New FIFA now campaign launched at Brussels ‘summit’
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
A campaign to clean up FIFA and make the world governing body of association football more transparent and accountable has been launched, on 21 January, 2015, at a so-called ‘Summit’ organised and held at the European Parliament in Brussels, by a coalition of stakeholders in football and led by some leading UK MPs and European MEPs.
This initiative follows a growing and widespread unrest in the world of football about the way that FIFA is governed and also the dramatic resignation of the New York Attorney, Michael Garcia, from the FIFA Ethics Committee on 17 December, 2014, following the rejection of his appeal to the FIFA Appeal Committee against a number of inaccuracies in and omissions from the Summary of his 430-page Report, which was published on 13 November, 2014, on the bidding and awarding of the FIFA World Cups in 2018 and 2022. See GSLTR Post of 14 November, 2014 on ‘FIFA World Cup Inquiry Findings’ by Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw.
The ‘Summit’ issued a ten-point plan for change and launched a Charter for FIFA Reform:
“People tore down the Berlin Wall and it is time for us to do the same and build a new FIFA!”
A bold rallying cry and ambitious initiative and one that, in the view of many commentators and football fans, deserves to succeed for the good of ‘the beautiful game’.
But we will see what actually happens in the next few months, especially before the FIFA Congress in Zurich on 29 May, 2015, when Sepp Blatter will stand for a fifth term as FIFA President.
For more information on this campaign to reclaim football, log onto the official website of the campaign at ‘www.newfifanow.org’.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw is an International Sports Lawyer, Academic and Author and may be contacted by e-mail at ‘This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ’
