Sponsors Express Concern Over Fifa

Coca-Cola has joined Adidas in the list of FIFA sponsors to express concerns over allegations of corruption around world football’s governing body – which looks set to have FIFA president Sepp Blatter re-elected unopposed this week, following the withdrawal of his only rival, Mohammed Bin Hammam.

Bin Hammam, president of the Asian Football Confederation, pulled out of the presidential race after being suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee over allegations that financial incentives were offered to Caribbean Football Union members.

FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has also been suspended following similar claims from fellow Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer – and has since revealed an email in which FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke suggested Bin Hammam had ‘bought’ the 2022 World Cup finals for Qatar.

Valcke has since played down the comments, claiming he was referring to the country using its strong financial wealth to lobby support legitimately.

A Coca-Cola spokesperson said: ‘The current allegations being raised are distressing and bad for the sport. We have every expectation that FIFA will resolve this situation in an expedient and thorough manner’.

Fellow sponsors Visa and Emirates are reportedly keeping a distance from the row.

An Adidas spokesman had earlier added: ‘Adidas enjoys a long-term, close and successful partnership with FIFA that we are looking forward to continuing. Adidas will be an official sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil’.

‘Having said that, the negative tenor of the public debate around FIFA at the moment is neither good for football nor for FIFA and its partners’.

During Monday’s press conference Blatter reacted unfavorably to suggestions from the UK government that Wednesday’s presidential election should be postponed.

The 75 year-old added: ‘If governments try to intervene then something is wrong, I think FIFA is strong enough that we can deal with our problems inside FIFA’.