Sepp Blatter’s resignation as president of Fifa is good news for world football. But “Blaxit”, as his departure plan has been dubbed, will not alone deliver the overhaul the organisation needs. Fifa is a deeply corrupt body that requires a complete reconstruction of its governance if it is to gain a shred of international respect. Should reform not follow swiftly, the case for abolition will become unanswerable.
For years, those angered by corruption allegations at Fifa have rightly called for Mr Blatter to go. There can be no doubt that bribery has flourished during his 17-year term of office, whatever his personal involvement may have been. But it is important to remember that Fifa’s bad reputation preceded his presidency. Mr Blatter’s predecessor, the Brazilian João de Havelange, was found guilty of taking bribes from a marketing company.
The problem with Fifa lies in its structure. It generates billions of dollars in each four-year World Cup cycle largely by selling television viewing rights. A large chunk of these revenues are paid out to the 209 national football associations, often in the form of cheques handed to individual FA presidents at Fifa congresses.