FIFA’s sponsors urged to demand change

Associated Press

LONDON

FIFA’s sponsorship paymasters are facing mounting calls to put pressure on soccer’s global governing body to clean up its act – and fast – after Wednesday’s arrest of seven officials.

Companies such as Coca-Cola, Visa and Adidas have in recent months shown a growing willingness to voice their concerns publicly about FIFA’s string of scandals, which have spanned from past allegations of corruption to the abuse of laborers building World Cup venues in Qatar.

Wednesday’s developments, which also have seen Swiss prosecutors open criminal proceedings into FIFA’s awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar, should prompt them to demand change, according to a leading official at a global nongovernmental organization.

“If you are putting many, many millions of euros into a business, then you definitely have a right and responsibility to demand that you are not tainted,” said Cobus de Swardt, the managing director of campaigning group Transparency International.

De Swardt said Wednesday’s developments should act as a “wake-up call” for everyone involved with FIFA, including the companies themselves, to push for big changes to the governing body’s structures and practices. To start with, he said Friday’s FIFA presidential election should be postponed and the current leader, Sepp Blatter, should be urged not to run again.

“FIFA needs a new start,” said de Swardt. “These scandals have taken place under Sepp Blatter’s watch.”

The range of companies involved more or less directly with FIFA and the soccer world is large.

FIFA’s partners, which are companies that support the soccer body through long-term contracts, include Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa, Gazprom and Hyundai/KIA Motors. They have the right to use official FIFA trademarks in their advertising campaigns, exposure in and around stadiums and protection against ambush marketing.

There are second-tier sponsors, too, such as Budweiser and McDonald’s, which pay to be involved during and around the World Cup tournaments themselves.

Beyond those corporations, there are companies that make deals with national soccer associations. Nike, for example, pays to have the Brazilian national team wear its shirts.