Long-serving FIFA official calls for major changes after corruption scandals

02 September 2015 11:46

FIFA's longest-serving executive committee member has warned that FIFA's reform commission must remove the "infection" of corruption in the scandal-hit world governing body rather than just tinker with the current set-up.

Michel D'Hooghe, the Belgian head of FIFA's medical committee has sat on the executive body since 1988, and said the corruption allegations has tainted everyone involved with the organisation and that it will be "a good thing" if the crisis leads to a major clean-up.

The crisis was sparked by FBI raids on FIFA's hotel in Zurich in May, since when 18 people have been indicted on football-related corruption charges in the USA.

FIFA's reform commission's first meeting is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday this week in Berne, under the chairmanship of Swiss lawyer Francois Carrard, former director of sport at the International Olympic Committee.

D'Hooghe told Press Association Sport: "If this corruption is true then what has happened is perhaps a good thing. I have learned in medicine that if there is a serious infection there is no small medication - you have to cut it out.

"When the first rumours came out all those years ago that Mr X was corrupt, I said 'take care because if one of us is corrupt then we all are (by association)'.

"If it is true that these people were corrupt then we have to be angry with these people because it attacks all our reputations, they have done a lot of bad to all the colleagues in FIFA, that's clear. A lot of things have to be done."

US attorney general Loretta Lynch and her Swiss counterpart Michael Lauber are to hold a news conference in Zurich on September 14 to give updates on their separate investigations into FIFA.

D'Hooghe, however, insisted that the world should not lose sight of the some of the good that FIFA has done for football.

He added: "I am responsible for the medical field and I'm proud of what has been achieved in that field. On the day of the famous moment of the FBI coming in to Zurich I had a medical conference where I received a standing ovation from the doctors."

D'Hooghe also gave his backing to UEFA president Michel Platini in the contest to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in February's election, and said he did not believe Platini's public support for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup would be an issue for the Frenchman.

"I know very well that the challenges that Mr Platini had when he arrived at the UEFA presidency were all fulfilled so I think he did that very well," said D'Hooghe.

"Let's not speak about Qatar, let's speak about the presidential election and if you want to find something against someone you will always find something."

The reform commission made up of two representatives from each of the six FIFA confederations, and proposals are likely to include time limits and ethics checks for officials, and transparency over details such as salaries.

Carrard has also announced there will be a separate independent board overseeing the commission including two representatives of the FIFA sponsors.

Source: PA