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| FIFA Sets Election and an Overhaul Vote for February | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| FIFA announced Monday that it would select a replacement for its embattled president, Sepp Blatter, in a special election Feb. 26 and that it had initiated a series of changes to try to restore its image after the worst corruption scandal in its history. | FIFA announced Monday that it would select a replacement for its embattled president, Sepp Blatter, in a special election Feb. 26 and that it had initiated a series of changes to try to restore its image after the worst corruption scandal in its history. |
| The announcements did little to dispel the notion that Mr. Blatter, who announced June 2 that he would resign, still wielded considerable influence in FIFA, world soccer’s governing body. Mr. Blatter announced the new policies himself, speaking alone at a news conference after a meeting of FIFA’s governing executive committee in Zurich. And the delay of the presidential election until 2016, which he had sought, will allow him to serve as president — a position he has held since 1998 — for an additional seven months. | The announcements did little to dispel the notion that Mr. Blatter, who announced June 2 that he would resign, still wielded considerable influence in FIFA, world soccer’s governing body. Mr. Blatter announced the new policies himself, speaking alone at a news conference after a meeting of FIFA’s governing executive committee in Zurich. And the delay of the presidential election until 2016, which he had sought, will allow him to serve as president — a position he has held since 1998 — for an additional seven months. |
| “I am still the president,” Mr. Blatter said. “My mission is to make sure that at the end of February, when I come to the end of my career, that FIFA will have started again these reforms and to rebuild the reputation of FIFA. This is important to me.” | “I am still the president,” Mr. Blatter said. “My mission is to make sure that at the end of February, when I come to the end of my career, that FIFA will have started again these reforms and to rebuild the reputation of FIFA. This is important to me.” |
| Among the changes underway, Mr. Blatter said, were the creation of a task force led by a “neutral” chairman to study potential ethics reforms and enhanced integrity checks for executive committee members. But critics noted that the neutral chairman would be selected “in consultation” with the presidents of FIFA’s six regional confederations and that Mr. Blatter had revealed that the integrity checks would be conducted by FIFA’s own ethics committee. | Among the changes underway, Mr. Blatter said, were the creation of a task force led by a “neutral” chairman to study potential ethics reforms and enhanced integrity checks for executive committee members. But critics noted that the neutral chairman would be selected “in consultation” with the presidents of FIFA’s six regional confederations and that Mr. Blatter had revealed that the integrity checks would be conducted by FIFA’s own ethics committee. |
| Many of the changes suggested Monday — which also include more transparency on executive salaries and term limits for top officials — still need to be approved by FIFA’s member associations at the February congress to elect Mr. Blatter’s successor. In the past, that process has served to thwart ethics overhauls. | Many of the changes suggested Monday — which also include more transparency on executive salaries and term limits for top officials — still need to be approved by FIFA’s member associations at the February congress to elect Mr. Blatter’s successor. In the past, that process has served to thwart ethics overhauls. |
| “There was nothing new today,” said Alexandra Wrage, a governance consultant who once unsuccessfully tried to help overhaul FIFA’s methods. “FIFA is repackaging old ideas that they rejected or watered down previously, and they’re asking us to believe they’re behind them this time. Perhaps they are, but it will take more than another grand announcement to dupe the public again.” | “There was nothing new today,” said Alexandra Wrage, a governance consultant who once unsuccessfully tried to help overhaul FIFA’s methods. “FIFA is repackaging old ideas that they rejected or watered down previously, and they’re asking us to believe they’re behind them this time. Perhaps they are, but it will take more than another grand announcement to dupe the public again.” |
| While displaying his influence, Mr. Blatter did try to tamp down speculation that he would seek to find a way to maintain his position. | While displaying his influence, Mr. Blatter did try to tamp down speculation that he would seek to find a way to maintain his position. |
| “I will not be a candidate for the election in 2016,” he said. “There will be a new president.” | “I will not be a candidate for the election in 2016,” he said. “There will be a new president.” |
