In October, Blatter revealed his long-awaited plan to reform FIFA with the announcement headlined by the decision to reopen the ISL case. The case revolved around the fallout from the collapse of FIFA’s former marketing partner in 2001 and Blatter had stated that it was his intention to release the case’s full dossier. The BBC’s Panorama programme in November reported that documents relating to a criminal investigation into the ISL collapse are believed to show that senior FIFA officials were paid bribes in return for handing the company lucrative World Cup broadcast and sponsorship rights during the 1990s.
Swiss prosecutors had investigated the collapse, but the case was settled after they stated that two FIFA officials, whose names were not disclosed, paid back 5.5 million Swiss francs (Eur4.4 million). Blatter had planned to publish the file at FIFA’s next Executive Committee meeting in Japan on December 17. This has now been delayed following revelations that “legal measures” have been taken by one of the parties involved. “It was my strong will to make the ISL file fully transparent at this meeting,” said Blatter in a statement.
“I have now been advised that as a result of the objection of a third party to such transparency it will take more time to overcome the respective legal hurdles,” he added. “This does not change my stance at all. I remain fully committed to publishing the files as soon as possible as an important part of my many reform plans for FIFA, which include handling the past as well as preparing the future structure of the organisation.”
In other news, Blatter has maintained that the 2022 World Cup will definitely take place in Qatar despite ongoing calls for last year’s vote to be investigated. He told Spanish sports daily El Mundo Deportivo: “The 2022 World Cup will definitely take place in Qatar and with my full confidence. This has been firmly established by a democratic process.” The FIFA president has also reiterated he has no intention of stepping down from his post before 2015.
He added: “FIFA is a boat that we are piloting through autumn storms and I have to lead it into calm waters again. We have a lot of work to do and my father taught me to never quit. In our family, we carried on until we achieved our goals. By 2013 we can steer back into those calmer waters. Then I will have two years to hoist the sails in order to enjoy the sailing trip and then I can say 'goodbye'.”
