LONDON: A leading pressure group has decried the reform committee whose membership was confirmed yesterday by FIFA as ‘a busted flush.’

The campaign group #NewFIFANow has described the composition of the committee as “largely another group of sporting insiders.”

The 14-member committee will be headed by former International Olympic Committee director-general Francois Carrard and includes three members of the world football federation’s executive committee including Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah of Kuwait and Africa’s Hany Aby Rida (Egypt) and Constant Omar Selemanu (Congo DR).

A statement from #NewFIFANow said: “The group comprises three people involved with the Olympic movement; two who are in business relationships with football organisations; and ten with a direct role in football including three from the FIFA executive committee.”

Also noted was the fact that Abo Rida was a member of the exco which voted, amid controversy and scandal, for the host awards of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

The bid process is currently under investigation by the Swiss juidicial authorities, an inquiry running in parallel with the anti-corruption action being undertaken by the United States Department of Justice.

#NewFIFANow, with term limits a bone of reform contention, also noted: “Mr [Kevan] Gosper from Australia, has been a member of the IOC for 38 years – a term length which puts even FIFA executive committee members in the shade.”

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