FIFA Election Must Be Postponed, Says UEFA
May 28, 2015
By Christian Radnedge
European football’s governing body UEFA has insisted that the upcoming FIFA congress and presidential election are both postponed due to the current crisis in Zurich.
Swiss police, medicine acting in conjunction with the US department of Justice, buy made several arrests in the city on Wednesday as part of a corruption investigation that has charged 14 people including senior officials at FIFA.
Jeffrey Webb, generic president of CONCACAF, was confirmed as one of those arrested, while predecessor Jack Warner was also sought for questioning. Reports say that the Trinidad and Tobago police issued a warrant for his arrest and he has now handed himself in.
After an emergency meeting of the executive committee in Warsaw, UEFA warned of this week’s proceedings turning FIFA’s congress into a “farce”.
The statement said:
“Today’s events are a disaster for FIFA and tarnish the image of football as a whole.
UEFA is deeply shocked and saddened by them.
“These events show, once again, that corruption is deeply rooted in FIFA’s culture.
“There is a need for the whole of FIFA to be “rebooted” and for a real reform to be carried out.
“The upcoming FIFA Congress risks to turn into a farce and therefore the European associations will have to consider carefully if they should even attend this Congress and caution a system, which, if it is not stopped, will ultimately kill football.
“The UEFA member associations are meeting tomorrow ahead of the FIFA Congress. At that point, the European associations will decide on what further steps need to be taken to protect the game of football.
“In the meantime, the members of the UEFA Executive Committee are convinced that there is a strong need for a change to the leadership of this FIFA and strongly believe that the FIFA Congress should be postponed, with new FIFA presidential elections to be organised within the next 6 months.”
The UEFA exco is reportedly meeting today to discuss whether to boycott the FIFA congress.
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