| Mr. Blatter’s opponents had pushed for an earlier election — Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, who lost to Mr. Blatter in the presidential election held in May, told The Associated Press on Monday that Mr. Blatter “must leave now” — but Mr. Blatter’s desire for a later date won out. | Mr. Blatter’s opponents had pushed for an earlier election — Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, who lost to Mr. Blatter in the presidential election held in May, told The Associated Press on Monday that Mr. Blatter “must leave now” — but Mr. Blatter’s desire for a later date won out. |
| The delay was a victory for Mr. Blatter, who had stayed out of public view since announcing that he would quit as president but seemed to revel in the attention he received during a 40-minute news conference at FIFA headquarters Monday. With humor and his customary folksy manner, Mr. Blatter dismissed unwelcome questions — and at one point an interloper who showered him with dollar bills — but also joked with reporters and used homey soccer analogies to make his points. | The delay was a victory for Mr. Blatter, who had stayed out of public view since announcing that he would quit as president but seemed to revel in the attention he received during a 40-minute news conference at FIFA headquarters Monday. With humor and his customary folksy manner, Mr. Blatter dismissed unwelcome questions — and at one point an interloper who showered him with dollar bills — but also joked with reporters and used homey soccer analogies to make his points. |
| It is unclear how successful the changes will be; Mr. Blatter refused to answer two direct questions about his salary Monday, and he brushed off another question about the sincerity of a push for term limits from a man who has held one of the two top jobs in FIFA since 1981. | It is unclear how successful the changes will be; Mr. Blatter refused to answer two direct questions about his salary Monday, and he brushed off another question about the sincerity of a push for term limits from a man who has held one of the two top jobs in FIFA since 1981. |
| Even Mr. Blatter acknowledged that a reform initiative undertaken in 2011, after a previous corruption scandal, had not changed the culture of FIFA. But he deflected personal responsibility for any of the scandals that had taken place during his tenure. | Even Mr. Blatter acknowledged that a reform initiative undertaken in 2011, after a previous corruption scandal, had not changed the culture of FIFA. But he deflected personal responsibility for any of the scandals that had taken place during his tenure. |
| “I cannot be declared responsible for the moral comportment of members I have not elected and have no power to elect,” he said. | “I cannot be declared responsible for the moral comportment of members I have not elected and have no power to elect,” he said. |
| Now that a date for the election has been set, the field of candidates will begin to take shape. Prince Ali, in his statement Monday, offered no indication whether he would run again; he lost his seat on the executive committee in June but remains president of Jordan’s soccer association. | Now that a date for the election has been set, the field of candidates will begin to take shape. Prince Ali, in his statement Monday, offered no indication whether he would run again; he lost his seat on the executive committee in June but remains president of Jordan’s soccer association. |
| The leading contender could be Michel Platini of France, the longtime head of Europe’s soccer association, UEFA. Mr. Platini’s experience on the executive committee, his résumé as a player and his connections in world soccer would seem to give him an edge. But despite appeals, Mr. Platini, 60, has not expressed an interest in running for the job, and his ties to Qatar — and its controversial bid to host the 2022 World Cup — could put off supporters eager for reform inside FIFA. | The leading contender could be Michel Platini of France, the longtime head of Europe’s soccer association, UEFA. Mr. Platini’s experience on the executive committee, his résumé as a player and his connections in world soccer would seem to give him an edge. But despite appeals, Mr. Platini, 60, has not expressed an interest in running for the job, and his ties to Qatar — and its controversial bid to host the 2022 World Cup — could put off supporters eager for reform inside FIFA. |
| Candidates have until Oct. 26 to be nominated. The new president will be elected in a vote of FIFA’s 209 member associations, the same federations that re-elected Mr. Blatter less than two months ago. | Candidates have until Oct. 26 to be nominated. The new president will be elected in a vote of FIFA’s 209 member associations, the same federations that re-elected Mr. Blatter less than two months ago. |
| The executive committee meeting Monday represented the highest-profile gathering of the sport’s top officials since Mr. Blatter, who has led the organization for 17 years, said that he would resign as law enforcement officials in the United States confirmed that he was a focus of a federal corruption investigation. | The executive committee meeting Monday represented the highest-profile gathering of the sport’s top officials since Mr. Blatter, who has led the organization for 17 years, said that he would resign as law enforcement officials in the United States confirmed that he was a focus of a federal corruption investigation. |
