09 February 2015
FIFA's Legal Counsel is accused in a report by 'Der Spiegel' of requiring changes to a so-called independent report authored by Professor Mark Pieth
This article from Owen Gibson in The Guardian today makes interesting reading.
Citing a report from Der Spiegel, the article states that FIFA’s Legal Counsel, Marco Villiger, directed Professor Mark Pieth to change “an independent report into FIFA reform in order to cast its president in a better light.”
Der Spiegel says that Villiger saw Pieth’s draft report on governance reforms two months before it was published and “suggested” numerous changes – including deleting any reference to the ISL issue and some references to Blatter himself.
In that April 2014 report, Professor Pieth pointed the finger of blame on the lack of progress on FIFA reforms on UEFA – a not unfamiliar refrain from Blatter and his supporters – and offered that: “The prospects for reform are probably at their greatest if Blatter wins more time.”
Professor Pieth’s version had noted that successful reform depended on “a change of culture at all levels of the organisation, starting at the top.” This is similar sentiment to the statement issued by Michael Garcia in December when he resigned from his role as chairman of the ‘independent’ Ethics Committee of FIFA.
It also raises questions about the summary report of Judge Eckert that led to Garcia’s resignation, and the Garcia report itself – especially in light of Garcia’s claims of “numerous” errors of fact, omissions and alterations to his report.
The revelation from Der Spiegel shows that FIFA is more than willing to intervene in re-writing reports that are supposedly ‘independent’.
Of course, that is no surprise to anyone who’s been exposed to (and who has been the victim of) how FIFA operates – but it’s always good to have the evidence.
It is also why people who care about how football is run, should support the aims of the New FIFA Now campaign. FIFA needs systemic change, not just fiddling around the deck chairs of the President or the Executive Committee.
Take a look at the website; watch the video here; and sign the petition to show your support.