Fansided

UEFA Might Abandon FIFA Over Ethics Report

By Phil Watson

facebooktwitterreddit

The idea that UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, might leave the world’s governing body, FIFA, is unimaginable … or is it?

According to a report, UEFA would consider withdrawing from soccer’s world governing body if FIFA continues to suppress a report into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The Associated Press reported German Football League president Reinhard Rauball’s statement.

"“One option, which would have to be seriously considered, is certainly whether UEFA should leave FIFA,” Rauball said."

Rauball was responding to a ruling by German judge Joachim Eckert that exonerated Russia and Qatar of any corruption during the process of winning bids to host the next two World Cups.

More from Soccer

The ruling was strongly contested by American attorney Michael Garcia, who issued a report that was suppressed by FIFA.

Rauball warned that if Garcia’s finding—some 430 pages of investigative work—are not published “and this crisis is not resolved in a credible manner, you have to maybe also talk about the question of whether you are actually still well-served by FIFA.”

UEFA oversees soccer in Europe and its potential withdrawal from the world organization would send seismic shockwaves across the sport.

It’s not going to happen, of course—UEFA is too deeply entrenched in FIFA and FIFA is far too big and wields far too much power for even a continental organization to make good on a threat to pull out.

But maybe the mere threat will be enough to make FIFA straighten up and fly right.

And maybe it will rain dollar bills on all of us … sort of the way it does for the higher ups in FIFA when the bidding process for the World Cup begins.

More from FanSided

Home/Soccer