Inside Blatter’s FIFA

Mohamed Bin Hammam would love a keen contest for the presidency in the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) executive elections scheduled for June – the kind not seen since Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou pushed the incumbent Sepp Blatter all the way in a bitter 2002 confrontation. Hayatou thereafter imbibed the cabal code, defying senility and attempts at change of guard in the African federation until he gave retirement hints of recent.

It is a measure of the cagey methods and cronyism pervading the set-up that many were reluctant to confront Blatter, but the Asian Football Confederation president’s words indicated that Blatters’ greatest challenge would come from Asia. “I’m actually seeking to see competition within FIFA for the post,” said 61-year old Bin Hammam ahead of the April 1 deadline for candidates to declare intention.

“I would prefer to see two candidates proposing themselves, or maybe more than two proposing themselves to the congress of FIFA. Competition is good for the organisation, whether president or any other posts. Competition is the best way to make the organisation vibrant and alive.”

With control of the globe’s most popular game and its most important tournament, the World Cup, FIFA is arguably the most powerful organisation in sports as acknowledged by all – critic and insider. Chuck Blazer, the FIFA executive committee member from the United States of America attempted justification.

Before voting for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, he said: “I don’t think we gain our power because of the World Cup, I think the power of the World Cup is achieved because of the fact that we maintain an organisational structure with 208 members all abiding by the same set of rules and agreeing to get along and do things together.”

Under Blatter’s leadership, FIFA’s popularity has, however, drawn repeated controversy. The Swiss administrator’s 1998 election to the FIFA presidency over UEFA President Lennart Johansson took place amidst much rancour.

Blatter’s 2002 candidacy was also attended by rumours of financial irregularities and backroom dealings, with direct accusations of bribery made in the British press by Farra Ado, CAF vice-president and president of the Somali Football Federation, who claimed to have been offered $100,000 to vote for Blatter in 1998.

Amidst internal divisions, FIFA’s secretary-general, Blatter’s deputy and former protégé Michel Zen-Ruffinen drew up a 30-page dossier outlining allegations of financial mismanagement within the organisation. The document alleged that the collapse of FIFA’s marketing partner ISL led to losses of up to $100 million under Blatter’s management.

The allegations were backed by Johansson, and the dossier was handed to the Swiss authorities, but they cleared Blatter of any wrongdoing and FIFA had to pay all the costs. An internal investigation within FIFA was halted by Blatter because members broke confidentiality agreements. It led to the removal of Zen-Ruffinen from office immediately before the FIFA World Cup 2002.

Born in Visp, Canton Valais, Switzerland, Blatter studied in Sion, Switzerland before he received a degree in business and economics from the University of Lausanne in 1959. The list of positions he held at various employments included Head of Public Relations of the Valaisan Tourist Board in his native Switzerland, as well as General Secretary of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation. He was also involved in organisation of the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games.

Blatter has worked at FIFA since 1975, first as Technical Director (1975–1981), then General Secretary (1981–1998) before his election as FIFA President in 1998. He was re-elected as head of FIFA in 2002 and was re-elected unopposed for another four years on May 31, 2007 even though only 66 of 207 FIFA members nominated him. Blatter sought another term as FIFA president in December 2009 and was elected once more.

He replaced the golden goal with the silver goal rule in extra time of play-off matches. Under the golden goal rule, the match ended immediately if one side scored in extra time while the silver goal rule required that the match end at half-time in extra time if one team led – otherwise the match continued until the end of the extra time period.

Some thought that the rule change made the game less exciting, while others felt it was fairer as a result. The new rule was first applied in the Euro 2004 competition, but was discontinued along with the golden goal. All competitions then reverted to the traditional extra time rules where teams play the full amount of extra time, regardless of the score.

Since the 2002 World Cup, the current World Cup champion no longer automatically qualified for the next World Cup finals, as was the case for the champions of all 16 previous World Cups. National associations were also expected to enforce immediate suspensions of all players sent off during a game, even if television replays offered compelling evidence of a player’s innocence.

In particular, Blatter insisted that a referee’s judgement must be seen as final and that mistakes were part of the game. Since 2004, the game also implemented the booking of players who remove their shirts after scoring a goal, as well as those who are guilty of ‘over-zealous celebrations’. This ensured protection of the sensibilities of conservative nations and respect for spectators of the global sport.

In a landmark ruling, Blatter decided in 2007 that no football matches would be played over 2500 metres (8200 ft) above sea level. The height was subsequently revised to 3000 metres (9840 feet) in the same year. The Bolivian national team, whose stadium is located more than 3000 metres above sea level, immediately lost invincibility at rarified level, to its chagrin, and the relief of oft-winded opponents.

•Concludes next week