Fifa’s rot runs deep

THE eight-year ban on Fifa boss Sepp Blatter and vice-president Michel Platini deals with the syndrome instead of excising the cancer eating into the football body. The scale of corruption, the shady deals and the arrogant culture of impunity are rooted so deep at the core of the organisation that banning Blatter and Platini cannot be the end of the matter.

The commendable investigation by the FBI only dealt with the conduct of individuals and not the institutional and systemic failures.

The root cause of the rot in Fifa is the collapse of good governance, and the institutional impunity that has elevated the football monster above international and national laws. A virtual absence of the rule of law has proved a breeding ground for the likes of Blatter, Platini and former Fifa vicepresident Jack Warner (who was banned for life for his complicity in corruption).

The first step to fixing Fifa is to change the accountability system. Fifa must account to the 209 affiliated national associations — not the other way round. Its workings must be transparent to the billions of fans who love the game.

The primary cause of corruption is the selection of countries to host the World Cup, the biggest and most expensive sporting event in the world.

The intensity of the competition and the publicity benefits tempt countries — including South Africa — to ingratiate themselves with Fifa leaders. The selection process needs a surgical overhaul, to be made as open as possible in order to curb bribery and arbitrary decisions.

Lastly, the sponsors — who have the power to stop the rot — have stoked Fifa’s greed and power in the battle for marketing rights. Sponsorship needs to be regulated and infractions must be exposed so the fans can reject unethical sponsors.