Cameron: FIFA election a farce
Reuters - Monday 13 June 2011, 09:49
LONDON - British Prime Minister David
Cameron described the recent FIFA election as a farce on
Wednesday and said the standing of world football's governing body
had never sunk so low.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter was re-elected for another four
years last week but was the only candidate after Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam pulled out after being investigated by
FIFA into alleged corruption during his campaign.
The Football Association, which had already said it would
abstain in the vote, wanted the election postponed and Cameron
has now made his views clear having been involved in England's
failed 2018 World Cup bid
"Personally, I have seen football governance at an
international level and I wasn't that impressed by what I saw,"
he told parliament.
"FIFA's reputation is now at an all-time low, and obviously
the election with just one candidate was something of a farce
but it has to become more transparent and more accountable.
They've got to prove that they are actually capable of doing the
job that they are meant to.
"But ultimately change has got to come from within football
and I am sure that the FA will want to play a very major role in
helping to bring that about."
The bids to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were mired by
allegations of corruption with two members of FIFA's Executive Committee suspended after accusations they wanted money for
votes.
Russia won the 2018 hosting rights and the 2022 tournament
went to Qatar, which has denied newspapers allegations they
"bought" the World Cup.
Blatter has said that the next World Cup hosts should be
chosen by all 208 member associations of FIFA and not just the
24-man executive committee.