| In May, the Swiss authorities arrested seven FIFA officials at a five-star hotel in Zurich in response to a sweeping corruption investigation by American authorities. The Justice Department indicted 14 current and former soccer officials and marketing executives, but not Mr. Blatter, contending that the officials and executives had corrupted the sport with murky deals and $150 million in bribes. Mr. Blatter has not been charged with a crime, but law enforcement officials have said that he remains a target of the investigation. | In May, the Swiss authorities arrested seven FIFA officials at a five-star hotel in Zurich in response to a sweeping corruption investigation by American authorities. The Justice Department indicted 14 current and former soccer officials and marketing executives, but not Mr. Blatter, contending that the officials and executives had corrupted the sport with murky deals and $150 million in bribes. Mr. Blatter has not been charged with a crime, but law enforcement officials have said that he remains a target of the investigation. |
| FIFA officials had sought to present the meeting as a seminal moment showing that the organization was willing to shake up a culture that investigators say is mired in corruption and cronyism. But the low regard for FIFA was on display again when a British comedian, Simon Brodkin, interrupted the start of Mr. Blatter’s news conference to shower him with money. | FIFA officials had sought to present the meeting as a seminal moment showing that the organization was willing to shake up a culture that investigators say is mired in corruption and cronyism. But the low regard for FIFA was on display again when a British comedian, Simon Brodkin, interrupted the start of Mr. Blatter’s news conference to shower him with money. |
| It remains to be seen whether the organization’s proposals will be enough to mollify critics. | It remains to be seen whether the organization’s proposals will be enough to mollify critics. |
| Coca-Cola, a major FIFA sponsor, has called for an independent commission overseen by an impartial leader to supervise the changes, and Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, has been mentioned as a possible candidate. (A spokesman for Mr. Annan told the BBC on Monday that he was not interested in the post.) | Coca-Cola, a major FIFA sponsor, has called for an independent commission overseen by an impartial leader to supervise the changes, and Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, has been mentioned as a possible candidate. (A spokesman for Mr. Annan told the BBC on Monday that he was not interested in the post.) |
| McDonald’s, which has sponsored the World Cup for more than two decades, demanded Friday that FIFA make “meaningful changes.” | McDonald’s, which has sponsored the World Cup for more than two decades, demanded Friday that FIFA make “meaningful changes.” |
| “We are not satisfied with FIFA’s current handling of the recent incidents,” the company said. | “We are not satisfied with FIFA’s current handling of the recent incidents,” the company said. |
| The arrests have reshaped FIFA’s executive committee. The former FIFA vice president Jeffrey Webb lost his seat on the committee when he was dismissed as the president of Concacaf, the regional confederation governing North and Central America and the Caribbean, a day after his indictment. At Mr. Webb’s plea hearing Saturday, a judge barred him from associating with international soccer officials. | The arrests have reshaped FIFA’s executive committee. The former FIFA vice president Jeffrey Webb lost his seat on the committee when he was dismissed as the president of Concacaf, the regional confederation governing North and Central America and the Caribbean, a day after his indictment. At Mr. Webb’s plea hearing Saturday, a judge barred him from associating with international soccer officials. |
| Another of the men arrested in the hotel raid, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, was set to join the executive committee at the FIFA Congress in May, but he instead remains in a Swiss prison on corruption charges. And last week, the president of Brazil’s soccer federation, Marco Polo Del Nero, announced that he would not attend the meeting in Zurich and instead remain in Brazil to deal with what the news media reported were “local matters.” | Another of the men arrested in the hotel raid, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, was set to join the executive committee at the FIFA Congress in May, but he instead remains in a Swiss prison on corruption charges. And last week, the president of Brazil’s soccer federation, Marco Polo Del Nero, announced that he would not attend the meeting in Zurich and instead remain in Brazil to deal with what the news media reported were “local matters.” |
| Mr. Del Nero replaced José Maria Marin as president of Brazil’s federation; Mr. Marin, too, has been in jail in Switzerland since May. | Mr. Del Nero replaced José Maria Marin as president of Brazil’s federation; Mr. Marin, too, has been in jail in Switzerland since May. |