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Fifa

Calls mount for Blatter to cancel election for new president

The English and Scottish football associations have called for the cancellation of Wednesday’s corruption-tainted election to find a new head of the game’s governing body Fifa. English FA chairman David Bernstein said the election should be postponed to allow a credible reform candidate to run against the incumbent Sepp Blatter 

Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann
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Blatter is set to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth term by Fifa’s congress on Wednesday after his rival Mohamed bin Hamman was suspended on Monday pending investigation into corruption allegations.

A statement by the Scottish Football Association said the events of the past two days have made any election unworkable.

“We believe the election should be rescheduled to facilitate a period of consultation to deal with the issues that have arisen in recent weeks…the Scottish FA urges Fifa to reconsider its intentions, and calls on other member associations to consider the long-term implications for the game’s image,” it said.

Bin Hammam and Fifa vice-president Jack Warner were suspended following allegations they offered bribes in the campaign to replace long-serving Fifa chief Blatter. The suspensions came after revelations which claimed several other members of Fifa’s executive committee were involved in corruption during the votes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

But Blatter has remained defiant in the face of the accusations and said the association had some difficulties which would be solved within the Fifa family.

He also rejected calls that the vote for the 2022 World Cup, which was awarded to Qatar, should be held again.

Meanwhile, commercial partners of Fifa said they were disappointed by the recent allegations against the world body saying they had tarnished the image of the beautiful
game.

Coca-Cola, sponsor of the World Cup since 1978, said it found the claims of vote-buying in the build-up to the election for FIFA president "distressing".

Sportswear giant Adidas meanwhile warned that not only Fifa but the whole game was being tainted by the graft allegations which have already led to the suspension of two top executives.

Commercial partnerships and tie-ups have been a key factor in Fifa's financial success, helping the governing body's four-year revenues go above four billion dollars for the first time last year after the World Cup in South Africa.

 

 

 

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