Turning point for FIFA? Blatter crisis sparks calls for overhaul of football’s governing body

With Sepp Blatter facing a Swiss criminal investigation, there are growing calls for root and branch reform of FIFA, to clear out its old guard and usher in a new team to restore confidence in football’s world governing body, as corruption allegations stack up. FIFA’s ethics committee has suspended Blatter, Vice-president and UEFA chief Michel Platini and Secretary general Jerome Valcke for 90 days. All protest their innocence but for Wolfgang Niersbach, head of the German Football Federation, it is time for a change “Now is the moment – unfortunately when we have reached rock bottom with this story – that new staff must enter the stage and the future should be without the previous president – without Sepp Blatter,” he said. Newcomers from a non-football background are needed to shake up FIFA, according to Greg Dyke, the former media executive who heads England’s Football Association. “If you look , FIFA has been a corrupted organisation for 40 years. That is why it is going to be so difficult to reform it. That is why you need such a comprehensive reform programme. You need outsiders, people from outside football, to come in to make sure it happens,” he said. But it is insider Issa Hayatou, the African football confederation boss, who has himself faced and denied corruption allegations in the past, who will act as interim FIFA president . Blatter, due to step down anyway in February, is reportedly appealing his suspension. Sepp Blatter launches appeal against provisional suspension by Fifa http://t.co/AW1ZetY0BG (Photo: EPA) pic.twitter.com/yzWe2gXCXh— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) October 9, 2015