Sepp Blatter has done it again. A fifth term as president of Fifa, voted in by a cabal of sycophants who have been the beneficiaries of his perverse generosity since he took over Fifa in 1998.
What will stand out this time, however, is that Blatter will be leaving a fractured legacy where most people, his minions included, will be hunted down by the law and be held to account.
The Fifa president has admitted that the administration of the game is in ruins, as is its philosophy of ‘Fair Play’. But he is delusional when he states that he will lead this ship through the stormy seas until he hands over his post to a successor — in this case Jeffrey Webb, his anointed heir, who has now been caught on charges of money-laundering and racketeering.
There is nothing fair in the game’s day-to-day administration as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has revealed in its startling disclosures. Blatter may plead ignorance over the blatant abuse of power by Fifa officials but the bottom line is that as president the buck stops with him.
Therefore, in a sense, even though his re-election is seen as yet another dark chapter in the history of the game, it is also a bright moment in the pursuit of the truth and justice.
The investigations that are to be carried out in the days to come will reveal more examples of corruption — much as Blatter may whine that it is America’s way of hitting back for not winning the bid to host a World Cup — and erode his influence to a great extent. He will have to cooperate with the agencies and be answerable to sponsors who have burnt billions to support the game.
There was deceit and diplomacy and through it all Blatter kept emphasising on the level of transparency that had been achieved. His pronouncements have left him embarrassed and the noose will be tightening around his neck.
Blatter will govern for another term but his reputation lies in tatters. Meanwhile, the law and the sponsors must keep up the pressure to hold the game’s administrators to severe scrutiny until every fragment of the truth is revealed.
