Can Sepp Blatter restore Fifa's battered reputation?

They say football is a game of two halves, meaning you can never be sure of the result until the final whistle blows. The game being played by Sepp Blatter, president of Fifa since 1998, is a case in point. Blatter may have won “the first half” after scoring a last-gasp goal in managing to retain his post atop world football’s governing body. However, the corruption crisis engulfing Fifa has left many wondering how much longer the man at the top can cling on by evading responsibility for what goes on under his tenure.

Last Wednesday, 14 soccer officials, nine of whom are current or former Fifa executives, were arrested in Zurich on charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering. Allegations of corruption in Fifa dealings are nothing new to football fans, but the action taken by the US State Department represents the first time the sports-governing body has been “red carded”.

The arrests took place on the eve of Fifa’s presidential election, ratcheting the tension in an organisation whose allegiance was already split between Blatter and his presidential rival Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan. Blatter lost more support, despite a last-minute vow to “fix Fifa”. 

Few observers were convinced by that pledge. In his 17 years as president, Blatter has repeatedly faced credible accusations of wide-scale graft in his organisation, yet has shrugged off each in turn. Nevertheless, he secured enough votes from loyal Fifa member-countries to win a fifth consecutive term.

The roots of the crisis Fifa is facing lie in its transformation from a small organisation governing amateur competition at the beginning of the 20th century, into a vast commercial organisation whose coffers are now fed by the globe’s most popular sport. This cash cow earns massive income from selling the broadcast and advertising rights to its tournaments. Although it claims 70 per cent of that money is ploughed back into the game, fans around the world have expressed frustration at how little impact has been made in developing football at the grass-roots level. Even more controversial are Fifa’s choices of hosts for the next two World Cups. Allegations of irregularities in voting for the 2018 tournament, which was awarded to Russia, were trumped by the controversy surrounding the 2022 World Cup. That tournament was awarded to Qatar amid a storm of protest over alleged vote-buying and other underhand tactics. Critics also pointed out that Qatar had never qualified for a World Cup and that the soaring summer temperatures in the desert state would ruin the tournament as a spectacle. Fifa now wants to shift the competition to the winter months, but such a major change would clash with the schedules of Europe’s domestic leagues.

Criticism of Blatter doesn’t end there. He has been accused of failing to combat racism in the game, with campaigns like “Kick it Out” widely deemed a flop. The same goes for technological aids for officials. Fifa’s chief has ruled out giving referees recourse to instant replays despite pressure from fans who say poor decisions are a blight on the beautiful game. “Let’s leave [football] with errors,” said a defiant Blatter.

Meanwhile his supporters claim he has done much to develop the game, especially in Africa and Asia, where the quota of teams for the World Cup has been increased. Not surprisingly, football federations from those two continents remain loyal to Blatter. 

However, no one can deny that Fifa must undergo a major overhaul in how it does business and how it contributes to the development of the game.

Under Blatter’s 17-year tenure, world football’s governing body has lurched from one controversy to another. The arrest of seven of its high-ranking officials speaks for itself. Even if Blatter escapes the net this time, it will be increasingly difficult for him to avoid taking responsibility for corruption under his leadership.

If Fifa were a company, Blatter would have had to step aside by now. If he instead continues to court popularity in a bid to save his presidency, the slope will become even more slippery. He may have won the first half of this game, but the second half looks set to be a thriller. Fans around the world will be hoping that “football”, not money, winds up the winner of this historic match.