FA Director Quits FIFA Task Force Amid Scandal

(ATR) Heather Rabbatts quit FIFA’s task force against racism and discrimination citing the "disastrous effect on FIFA's reputation of recent events."

The English FA's independent director joins top New Zealand barrister Nicholas Davidson in resigning from a FIFA committee since Sepp Blatter’s re-election on Friday.

In her resignation letter to FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke, Rabbatts said she was withdrawing with immediate effect from FIFA’s anti-discrimination task force.

She said the challenges facing FIFA on the issue of racism and discrimination "are very significant," particularly in relation to the Russia 2018 World Cup but added: "My willingness to play a part in the development of policies in this area is outweighed by the disastrous effect on FIFA's reputation of recent events.

"Like many in the game, I find it unacceptable that so little has been done to reform FIFA."

Rabbatts added: "It is clear from the re-election of president Blatter that the challenges facing FIFA and the ongoing damage to the reputation of football's world governing body are bound to continue to overshadow and undermine the credibility of any work in the anti-racism arena and beyond."

Kiwi barrister Davidson was one of only six members of FIFA ethics committee’s investigation chamber. The New Zealand FA on Friday decided against voting Sepp Blatter for a fifth term as FIFA president, instead voting for Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.

Blatter won the first round of voting with 133 votes to 73 for Prince Ali, who then conceded defeat.

Davidson cited frustrations with FIFA’s system of governance and noted the biggest corruption scandal engulfing the governing body in its 111-year history.

"I want to emphasize the immense significance of the criminal processes being engaged in the U.S. and Switzerland. Out of them will come evidence which will found the FIFA investigations," he told the New Zealand Herald.

He also expressed grave concerns about the lack of transparency around the report by Michael Garcia into the cash-for-votes 2018/2022 World Cup bidding scandal that wrecked FIFA’s global standing and Blatter’s reputation.

"I was very frustrated I could not get the Garcia report. Investigators need to know the whole story, in my view. Michael Garcia plays by the rules, and he had no authority to disclose it to me," Davidson said.

"FIFA's investigation team is independent, determined and very capable. There are some matters which must be addressed to make it as effective as it needs to be. The perception of independence goes with the reality."

The departure of Rabbatts and Davidson follows the rejection of a FIFA ExCo seat by English FA vice-chairman David Gill in protest against Sepp Blatter's re-election.

Jordaan Denies Bribery Allegation

South African FA president Danny Jordaan has confirmed that the 2010 World Cup organizing committee paid $10 million to CONCACAF after South Africa won tournament hosting rights.

But he denied it was a bribe to secure votes for South Africa's bid.

The money - in three payments - was channeled through FIFA to former FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF boss Jack Warner, who was one of the 14 FIFA and football marketing officials arrested and indicted last week on charges of corruption and bribery spanning two decades.

South African 2010 CEO Jordaan told South Africa's Sunday Independent that the $10m was paid CONCACAF in 2008 as the country's contribution to the confederation's football development fund.

However, the money did not come out of South African government funds but was deducted from a FIFA payment to South Africa to aid tournament financing covering up the alleged bribe.

On Saturday, under-fire FIFA president Sepp Blatter faced questions about the U.S. indictment and the alleged $10m bribe, which was revealed in the corruption dossier published by the U.S. Department of Justice last Wednesday. It says a"high-ranking FIFA official" authorized the payment.

Was it him?, one reporter asked: "I don't go into this, but definitely that's not me," he replied.

Responding to another question about the issue, the 79-year-old said: "The only thing I can say is I have no 10 million dollars."

Written by Mark Bisson

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