Press Release
September 29, 2015
September 25 was another sad day for FIFA. On that day, the Swiss Attorney General’s Office announced that FIFA President Sepp Blatter is under criminal investigation and that UEFA President Mr. Michel Platini may be implicated.
During my tenure as a FIFA ExCo member, I worked ceaselessly to confront and to correct what I thought were opaque and illegal ways in which Mr. Blatter and his predecessor, Mr. Havelange, ran FIFA. I am sad to say that, at the time, I did not have the power to stop such corrupt practices that have now come back to haunt and destroy FIFA.
FIFA is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. However, this is also an unprecedented opportunity to reform it. If all those who love football can bring their collective wisdom to bear on reforming FIFA, it will be possible to save and revitalize it.
The most urgent task at hand is to root out corruption from within FIFA. Investigations into illegal activities of the past should be left to the proper legal authorities. Justice must be served. Resuscitating FIFA, however, should be left to those who love football. The future of football should not be left in the hands of outsiders.
Even today, the 2018 World Cup qualifying matches continue to be held. Many football development programs continue to be implemented. However, FIFA that should be overseeing all this is in a total meltdown. General Secretary Valcke is already suspended and it is being reported that President Blatter who is under investigation by federal authorities, as well as FIFA’s internal organs, will soon be suspended also.
Under such circumstances, FIFA and regional Confederations should consider convening extra-ordinary sessions of their respective Executive Committee as well as Congress to set-up an emergency task force that will enable FIFA Secretariat to function without interruption.
FIFA should not be an institution that provides for the opulent life style of a powerful few. Rather, it should be transformed into an organization dedicated to providing footballers and football fans with the experience of joy and hope that only football can provide, all the while instilling the spirit of fair play. For so many young players from many continents, football is the ticket to the outside world. FIFA should be an organization dedicated to making sure that football continues to be a source of inspiration and hope for so many youths.
As a devoted fan of football, I will mobilize all my experience and resources at my disposal to the re-birth, the “renaissance,” of FIFA.
As I had pledged before, if I am elected the next President of FIFA, I will serve a single 4-year term. I will use the first 2 years to undertake a complete structural and operational reform of FIFA. The other 2 years will be devoted to bringing about unity and harmony to the organization. 40 years of culture of corruption can be eradicated in 4 years. There is no reason why it cannot be done. In fact, that is the only way it can be done.
I ask all those who love football to join me in my endeavor to transform FIFA into a symbol of “inspiration and hope,” once again.
Thank you very much.
Dr. Chung Mong-Joon
FIFA Presidential Candidate
Chung Mong-Joon 