Sponsors Welcome Blatter’s Resignation
Sepp Blatter’s decision to resign from his position as FIFA president, which came just days after the Swiss was re-elected to serve his fifth term, has been welcomed by FIFA sponsors.
Blatter announced his resignation on Tuesday 2nd June claiming that his mandate “did not appear to be supported by everybody” and amid mounting pressure from colleagues, fans and athletes after a week of scandal began to unravel, starting with a series of dawn arrests at a hotel in Zurich, where FIFA officials were arrested.
Among the arrests, 14 senior FIFA officials were charged with corruption and fraud, with the Swiss announcing a criminal investigation into the votes awarding the World Cup tournaments to Russia in 2018 and to Qatar in 2022. Sponsors, including Visa and Coca-Cola, said they were examining their relationship with FIFA, both repeating warnings that they expected a swift overhaul at FIFA.
Visa said that it expected FIFA to “rebuild a culture with strong ethical practices” and added that it was encouraged “by the recognition by FIFA that extensive and fundamental reform is needed as reflected by the announcement that President Blatter is resigning”. This is a significant first step towards rebuilding public trust, but more work lies ahead.”
“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.”
adidas, the provider of the official match ball for every World Cup game since 1970, said on Tuesday, “today’s news marks a step in the right direction on FIFA’s path to establish and follow transparent compliance standards in everything they do.”
adidas’ sentiment was echoed by other sponsors, including McDonalds, who said: “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.”
Coca-Cola stated that Blatter’s announcement is a “positive step for the good of sport, football and its fans.”
Other sponsors, Budweiser, Electronic Arts and Hyundai, also issued statements, with Budweiser commenting yesterday: “We expect today’s announcement to accelerate FIFA’s efforts to resolve internal issues, install positive change and adhere to the highest ethical standards and transparency.”
FIFA’s sponsors provide almost a third of its revenues, with recent figures showing that the governing body generated $5.7bn in 2011-2014, during which time the Brazil World Cup was held, with contributions from sponsors and commercial partners amounting to almost $1.6bn.
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