FIFA, the world’s football governing body, has been embroiled in a spate of controversies over the last four years. However, the latest scandal to hit the high-profile organisation is easily the most devastating one.

It has seen two of its vice presidents amongst seven FIFA officials being arrested by the FBI in Zurich on charges of racketeering, money laundering and receiving kickbacks in marketing deals for tournaments.

Though FIFA has since provisionally suspended them, the scam has snowballed into a major row which has shaken the very foundations of the world’s most popular game.

Know more: Football's top sponsors press FIFA to clean up

The allegations are broad and encompass the larger football universe. While the scope of the investigation is important — since the bribery and corruption charges involving more than $150 million over 21 years are mainly related to tournaments in North and South America — the scandal has come at a time when Swiss authorities are already investigating the awarding of World Cups in 2018 and 2022 to Russia and Qatar.

Moreover, the crisis erupted just two days before the current president Sepp Blatter was due to stand for a fifth term. Mr Blatter, who is not being investigated, was credited with taking the football championship to new lands but the awarding of the World Cups has been hit by bribery claims.

The European football body UEFA, which is considered the strongest amongst FIFA’s six continental federations, has been against another term for Mr Blatter because of the controversies that have plagued FIFA over the last four years.

In view of the latest row, UEFA is demanding a change and is supporting Mr Blatter’s sole challenger and FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan in the elections.

Though Mr Blatter is largely expected to win the elections with the support he enjoys outside Europe, the nasty scandal may well swing the votes of FIFA’s 209 national federations in favour of Prince Ali who has promised reforms.

It is indeed sad that major sports are increasingly getting tainted by off-field controversies.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2015

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