29 April 2015

There is enormous appetite for reform in FIFA according to a Global Fans Survey conducted online by #NewFIFANow which has found that a massive 97% of respondents have lost confidence in the administration and governance of the governing body of the game.

An independent international inquiry into FIFA is supported by 69% of the 11,420 respondents from around the world, while a further 60% would like to see a FIFA Reform Commission established.

Other ways of improving FIFA include calling on sponsors and broadcasters to take action (55%), a new FIFA President (46%) and the establishment of a breakaway organisation (36%). 

Not one respondent agreed with the option of giving incumbent President Sepp Blatter another four years to get it right, although 85% believe he will be returned by the 209 football associations around the world who vote in the quadrennial Presidential election at the end of May.

Blatter faces opposition from three candidates for the top job – HRH Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, Dutch businessman and President of Ajax FC Michael van Praag and former star player from Portugal, Luis Figo.

Half the respondents to the survey said they would prefer Figo as President, with 33% opting for van Praag and 16% for Prince Ali. Only 46 people (0.4%) said they would like to see Blatter re-elected.

But it’s not just Blatter with whom world fans are unhappy.

More than half (57%) said that all members of the FIFA Executive Committee need to go, with 36% agreeing with the view that ‘some of them are ok, but most are not’. Not one respondent agreed that the Executive Committee does a good job.

Survey respondents believe that there was a likelihood of corruption involved in both the Russian (87%) and Qatar (97%) bids.

“This is a devastating set of numbers,” says British MP, Damian Collins.

“If FIFA was an organisation where its true stakeholders had a say, there is no doubt that we would see a new President, and action taken to overturn the existing Executive Committee.

“This sends a very clear message to football associations around the world about what fans want,” Mr Collins said.

The survey respondents also said that the top two issues in world football are:

·      corruption allegations – 62%

·      governance and management – 58%.

“I would urge all football fans and other stakeholders concerned about the future of the game to contact their national FA via email or social media to let them know who they would like them to support in the FIFA Presidential election,” Mr Collins said.

“No single football association owns the game, just as FIFA doesn’t, so it’s only appropriate that fans make their views known.”

Mr Collins also said that work is progressing on bringing parties together with a view to another meeting of the campaign coalition later in the year.

ENDS