Jerome Valcke says the FIFA crisis is deterring new sponsors
Friday 24 July 2015 16:12, UK
Jerome Valcke has admitted the FIFA corruption scandal has deterred new World Cup sponsors from signing up and that a summit with existing partners will take place in August.
The organisation’s general secretary told a news conference in St Petersburg ahead of the preliminary draw for the 2018 World Cup that they received a letter from concerned sponsors in the wake of the crisis which engulfed FIFA in May.
Valcke’s admission came after the head of leading sponsor Visa said there could be no meaningful reform at FIFA until Sepp Blatter leaves as president.
No replacement has been signed up to replace Emirates while none of the 20 regional sponsorship slots have been agreed.
"The current situation doesn't help to finalise any new agreements, that is a fact,” Valcke said. “And I'm sure until the election on February 26 there will not be any major announcements.
“Clearly, there were three sponsors, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Visa who sent a letter to FIFA. We sent to all our commercial partners, not just the three I have mentioned, an update or summary of all that has happened within FIFA since 2012, since the first reform process started and all that has been changed within FIFA’s administration or around FIFA.
“What was agreed and what was requested by some of them was to meet and finally I think it was two or three days ago we received a letter coming from all of them offering to meet all together.
"There will be a meeting next month in August between all the FIFA partners and FIFA along with the legal and marketing departments.
"The issue is to make sure from their side that the reform process ongoing should be through an independent body.
"That was discussed with the presidents of the confederations, with (Sepp) Blatter and there will be more information about this taskforce and how it will act in the next weeks."
