New report from Transparency International calls for innovative reforms in FIFA

Transparency International has published a number of concrete recommendations for how FIFA can build integrity after the recent corruption scandals. The recommendations include the creation of a multi-stakeholder group, an independent investigation of the past and a zero tolerance policy of bribery.

FIFA must bring integrity back to football and send a signal from the very top of the organisation to all involved in football that a zero tolerance of corruption exists throughout the entire sport.

That is the message in the new report ‘Safe hands – building integrity and transparency at FIFA, published Tuesday ’, in which the global anti-corruption group Transparency International calls for fundamental reforms of FIFA and recommends a number of concrete steps towards a more trustworthy and accountable FIFA.

Because of FIFA's special status as “non-profit organisation and a global company with huge revenues, unprecedented reach, political clout and enormous worldwide social influence” as well as its many different type of stakeholders, a new and innovative type of reforms is needed in order to bring back the trust in the sport, Transparency International says in the report.

The recommendations are a direct response to the recent scandals in FIFA culminating in the bribery allegations around the FIFA presidential election in June. Since then, FIFA has promised change, but Transparency International doubts that FIFA and its 208 member federations with football’s lack of mandatory accountability to the outside world can guarantee the needed reforms on their own.

“FIFA says it wants to reform, but successive bribery scandals have left public trust in it at an all-time low. Working with an oversight group – taking its advice, giving it access, letting it participate in investigations – will show whether there is going to be real change. The process has to start now,” said Sylvia Schenk, senior advisor on sport to Transparency International and author of the report in a press release.

Multi-stakeholder group
A cornerstone in the recommendations is the creation of a multi-stakeholder group made up by FIFA’s stakeholders – from the national and continental federations to clubs, sponsors, governments, and civil society. The multi-stakeholder group should work with FIFA to develop strong anti-bribery and anti-corruption measures. Transparency International is offering to assist in establishing and facilitating the group.

Secondly, Transparency International recommends that FIFA asks for a fully independent investigation to clear up the corruption allegations from the past.

At the same time, FIFA has to introduce more transparency and accountability into its decision-making processes and operations.

“Although accounting and reporting standards have been implemented in the past years, thus increasing transparency in administration, the officials leading world football still give the impression of operating as an “old boy’s network”. With only three presidents since 1961 and the current president in his fourth term, FIFA does not match standards for rotation of top positions set by businesses or by other large organisations,” Transparency International writes in the paper recommending shorter terms at the top of the organisation.

According to Transparency International, FIFA should also develop a programme that clearly articulates values, policies and procedures for preventing the occurrence of bribery in all activities under its effective control. That includes a review of its code of ethics.

“This code of conduct or code of ethics must form the set of principles and policies that all those within the organisation are obliged to sign up to. With this code, FIFA should make a statement that it intends to embody high standards of integrity and enforce a zero-tolerance approach to bribery of any nature."

"The code should be clear, detailed and unambiguous, closing all potential loopholes, exclusions and possibilities of misinterpretations, supported by internal controls and means for enforcing it,” Transparency International recommends.

In that respect, FIFA should pay particular attention to ‘high-risk areas’ like the awarding of World Cup hosting rights, TV and sponsorship contracts and financial support for confederations and member federations where bribery is more likely.

Potentially an excellent tool
According to Play the Game the proposals from Transparency International could be very efficient in the process of reforming FIFA.

”If FIFA takes it seriously, the proposal from Transparency International can become an excellent tool in the necessary reform process. Its recommendations are specific and concrete, but they still leave room for FIFA’s internal forces to play a role in shaping the future, thus respecting the balance between the demands of the outside world and the autonomy of sport,” says the International Director of Play the Game, Jens Sejer Andersen.

“In a profound and well-considered manner, the document covers the most vital aspects that also Play the Game has highlighed: The need for independent scrutiny into the corruption cases of the past 10-15 years, the need for external stakeholder involvement into the reform process, and the need for an overhaul of the whole political structure of FIFA. It gives FIFA a great chance to take the debate further and develop a more open and trustworthy football community, and FIFA has little alternative than to take that chance.”

Open discussions with FIFA
In an interview with AP, Schenk told that Transparency International has been in open dicussions with FIFA and Sepp Blatter and that FIFA has opened thier books to the anti-corruption group who expects this co-operation to continue.

"They [FIFA] have been open to us for more than four weeks so I would be very astonished if they shut the doors on us now," Schenk said to AP.

In a press release, FIFA ankncowledges the recommendations from Transparency International and assures that appropriate meassures have already been taken.

"While FIFA acknowledges that work remains to be done, it is convinced that the measures which have been implemented and the direction which has been taken will help to further strengthen FIFA’s governance in cooperation with the FIFA Executive Committee, the member associations, the confederations and other FIFA stakeholders," FIFA states.