Prince William calls for FIFA reform and fair play after ‘Salt Lake City moment’

Prince William has urged FIFA to reform and show “it can represent the interests of fair play” in a speech at the FA Cup final. FA president William asked sponsors to press for reform after a week which saw seven FIFA officials arrested and 18 people connected to football indicted on corruption charges by the U.S. justice department. Ahead of the match at Wembley, the Duke of Cambridge likened the corruption scandal engulfing football’s world governing body to the Salt Lake City Olympics corruption crisis. That involved allegations of bribery used to win the rights to host the Winter Olympics in Utah in 2002.

The events in Zurich this week represent FIFA’s Salt Lake City moment, when the International Olympic Committee went through a similar period of serious allegations.

Prince William

The Prince added: “"FIFA, like the IOC, must now show that it can represent the interests of fair play and put the sport first." His comments come a day after Sepp Blatter was controversially re-elected as the FIFA president for a fifth time. William also backed the decision by former Manchester United chief executive and newly elected FIFA vice-president David Gill to quit the position almost immediately in protest. He said: "There seems to be a huge disconnect between the sense of fair play that guides those playing and supporting the game, and the allegations of corruption that have long lingered around the management of the sport internationally.”

Those backing FIFA, such as sponsors and the regional confederations, must do their bit to press these reforms - we are doing football and its fans no favours if we do not.

Prince William

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