President Barack Obama calls on FIFA to operate with integrity
Tuesday 9 June 2015 07:42, UK
Barack Obama has spoken on the FIFA crisis for the first time, calling on the world football organisation to operate with integrity.
Speaking at the Group of Seven economic summit in Krun, Germany, Obama would not comment on his Justice Department's investigation into the FIFA crisis but called on world football to be conducted in an upright manner.
"I will say that in conversations I've had here, in Europe, people think it is very important for FIFA to be able to operate with integrity and transparency and accountability," Obama said.
"And so, as the investigation and charges proceed, I think we have to keep in mind that although football - or soccer, depending on which side of the Atlantic you live on - is a game, it’s also a massive business, it’s a source of incredible national pride, and people want to make sure that it operates with integrity.
"The United States, by the way, since we keep on getting better and better at each World Cup, we want to make sure that a sport that is gaining popularity is conducted in an upright manner."
It is Obama's first response to the investigation into FIFA and comes nearly a week after FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced he would resign despite recently recording his fifth election win.
The FBI have released a damning 47-count indictment in their FIFA criminal investigation, which includes allegations that executives accepted bribes to influence the bidding process of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Seven serving FIFA officials have been arrested in Switzerland on corruption charges including vice-presidents Jeffrey Webb - the current CONCACAF president - and Eugenio Figueredo from Uruguay, along with Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel and Jose Maria Marin.
In addition, two former FIFA officials, Jack Warner - the former president of CONCACAF- and Nicolas Leoz, have been indicted.
