Story highlights
- South Africa's sports minister insists the
government paid no bribe to secure the 2010 World Cup
- Some of the possible candidates to replace
Sepp Blatter have tried before
- A Jordanian prince who challenged Blatter last
week says he could run for the presidency
London (CNN)If you
think big changes are coming to FIFA now that Sepp Blatter says he's stepping
down, don't hold your breath.
The widely reviled head of international soccer's governing body said
Tuesday that he's going to resign, just four days after he was elected
president for a fifth term.
So, what happened between Friday and Tuesday for his change of heart?
Blatter isn't saying.
But FIFA is mired in a massive corruption scandal, with the U.S. Justice
Department charging 14 people, including nine FIFA officials, in a 47-count
indictment last week. On Wednesday, Interpol issued red
notices to inform member nations that arrest
warrants are out for six of those indicted, including Jack Warner, a former
FIFA vice president and executive committee member.
While Blatter wasn't charged by the Justice Department, he isn't in the
clear. U.S. officials told CNN last week that an investigation of Blatter
continues.
"I'm not able to comment further on Mr. Blatter's status,"
Attorney General Loretta Lynch told reporters at the time.
For now, though, Blatter will sit as the head of the influential, but
beleaguered, body.
Here's why FIFA's global headaches are far from over:
Blatter's not leaving right
away
The man who's led FIFA for 17 years said he won't step down until the
group's executive committee organizes a new election.
And that's not happening anytime soon.
According to FIFA rules, the earliest a new leader can be elected would
be in four months.
"The expectation is that this could take place anytime from
December of this year to March of next year," said Domenico Scala, the
chairman of FIFA's audit and compliance committee.
That's plenty of time for Blatter to set the agenda for when he's
finally replaced.
"Within his brief announcement there are statements that should
cause concern," wrote Mark Doidge, a senior research fellow in sociology
of sport at the University of Brighton, in a piece published on CNN.com.
In his speech, for example, Blatter said that integrity checks for FIFA
executive members must be organized centrally through FIFA.
"By centralizing the checks within FIFA, he is accumulating more
power for the organization -- at the expense of the regional
confederations," such as UEFA (the European Union Football Association),
which has been critical of him, Doidge said.
UEFA President Michel Platini said Wednesday that a meeting planned for
UEFA officials this weekend would be postponed, because of "the uncertain
and unpredictable nature of the investigations."
He added, "Considering new information is revealed every day, I
believe it is wiser to take time to assess the situation, so together we can
take a position on this issue."
One FIFA statute says the body may bestow the title of honorary
president on any former member. That's what FIFA did with Blatter's
predecessor, João Havelange, even though he too was tainted by corruption.
Such a title brings with it a hefty financial package.
The investigation isn't
over yet
FIFA is mired in two investigations right now:
The first: A Swiss criminal investigation into the highly controversial
2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, which went to Russia and Qatar, respectively.
Authorities have questioned a few people, but no one's been arrested.
Blatter's not being questioned as part of the probe, the Office of the
Attorney General of Switzerland said last week.
Is it possible for FIFA to be reformed? 03:58
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The second: A U.S. investigation that's targeting alleged wrongdoing
that spans 24 years. U.S. prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 14 people, on
charges ranging from money laundering to fraud and racketeering.
They include FIFA officials who took bribes totaling more than $150
million and in return provided "lucrative media and marketing rights"
to soccer tournaments as kickbacks.
When the U.S. Justice Department announced the indictments last week,
Blatter's name wasn't on the list.
At the time, Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly Currie said, "Let me be
clear: This indictment is not the final chapter in our investigation."
On Monday, The New York Times tied FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke
-- Blatter's top lieutenant -- to $10 million in bank transactions that were
used as bribes.
Valcke's denied the allegations. But linking him to FIFA's corruption
scandal brings the money trail closer to Blatter, the paper said.
And that probably is what's behind Blatter's resignation, said Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College and a leading expert on the
business of sports.
South Africa rebuts bribe
claims
As the dust continues to settle, South African Sports Minister Fikile
Mbalula insisted at a news conference Wednesday that no bribe had been paid by
South Africa's government to secure the 2010 World Cup. "Any insinuation
to the contrary will be met with our rebuke," he said.
The government is still waiting for U.S. authorities to respond to a
request that they share the evidence behind their allegations with South
Africa, he added.
According to the lengthy U.S. Justice Department indictment filed last
month, Warner -- the former FIFA vice president and one of the nine FIFA
officials charged -- is accused of taking a $10 million bribe to vote for South
Africa's 2010 World Cup.
The indictment states that a co-conspirator learned from Warner that
"high ranking officials of FIFA, the South African government, and the
South African bid committee ... were prepared to arrange for the government of
South Africa to pay $10 million to CFU (the Caribbean Football Union) to
'support the African diaspora.' "
Mbalula said the $10 million in question was no bribe but an
"above-board payment" for a legitimate program.
"We are ready to explain to anybody, including the FBI, why this
thing was not a bribe. They can wake us up any time, we are ready," he
said.
There's no clear successor
Not only has Blatter led FIFA for 17 years, he's usually been elected
with little or no competition.
Blatter's rival in last week's election, Jordan's Prince Ali bin
al-Hussein, conceded in the second round of voting.
Prince Ali: If they want me to, I will run for President 02:58
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After Blatter announced his resignation, the prince didn't immediately
say whether he plans to run for the soon-to-be-vacated seat.
"I have to talk to our national associations and see how they feel
about this," he told CNN. "I think it's a bit early, but definitely,
if they want me to do it, I will do it."
There are several other possible contenders:
• Platini, a former French football star, FIFA vice president and head
of UEFA
• Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad al-Sabah, a member of the Kuwaiti royal family
who is a member of the FIFA executive committee and a prominent figure in the
Olympic movement
• Michael van Praag, a key figure at UEFA and a member of the
federation's executive committee who has reportedly supported a two-term limit
for the presidency.
Russia and Qatar cups will
probably go on
Despite the controversy surrounding the bidding process for the Russia
World Cup, the 2018 games will probably go on.
"It's far too late to unpick that or do anything about that," Keir
Radnedge of World Soccer magazine told CNN.
Russia's organizing committee said that it "highly respects"
Blatter's decision to stand down and that it would work with FIFA to
"deliver a great festival of football to all fans."
Alexander Zhukov, head of Russia's Olympic Committee, told state-run
news agency RIA that he didn't expect any boycott of the World Cup finals in
2018, despite the concerns voiced in some quarters.
The next target for those seeking FIFA reform will be Qatar.
Like in the case of Russia, many suspect bribery and
kickbacks were behind FIFA's decisions to give Qatar
the World Cup in 2022.
Jerome Champagne: I am 'flabbergasted' by resignation 03:58
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The country has a notorious record of alleged human rights abuses, and
the weather -- which often soars over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) --
can be downright oppressive for players and fans.
But it's the massive death toll of workers building the World Cup infrastructure that's most appalling.
At least 1,200 migrant workers have died during World Cup preparations
in Qatar, the International Trade Union Confederation said. Many have died from
the scorching heat, poor conditions and workplace accidents.
By the time the tournament starts, an estimated 5,200 workers will have
died, the confederation said. That would be more than the number of people who
died in the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States.
But even stripping Qatar of the cup would prove difficult.
"It will be very difficult to change that," Radnedge said.
"It will be extremely costly because of all the contracts signed."
CNN's Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London and Holly Yan from Atlanta.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Steve Almasy, Rich Phillips, Chris Eldergill, Aleks
Klosok and Jake Tapper contributed to this report.
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