As announced on the French news outlet ‘Le Monde,‘ based on revelations by the reputed newspaper ‘The Sunday Times’, FIFA’s executive members allegedly renounced to their usual six digit World Cup bonuses. Instead, they have secretly doubled their pay in a time where FIFA has increasingly been questioned for its ethics and transparency.
In an article published on the 22nd of June, the British newspaper claims that the executive members of FIFA (same 25 members that decide which country hosts any World Cup) decided to abandon their World Cup commissions to opt for an annual salary increase of 100% at all times.
The same source states that their annual salary would increase from 100,000 to 200,000 dollars (for their part time positions) in compensation for bonuses that could reach 200,000 dollars in World Cup years. This of course comes on top of all-paid business class flights, five star hotels, and luxury meals.
FIFA had also offered to poor this money into Swiss banks under its control, thus enabling its executive members to withdraw it in lump sums. As stated by the source, this makes it a child’s game for executive members to avoid paying taxes.
The organization’s spokeswoman Delia Fischer has refused to comment on the allegations made public by the newspaper. She has claimed that FIFA publishes annual financial reports on their website and that executive member salaries were regulated by another committee.
FIFA’s executive members have recently been under the weather after it has been revealed (again by The Sunday Times) that Mohamed Bin Hammam, who has been part of the committee for 15 years, bribed other nations’ football associations prior to 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids to favor Qatar.
This report could potentially smear the organization’s reputation in general and president Sepp Blatter in particular. The Swiss, president since 1998, has not ruled out a possibility to present his candidacy for a fifth consecutive mandate. He will likely be facing Michel Platini, with whom he is in disagreement with. The former French midfielder has been presiding the UEFA from year 2007 and has publicly announced he would not support Blatter for a fifth term.
The FIFA is Boiling the Frog…
By Youssef Ramdani.
