TOO MUCH AT RISK FOR SEPP BLATTER TO RENEGE ON VOW TO RESIGN / THE NEW YORK TIMES

Soccer

Too Much at Risk for Sepp Blatter to Renege on Vow to Resign

By SAM BORDEN

JUNE 15, 2015

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An about-face by Sepp Blatter, as unlikely as it seems, cannot be ruled out entirely. Credit Ennio Leanza/Keystone, via Associated Press       

 

 

If social media is any indication, it is highly possible that many soccer fans have been so busy celebrating Sepp Blatter’s announcement that he will step down as FIFA president that they missed a number of key developments in the story.

 

What has happened over the past two weeks? Well, among other things, there was the departure of FIFA’s top communications official after he made an ill-advised (but quite funny) joke regarding FIFA officials and the police; there was an admission from Blatter’s top deputy that he was indeed involved in processing a $10 million payment to a former Caribbean official that United States prosecutors contend was a bribe; there was the announcement that voting for the 2026 World Cup host country, which was supposed to be in 2017, would be delayed indefinitely.

 

Oh, and just a few days ago, there was also the revelation that Blatter might not actually resign after all. (Deep breaths, everyone. Deep breaths.) 

In reality, a Blatter rebooting is unlikely. Yes, he has made a career out of reversing course, as he did in 2011, when he claimed that he would not seek another term as president only to then do exactly that, but this time the external pressure is far more significant. There is surely too much at risk now to seriously consider another rise.

 

The notion of an about-face by Blatter was floated by the Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag, which said its sources indicated he had received strong shows of support from African and Asian federations in the aftermath of his June 2 announcement that he would step down. The article also noted that Blatter had been “in high spirits” and “full of energy” again, and begun the process of helping reform FIFA before he is replaced in a special election between next winter and spring.

 

Could Blatter really stay? It cannot be ruled out, if only because FIFA has shown itself to be capable of just about anything. Strange as it might sound, Blatter could, theoretically, win a fifth term of the presidency in May, resign in June, campaign for a new term in November and retain the job in December. 

On Monday, one of his advisers told Britain’s Sky News that Blatter would consider staying only if no strong replacement candidate emerged.

 

Most of it seems like (well-sourced) bluster. In all likelihood, nothing that ultimately led to Blatter’s announcing his resignation a few days after he was re-elected — that is, corruption investigations by United States and Swiss law enforcement officials, and pressure from corporate partners — will have changed by December. While there certainly are some members of the soccer community who remain loyal to Blatter, it seems difficult to envision any way in which those loyalists could help alleviate his potential legal troubles.

Blatter’s daughter, Corinne, seemed to deny the substance of the Schweiz am Sonntag article in a subsequent interview with a different Swiss outlet — she has previously described her father’s decision to resign as “having absolutely nothing to do with the accusations that are circulating” — and the reaction from several soccer officials was more of wry amusement than concern. One suggested that Blatter’s intention had less to do with remaining president than with pushing voters toward a favored replacement.

 

Domenico Scala, the head of FIFA’s independent audit and compliance committee, has been charged with overseeing the special election process and leading the push for some policy changes that Blatter has claimed he wants to institute before stepping down.

 

After the first rumblings of a possible comeback by Blatter emerged, Scala seemed to caution him against reconsidering.

 

“For me, the reforms are the central topic,” Scala said. “That is why I think it is clearly indispensable to follow through with the initiated process of president’s change as it has been announced.”

Longtime followers of soccer would surely agree. Blatter, to be fair, deserves credit for some initiatives launched during his four terms as FIFA’s leader — expansion of opportunities in the women’s game, to name one — but the larger culture of corruption in FIFA also flourished under his purview. That reality tarnishes him even if, to this point, he has not been implicated directly.

 

That is why Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein of Jordan, who was a strong challenger to Blatter in the most recent election, framed himself as a candidate seeking to revamp FIFA. Prince Ali, who lost his seat on FIFA’s executive committee the week Blatter was re-elected, is said to be considering running in the special election, and there has been speculation that Chung Mong-joon, a South Korean

 

Other challengers may also emerge. Luís Figo, the former Portuguese international, bowed out of the last election just days before the vote, while Michel Platini, the head of European soccer’s governing body, has long been mentioned as a possible candidate.

 

The first step in the process will come in mid-July, when FIFA’s leaders meet to set a date for the special election. Then there will be campaigning and, just as before, a congress in which the 209 member nations of FIFA will cast one vote apiece for the new president.

 

Will Blatter be an option? At this point, the best guess is still no. Asked by The Associated Press on Sunday about a potential revival for Blatter, a FIFA public-relations official responded:

 

“We refer you to the remarks from FIFA President Blatter from 2 June. FIFA has no further comment.”