BERLIN: Reinhard Rauball, president of the German league, has demanded that Sepp Blatter quit as FIFA president over the revelations about what he knew of the bribes raked in by Joao Havelange and Ricardo Teixeira from ISL writes KEIR RADNEDGE.
Rauball has stepped up and followed the long-time example of Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, who has long stated his opinion that the FIFA reform programmed lacked credibility as long as Blatter remained at the helm of the world football federation.
The long-awaited release by the Swiss Supreme Court of the hitherto confidential ISL file demonstrated that former FIFA president Havelange and his ex-son-in-law, himself a long-time FIFA exco member, had collected more than $14m in illicit payments from ISL, the one-time FIFA marketing partmer which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2001.
Rauball, responding to the revelations, said: “As it stands, Blatter should have over his duties as soon as possible to someone. For the sake of credibility of the reform process, FIFA needs someone who is willing to make a fresh start.”
The club president of double-winners Borussia Dortmund added : “It is always difficult when someone who was part of the problem seeks to carry on when change is necessary.”
Rauball said he had told Blatter of his feelings in a personal phone call. He added: “Sepp Blatter was aware of these movements of money, although only later. Why did he not fulfil his duty of care on behalf of the national member associations of FIFA?.”
FIFA should also convene an Extraordinary Congress, said Rauball in an interview with Welt in which he also demanded that Congress terminate the honorary presidency of Havelange.
He added: “My understanding from this report is that ISL paid a total of 123 million francs to various officials and that Havelange and Teixeira took at least 14m of them – little more than 10 per cent. Into whose pockets did the rest of the money go? I want to know who has benefited from it, for what purpose these payments were made?”
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