The corruption scandal engulfing the political soccer federation FIFA has culminated in former president Sepp Blatter being banned from the sport for eight years. He is joined by former president Michel Platini of the Union of European Football Associations, commonly known as UEFA. Both men were convicted of ethics violations, and in the future may face further sanctions.
The ban follows a lengthy scandal involving charges of corruption against several FIFA officials, in which both Blatter and Platini were said to have unfairly influenced the allocation of the hosting of the FIFA World Cup to certain countries.
Blatter served as president of the Federal International Football Association, or FIFA, for seventeen years between 1998 and 2015. Platini, of UEFA, had held the position of president for eight years between 2007 and 2015.
Blatter resigned as president of FIFA on June 2, 2015 just six days after having been elected for his fifth term in office amidst the outbreak of corruption claims against him. Platini had been planning to run as Blatter’s successor in the election next February, but is ineligible in light of recent events.
The ban prohibits either man from attending any soccer related event for the next eight years. Despite this, many feel the punishment may be insufficient.
“I would have made it a lifetime ban. I don’t know why anyone would want them back in the game,” NHS junior Henry Primavera said.
FIFA is one of the last and longest standing political sport administration groups in the world, having been founded in 1904. However, having seen its long-standing leader removed from office, it is unclear how FIFA plans to repair its image.
England were one of several countries to be overlooked for the hosting of the 2018 World Cup, which was instead awarded to Russia in 2010. Of the 22 people to vote on the FIFA Exco Committee that day, 11 have since been suspended as a result of the investigation.
"Clearly, there was something going on in the ether that we didn't know about and it's only now coming to light five years later,” former England Football Association vice-chairman David Dein, who was part of England’s bid to host the tournament, said.
"I think FIFA's image is damaged beyond repair and I think it needs something radical. Personally, I think it should be dissolved. It needs to start again. It needs a fresh start,” he said.
The calls for FIFA to be disbanded have gathered pace in recent weeks as more and more evidence is mounted against Blatter, Platini, and other officials involved in the corruption case.
“I think with anything as large or as widespread as soccer, there needs to be a governing aspect to it,” NHS junior Matt Fuchs said. “How powerful that governing body is to be is where the questions lies.”
The future leadership of FIFA is to be decided in an election next February as the organization seeks solutions to the ongoing crisis.
“They should elect someone who has a minimal connection to soccer to limit their appetite to influence games or anything of that matter,” Fuchs said.
“There also needs to be clarification of revenue-- where does it go, when does it come in, when does it leave, how much is leaving,” he said.
The position of president, it seems, no longer belongs to famous leaders in the sport, but rather to an outside administrative figure.
Image Courtesy of fifa.com