Sponsors of Fifa have welcomed Sepp Blatter’s decision to step down as Fifa president, describing the watershed moment as a “first big step” on the road to reform at the governing body.
Blatter announced his planned resignation in Zurich on Wednesday, following a week of scandal, arrests and alleged corruption at Fifa. He has said that he will officially step down after an extraordinary meeting which will be held between December this year and March 2016.
Fifa sponsors have reacted positively to the news, stating that Blatter’s departure would hopefully be just the beginning of reform after recent and long-standing allegations of corruption. Some sponsors including Visa had previously said they were analysing their relationship with Fifa after 14 indictments were issued against officials and arrests made last week.
Visa said Blatter’s departure was “a significant first step towards rebuilding public trust” while McDonald’s said “the allegations of corruption and questionable ethics within Fifa have overshadowed the game”.
A McDonald’s spokesman said: “Football has the unique ability to bring the world together while positively impacting communities and economies. The allegations of corruption and questionable ethics within Fifa have overshadowed the game and taken away from the sport, players and fans. We’re hopeful that the changes being implemented within Fifa will be a big first step in positively reforming the organisation and gaining back trust from fans worldwide.”
Visa said: “We are encouraged by the recognition by Fifa that extensive and fundamental reform is needed as reflected by the announcement that president Blatter is resigning and that Fifa will be undergoing a ‘profound overhaul’. This is a significant first step towards rebuilding public trust, but more work lies ahead.
“Transparency, integrity and fair play must be the hallmarks of the new administration and Visa stands ready to work with Fifa towards these principles. We repeat, however, that it is our expectation that Fifa will take swift and immediate steps towards addressing the issues within its organisation to quickly rebuild a culture with strong ethical practices that will restore the reputation of the games for fans around the world.
“We look forward to understanding the nature and scope of the intended reforms in the very near future.”
Coca-Cola said Blatter’s departure was a “positive step for the good of sport, football and its fans” while Electronic Arts, the long-standing manufacturer of the Fifa video game series, stated it is “supportive of Fifa’s examination of its organisation and the important steps being taken toward reform”.
Meanwhile, Frank Lowry, chairman of the Football Federation of Australia, described in an open letter the “naivety” of Australia’s bid for the 2022 World Cup, which was awarded to Qatar in 2010.
“I feel that the past week has been a watershed,” said Lowry. “The series of events leading up to last week’s dramatic developments and the overall scandal surrounding Fifa left Australia with no option but to vote for change.
“On a personal level, since 2 December 2010 when Australia received just one vote in its World Cup bid, I have nursed a bitter grievance. We ran a clean bid. I know that others did not, and I have shared what I know with the authorities, including Michael Garcia who undertook a two-year investigation into the 2022 World Cup bid.
“But did we make mistakes? Yes. Were we naïve? In some cases, yes. Would we do things differently in future? Absolutely.”
