FIFA has elected a new President, but reform proposals are what really matter, says East Midlands MEP

Emma McClarkin, Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands region and a member of the New FIFA Now campaign group, today welcomed a package of reforms passed at an extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich, but highlighted that completely reforming FIFA will require a lot more.

Football’s world governing body also elected its first new President in 18 years, as Gianni Infantino took over the reins. 207 eligible football associations from across the globe voted for their preferred candidate. Gianni Infantino from Switzerland, emerged as the eventual winner, racking up 115 votes in the second round.

While the election of the President took centre stage, arguably the most important part of the meeting on Friday took place before lunchtime, when the associations voted through a package of reforms designed to overcome the scandals that have rocked the organisation in recent years.

Speaking just after the result was announced, Emma said:

“Today is not about Gianni Infantino taking over from Sepp Blatter. It is about the fact that he will be implementing the reforms voted through this morning, which should be only the beginning of fundamental change in FIFA.

“We have seen some sensible proposals: the separation between the political and business operations of FIFA to avoid conflicts of interest; term limits and the publication of executive salaries; and eligibility checks, to name but a few.

“While I welcome these, I am sceptical that any of the candidates would have been the right man for the job, having been inextricably linked to FIFA for years. What we need is an independent body of governance experts who can oversee the re-structuring of FIFA to ensure that it is done correctly; not only implementing the proposals put forward this morning, but continuing the much needed reform process.

“FIFA has to be democratic, accountable and transparent. The reforms supported today are the minimum needed for achieving this goal. Let us not kid ourselves that today is a watershed moment – it is just the beginning.”