WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) must implement broad reform starting at the top after its president resigned in a corruption scandal, US Soccer Federation Chief Executive Officer and Secretary-General Dan Flynn said at a congressional hearing on Wednesday.
“Going forward, we believe reform will have to start at the top beginning with the election of a new FIFA president in light of Mr. [Sepp] Blatter’s stated intention to resign,” Flynn said during a US Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee hearing.
Flynn added the US Soccer Federation expects the new president to lead the reform.
The resignation came after the US Justice Department indicted 14 FIFA officials on charges of racketeering, money laundering as well as taking about $150 million in bribes and kickbacks.
Chuck Blazer, a FIFA executive member and former head of FIFA’s American subsidiary, the Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), admitted to ten counts of corruption, including taking bribes to influence the 1998 and 2010 World Cup selections.
Flynn said reform efforts at CONCACAF have already begun taking shape with the creation of a three person special committee, which includes US Soccer President Sunil Gulati to help guide the confederation through the FIFA scandal.
The CONCACAF Executive Committee unanimously approved a series of reforms to address governance, fraud prevention, compliance and transparency based on the recommendations of a special committee, Flynn explained.
