Posted on 2nd June 2015
FIFA are being urged to refund tickets for the World Cup as many fans still wait on hundreds of dollars back for their returned tickets.
UEFA urged to “consider all options” on FIFA corruption
This is a story from the FSF archive – the FSF and SD merged to become the FSA in 2019.
Following on from the arrests of seven FIFA officials in Switzerland on corruption charges last week, Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has called on UEFA to act. FSE is a Europe-wide network of supporter groups, of which the FSF is a member and FSF chief executive Kevin Miles sits on its committee.
Today, FSE is calling on UEFA to “consider all options” – including boycott of FIFA tournaments – at their forthcoming meeting in Berlin. Below is their statement in full:
“Members of Football Supporters Europe have been appalled, if not entirely surprised, at the arrests of leading FIFA officials on charges of corruption and bribery this week.
“We believe that these latest revelations are symptomatic of deep-seated and systemic failures of governance within FIFA, an organisation that has lacked any transparency, accountability or genuine democratic processes under the ‘leadership’ of Sepp Blatter.
“We note the refusal of Sepp Blatter to accept any responsibility for the scandals occurring during his presidency, and his brazen business-as-usual candidacy for a fifth term of office. This is unacceptable, and we call upon him once again to resign immediately.
“We welcome the statements by Michel Platini that Blatter should go, and support the suggestion that UEFA will consider all options at their forthcoming meeting in Berlin. We agree with them that this situation cannot be allowed to continue, and urge them to take decisive action, including a boycott of FIFA’s structures and tournaments, in order to finally force radical change in the organisation and practices of world football.
“The only way for FIFA to regain any credibility will have to incorporate the most radical and rapid changes it has ever seen in its 111 years of history. FIFA must adopt credible procedures and policies of transparency and accountability that will withstand the most searching examination, and include the structured involvement of all stakeholders.
“And FIFA, under the current leadership of Sepp Blatter and his associates throughout their time in office, has proven that it is unable to achieve that, to regulate from within and to implement any such desperately needed reforms. Instead FIFA is shaken by one major scandal after the other.
“What we finally need is a fresh start in world football and people who truly care about it and are courageous enough to do what is needed for this. Now is the time.”
