A report released Tuesday by the British parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport committee urged FIFA to reopen the investigation it abandoned last month when Jack Warner — one of those accused of corruption — resigned as vice president.
With FIFA having halted its inquiry without finding anyone guilty of wrongdoing, the government group wants FIFA to instigate reform along the lines of that undertaken by the International Olympic Committee in the wake of the bribery scandal over Salt Lake City’s bid for the 2002 Winter Games.
“The committee was appalled by the allegations of corruption made against members of the FIFA executive committee during the course of its inquiry,” the report said. “They are sufficiently serious for FIFA to commission a full, urgent and independent investigation, and for the outcome to be made public.
“Instead, FIFA has given every impression of wishing to sweep all allegations of misconduct under the carpet and of dismissing anyone bringing allegations to them with an approach bordering on contempt.” The committee held a special hearing into the situation after England’s Football Association responded to its expensive failure to win the right to host the 2018 World Cup by leveling accusations of bribery and calling for more transparency in the bid process.
The FA was left mostly isolated within world football for making the allegations.
“The committee’s decision to hold a special hearing on FIFA and England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup has been amply justified by the revelations that followed from it,” committee chairman John Whittingdale said. “These have shown beyond doubt that FIFA’s Governance and its process for awarding competitions is in need of fundamental reform.
“Yet the re-election of Sepp Blatter and the decision to drop the FIFA ethics committee investigation following Jack Warner’s resignation suggest nothing has changed.” The committee called for Blatter to overhaul FIFA in accordance with the pledge he made after winning an ultimately uncontested presidential election.
“We urge FIFA to conduct a thorough review of its governance of bidding processes, incorporating independent input to address systemic reform as well as the conduct of individuals, taking heed of the example set by the International Olympic Committee,” the report said. “The record of Sepp Blatter to date does not inspire confidence that this will occur.
“We look to him now to fulfill the undertakings that he gave at the time of his re-election.” The report also criticized the FA and recommended that the British government actively scrutinize any future bids to assess their chances of success.
England’s failed bid to host the 2018 World Cup cost the FA 15 million pounds ($24.1 million), with local government contributing another 2.1 million pounds ($3.4 million).
England took just two votes and Russia won the hosting rights.
