45 Minutes That Could Change Soccer's World
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Sports45 FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015 Why is FIFA 45 minutes that could important? change soccer’s world LONDON: Factbox explaining what FIFA is and why it is so LONDON: When Sepp Blatter is not important ahead of the presidential election on May 29 at comparing FIFA to a boat in calm or the FIFA Congress in Zurich What is FIFA? FIFA, which in choppy waters he often uses football French is the abbreviation for the Federation analogies to illustrate his point so it Internationale de Football Association, is the governing might amuse him to think he faces a body of world soccer. It was founded in Paris on May 21 1904 by representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, tricky 45 minutes at this month’s the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. England, Congress. That is when he will have to which formulated the laws of the game in 1863, joined the sit back and listen to the three men following year. challenging his right to remain FIFA president, with each being allowed 15 How many countries are members? minutes to score, as it were, a goal FIFA now has 209 member associations, and is a larger that would send him crashing to organization than the United Nations which has 193 mem- defeat. Michael van Praag, 68, the bers. Dutch FA president, Luis Figo, 42, of Portugal, a former World Player of the What does FIFA do? Year, and Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, 39, FIFA regulates the game across the world. Through the the outgoing vice-president of the International Football Association Board, which was estab- Asian Football Confederation, are lin- lished in 1886 before coming under FIFA’s umbrella, it ing up against him. ensures the laws of the game remain universal. It runs the Unless any of them decide to pull World Cup which is held every four years and generates its out beforehand, all three will address principal source of income running into hundreds of mil- delegates from FIFA’s 209 member lions of dollars, and a number of other women’s and age associations when they assemble at group world tournaments. Zurich’s Hallenstadion on May 29, with Blatter then offered the floor to defend Why is FIFA important? his position. Unless the majority of the Organised football is played everywhere and most of traditionally conservative and fiercely its 209 members run their own domestic competitions. loyal Blatter supporters have a totally Most of those competitions are professional, and globally unexpected change of heart, he will be the sport generates hundreds of billions of dollars every presented with the winner’s bouquet year. FIFA estimates that around 500 million people in the world are connected to football in some capacity either once the votes cast in the secret ballot through playing the game, officiating, running clubs or have been counted. However, the 79- merely going to watch a match. By remaining strong and year-old Swiss, who has been presi- unifying the vastly different elements in its membership dent since 1998 and seen off oppo- FIFA ensures the game remains universal without rival nents before, may not get quite the organizations trying to form breakaway leagues and runaway victory he seeks. championships as they have done in other sports. For the first time since 1961, when Stanley Rous of England beat two Where money come from rivals to win the presidency, the FIFA’s accounts show it has around $US1.5 billion in the names of more than two men will be bank. Most of its wealth is accrued by selling the rights to on the ballot paper. While Van Praag, screen World Cup matches to television stations around Figo and Prince Ali are unlikely to the world and from the sponsorship it receives from blue- unseat Blatter, their presence and the chip global corporations. FIFA though, is essentially, a fact they might muster enough votes DOHA: In this file photo, FIFA President Sepp Blatter (right) is welcomed by non-profit making organization with most of the money it to send the contest into a second AFC president Mohammed bin Hammam upon his arrival in Doha, Qatar. FIFA receives directed towards development programs around round, would show that not everyone has been routinely called “scandal-plagued” for much of Sepp Blatter’s 17- the world and by subsidizing its members with annual is happy with FIFA, or the way Blatter year presidential reign. Blatter has never been implicated in personal corrup- grants and regular bonus payments from its World Cup runs an organization with more mem- tion, though FIFA has often seemed relaxed about wrongdoing linked to sen- income. It also uses money so it can run itself from its bers than the United Nations. ior officials. Blatter is bidding for a fifth term on May 29, 2015. — AP modern headquarters in Zurich by paying its staff, its pres- ident and the men who are on the executive and other Same message Portuguese-speaking countries, while gates while Blatter refused the offer to committees that keep it functioning. The campaign for the leadership Prince Ali should gain the support of speak as a “candidate”, only as the began in January last year when for- his own west Asian region, some FIFA president, and did so at every Why reputation so sullied? mer FIFA deputy secretary general north African countries and the congress he attended. So sure is FIFA likes to keep its secrets very close to its chest and Jerome Champagne of France United States, but not the whole of Blatter of another victory that the many books have been written in the last 20 years claim- launched his bid in London. Although Asia where most countries are back- president, unlike the others, has not ing to expose those secrets and level allegations of cor- ing Blatter. issued a manifesto but is prepared to ruption at the men who run FIFA. FIFA president Sepp his challenge subsequently collapsed let his record speak for itself. Blatter, who has been in position for 17 years and is facing a year later when he could not secure an election at the end of this month, has been the target the required letters of support from Backing Blatter The fact his record is blemished by for much of that criticism. A culture of bribery and corrup- five member nations, his basic mes- In fact most of FIFA’s members will a series of crises during the past 17 tion is said to exist in its upper echelons and FIFA did not sage is one shared by the three who support Blatter. This is largely because years-culminating in widespread alle- help itself when it awarded the 2018 World Cup finals to are still standing. “FIFA needs to they feel they can trust him to help gations of corruption in the way FIFA’s Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar on the same day change, it needs to be modernized them run their associations through executive committee voted Russia as after a joint bidding process that was open to abuse with and better reflect the game in the 21st the Goal Program and development hosts of the 2018 World Cup and traded votes. Even Blatter later admitted that was a mis- century and the time has come for fund money which helps subsidize Qatar for 2022, plus the shelving of take. Sepp Blatter to be replaced,” every association whether rich or attorney Michael Garcia’s report into Champagne repeated, and there is poor. Also most of the people who those allegations - is unlikely to count What is the future for FIFA? likely to be some support for that idea. rise to positions of power in football against him. Instead, Blatter will FIFA has the ability to, as Blatter likes to say, and often All three men have the broad back- are very resistant to any change. That speak, as he often does, of a unified does, “steer itself out of the choppy waters into the safe ing of UEFA, the European confedera- is best illustrated by the fact that Figo, FIFA, which now has reserves of harbor.” FIFA, which is 111 years old, is seen by many tion, and will gain votes from Van Praag and Prince Ali were refused $1.5bn in the bank and where respect, around the world as a benevolent organization that sup- European countries while Van Praag is permission to speak to delegates at discipline and reform have helped ports the game from the grass roots level to the top of the likely to be backed by some former the Asian, African, South American steer the ship back into the safe, calm professional pyramid and while it continues to support its Dutch colonies. Figo, hugely admired and CONCACAF Congresses in the waters of a peaceful harbor. Unless of members, its members will never leave.— Reuters as a player but a lightweight in this build-up to the main event. UEFA course, he concedes an own goal with contest, could be backed by some allowed all three to address their dele- a minute to go.— Reuters.