by this”.
Few of his declared opponents – notably the Uefa lobby – would agree with his assessment. These adversaries will surely apply more pressure if change is not forthcoming or if more indictments follow, even if other parts of the football world, including the African and Asian federations, remain loyal to their president.
If the tone of the past few weeks has been one of disappointment and disbelief in football’s governing body, the next chapter must be about the restoration of respect and a commitment to reform.
