- ChangeFIFA
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ChangeFIFA Motto "Give Football to the people" Formation June 2010 Region served Worldwide Leader David Larkin, Oliver Fowler Website http://changefifa.org/ ChangeFIFA is a campaign organisation, established in 2010 with the stated aim of making FIFA, the ruling body of world soccer, more "fair and accountable".[1]
Contents
Creation
The organisation was created in June 2010 by English fan Oliver Fowler, a self-described "freelancer" and "football businessman".[2] It claims to be a strictly self-funded campaign. ChangeFIFA is currently run by Fowler and David Larkin, an American attorney based in Washington, DC.[3]
Objectives
Oliver Fowler has outlined ChangeFIFA's objectives many times, in various articles.[4] The organisation's stated objectives are to to make FIFA "an organisation with a President and board voted in by the people who play, watch and love the game",[1] and in more detail:
- To allow all football fans to be members of FIFA
- To give these fans, as FIFA members, the right to vote for the seat of FIFA president, and
- To allow any FIFA member to be a FIFA presidential candidate
Action plan
ChangeFIFA's stated plan for reform is as follows:
- An independent commission will lead an inquiry into FIFA, to ensure all FIFA proceedings become "transparent and open to the public".
- On "major decisions affecting the international game", particularly the award of the hosting of the World Cup to member associations (a decision currently being made by the 24-man FIFA executive committee), all 208 FIFA member football associations would be voting.
- Every decision, vote and action taken on international football would be openly communicated to the public.
- Membership in the FIFA executive committee will be limited to fixed terms, and the president will not to serve more than two terms of office, overall.
- FIFA's finances are to be published in detail, including all sources of funding and the salary packages of all its staff.[1]
Methods
ChangeFIFA is strictly a pressure group. Its aims, per the organisation's charter, are to be achieved through lobbying and, if possible, negotiations with the world soccer's ruling body itself.[1] They work through petition applications, lobbying, appearances in the media, and social networking.[5]
Support
Joining forces with Change FIFA, Damian Collins, Conservative Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe and member of the House of Commons' Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has called for Sepp Blatter's re‑election as FIFA president to be suspended and a "reform agenda" to be introduced at football's ruling organisation.[6] The British MP called on "members of parliaments and national assemblies" around the world to help reform FIFA by applying political pressure on the organisation.[6]
The agenda calls for an independent commission to lead an inquiry into FIFA and then ensure that the organisation's proceedings become transparent and open to the public; that all FIFA member-associations be allowed to vote on "major decisions" (instead of these decisions being made by FIFA's 24-person Executive Committee); that all FIFA decisions, votes and actions be open to the public; and that FIFA's finances, in detail, become public.[6] The agenda also calls for the FIFA president not to serve more than two terms of office.
Same aims
Major corporate sponsors of FIFA and the World Cup competition, such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Visa, have publicly called for "change in FIFA".[7]
In the wake of many fans' dissatisfaction at how the world football's ruling body is being run,[8] other challenges to the authority of the current FIFA leadership have sprung, such as the campaign staged by 37-year-old American journalist Grant Wahl.[9]
FIFA presidential elections
On 29 March 2011, ChangeFIFA endorsed former Chilean defender and for 3 years running South American Footballer of the Year Elias Figueroa[10] for the FIFA presidency in the 2011 elections and urged FIFA's member-associations to back Figueroa, who needed to be nominated by a national football federation. However, on 31 March 2011, Figueroa announced he had decided not to accept his nomination as candidate, because "in such a short period of time I could not develop a case worthy of the magnitude and importance of such a distinguished job".[11]
Eventually, in the 2011 elections, incumbent Joseph "Sepp" Platter, who has been FIFA president for 13 years, won a mandate for another 4-year term,[12] by a margin of 172 votes to 17, with 17 abstaining.[13]
There were renewed calls by many prominent footballers as well as by organisations, such as anti-racism group Kick It Out and the Professional Footballers' Association, for a change in FIFA's leadership in November 2011, following president Blatter's remarks about racism on the football field.[14] Sepp Blatter responded that his statements on the subject were "misunderstood."[14]
Criticism
Because England lost its bid to host the 2018 World Cup, some people, including FIFA president Sepp Blatter who characterized the English as "bad losers",[15] have hinted that England's football authorities have engaged in a campaign to "take over" FIFA something the English FA has categorically denied.[16]
ChangeFIFA points out, in response, that it was created before England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup was rejected during FIFA's selection process, a process that began in 2009 and turned out to be highly controversial.
References
- ^ a b c d ChangeFIFA's website
- ^ Oliver Fowler's self-profile at SabotageTimes.com
- ^ "ChangeFIFA Calls for the Appointment of an Independent Commission to Address Corruption Allegations", World Football Insider, 12 May 2011
- ^ "World Cup 2018 and 2022 voting farce shows why Fifa must become more democratic and transparent" Goal.com, 9 December 2010
- ^ ChangeFIFA on Facebook
- ^ a b c "ChangeFifa calls for governments to back its agenda for reform" The Guardian, 30 May 2011
- ^ "McDonald's joins Coca-Cola and Visa in calling for Fifa change" The Daily Telegraph, 2 June 2011
- ^ "World Cup voting spurs demand for a more democratic FIFA" by Andrew Tuft, A Different League, 7 December 2010
- ^ "Wahl: 'It's time to change FIFA culture'" Al Jazeera, 28 March 2011
- ^ "ChangeFIFA Urges Federations to Back South American Legend's Challenge to Blatter Presidency" World Football Insider, 29 March 2011
- ^ "Battle for FIFA Presidency is Between Blatter and Bin Hammam" World Football Insider, 31 March 2011
- ^ Article 30.2 of FIFA statutes
- ^ "Blatter re-elected as FIFA president" ESPN, 1 June 2011
- ^ a b "Rio Ferdinand 'astonished' by Sepp Blatter comments on racism", BBC News, 16 November 2011
- ^ "Fifa president Sepp Blatter brands England "bad losers" after reaction to failed 2018 World Cup bid" Goal.com, 8 December 2010
- ^ "English FA say they cannot change FIFA alone" France24, 15 May 2011
External links
- ChangeFIFA official website
- FIFA official website
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