Former International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound criticises FIFA

Former International Olympic Committee vice president Dick Pound has called on FIFA to get its own house in order after US and Swiss authorities launched two separate investigations into football's world governing body.

Pound led the reform of the IOC following the corruption scandal involving the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games.

In all, 10 members of the IOC were expelled and another 10 were sanctioned over accepting high-value 'gifts' from the Salt Lake Olympic Committee ahead of the Games, although nothing illegal had taken place.

High-profile Republican politician Mitt Romney was brought in by the SLOC to overhaul its processes and the Utah capital was allowed to go ahead with the prestigious event as planned.

Pound, also a former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, insisted the corruption allegations surrounding FIFA were far worse than those involving the IOC when he was involved.

He told Sky Sports News HQ: "It's really the first time we've seen allegations and charges laid, alleging criminal activity, laundering, corruption, bribery. This is a significant difference from behaviour on the part of some IOC members back in Salt Lake City.

"It's not going to get better until FIFA acknowledge there's a problem and they have to do something about it.

It's not going to get better until FIFA acknowledge there's a problem and they have to do something about it

"I've always compared these things to somebody who is an alcoholic, the alcoholic cannot be helped until he or she acknowledges there is a problem and so far FIFA hasn't done that.

'Criminal proceedings'

"They're perplexed by all this noise or just say, in the case of the Americans, 'it's sour grapes having lost their bid for a World Cup and then taking it out on FIFA by launching criminal proceedings'. All these things are avoiding that there is a big problem."

Pound admitted the indictment of 14 football and media officials by US authorities and the investigation of the Swiss legal system into any wrongdoing into the bidding process of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were extremely worrying for outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

He added: "The starting point would be to get all the political players together and to say 'look this is a really serious problem that has to be solved where the game of football is very much at risk'.

"I've always compared these things to somebody who is an alcoholic, the alcoholic cannot be helped until he/she acknowledges there is a problem and so far FIFA hasn't done that."

Pound also inferred that now was the right time for Blatter to step down.

He said: "There is some argument to be made if somebody says 'look I'm now out of the game, as soon as you can get a new president I'm gone but before a new president comes in we've got to solve this problem, I don't have any personal stake in it because I'm not vying for position and maybe I can help in solving the problem'.

"Now if that's what led to the announcement of his resignation then there might be some hope if the resignation is because there's more trouble coming down the road it's somewhat different they may have to find an interim president or format for running FIFA."