Football
ESPN staff 9y

FIFA appoints Dr. Francois Carrard as reform committee chairman

FIFA has appointed Swiss lawyer Dr. Francois Carrard, the former director general of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as the independent chairman of their reform committee.

FIFA sponsors Visa and Coca-Cola had called for a wholly independent process to look at how the world governing body can bring in changes after 14 people -- including seven FIFA officials -- were arrested on corruption charges back in May.

The organisation had already announced that the chairman would be from outside of football, working to "develop a package of reform proposals," and now it has been revealed that person is Dr. Carrard, who has been credited with cleaning up the IOC after the Salt Lake City scandal.

Carrard led the reform programme at the IOC in the wake of the cash-for-votes crisis which came to light in the late 1990s and has now been handed another high profile role.

A statement on FIFA.com read: "Dr Francois Carrard has been appointed as the independent chairman of the 2016 FIFA Reform Committee. As Director General of the International Olympic Committee, Dr Carrard guided the IOC through its own governance reforms in the wake of the bidding process for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002.

"An internationally renowned Swiss lawyer, Dr Carrard brings specific experience of the challenges faced by global sports organisations such as FIFA."

Dr. Carrard will present his proposals for reform to the FIFA Congress on Feb. 26, 2016 and he added: "It is vital for the future of global football to restore the integrity and reputation of its governing body. As the independent chairman, I am committed to delivering the necessary package of credible reforms, working with representatives from within football and wider society.

"To that end, I will establish an independent advisory board, made up of representatives from outside football, to support the work of the committee and provide an additional layer of independent expertise."

The six football confederations of FIFA have each appointed two representatives to the 2016 FIFA reform committee.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will stand down in February amid two separate corruption inquiries related to the administration of football's world governing body.

"We believe Dr Carrard is the right person to drive this reform process forward as an independent chairman with a proven track record in governance reforms," Blatter said. "We are confident that he can help FIFA to strengthen its governance structures in a credible and meaningful way.

"FIFA's commercial partners will also play a key role in the reforms, and we will be discussing with them the most productive way to include their views."

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