FIFA 2018 FIFA 2018 - Model United Nations at Emory (MUNE)
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FIFA 2018 FIFA 2018
Contents
Letter From The Crisis Director 2
Rules and Procedures 4
History of FIFA 6
Structure of FIFA 9
FIFA World Cup 12
FIFA and Corruption 16
FIFA Past Actions 21
FIFA Media Briefings 23
FIFA Code of Ethics 25
Issues to Consider 27
List of Members of the S.A.A.C 30
Sources 38
1
Welcome!
Dear Delegates,
I, Michael J. Garcia, the Interim FIFA President, would like to welcome you all to the 1 st Session
of the Special Administrative Adjudication Committee (S.A.A.C.) of Fédération Internationale de
Football Association (FIFA). Unfortunately, due to recent events, or more accurately, disasters,
FIFA is in a state of disarray. Years of misguided policies, greedy leaders and an institutional
disregard for ethics has finally caught up with FIFA and those who seek to use it for personal gain.
FIFA is perhaps one of the most familiar international organizations in the world. It has more
power and money than some nations. Its influence spreads the globe. The sport it governs,
Association Football, is considered to be more than a sport. It is a religion, a way of life. It is The
Beautiful Game. Or rather, it was.
The atrocities committed by FIFA are tarnishing the sport. People all around the world believe
that the sport we all love has been too damaged by the people who run it. They fear it will never
recover. It is your job to prove them wrong. To show them that football cannot, football will not,
be relegated to the realm of “scripted theatre”. The future of a sport followed by over 3 billion
people now rests on your shoulders.
As your Crisis Director and Chair, we look forward to the ideas you will bring to help change the
landscape of football for the better. Ultimately, we hope that through this committee, you can
learn more about FIFA ahead of Russia 2018, and why the job they do is so hard.
2
Yours,
Ammar Rupani………………. Michael J. Garcia
Crisis Director…………………Interim President
David Almonte .....………..……. Cornel Borbély
Chair…………………….………. Secretary General
3
Rules and Procedures
Committee
This committee will run as a typical crisis committee with interactions between committee
members and behind-the-scenes crisis staff. The committee will be composed of members of the
Chairmen of FIFA’s Standing Committees, Chairmen of FIFA’s Judicial bodies and
Representatives from associated continental federations and related bodies. The chair of the
committee will be Cornel Borbély, the Interim Secretary General., with each delegate holding
individual portfolio powers. Each delegate will be able to take private actions independently or
with other members depending on their specialties.
Communication
Communication will be conducted through the app Slack. It is important for delegates to bring
laptop computers or tablets to the committee as cell phones will not be allowed. Log in
information will be provided when delegates arrive. Any plans for actions sent to crisis must
clearly articulate what the action is, who is taking the action, the purpose of the action, and
which resources it will use. The use of one’s portfolio power must also be clearly articulated in
communications to crisis.
Debate
There will be no formal speaker’s list in this committee as the dais expects delegates to propose
the appropriate caucuses for informal debate. Sufficient debate, such as moderated caucuses,
question and answer panels, or two-for and two-against, is expected before moving into voting
procedure on public documents. Additionally, the suspension of the rules of debate for a round-
robin on discussions will be entertained by the chair when adequate.
4
Documents
These will be written in paper. Any documents (circulars(directives), communiqués, and press
releases) to be put before the committee requires at least 5 delegate’s signatures to be submitted
to the dais. Remember there must be separate motions to introduce, debate, and move into
voting procedure on all documents. Public documents may be passed by a “yes” vote from 50%
+1 of the body in attendance. The President reserves the right to vote. The President also
reserves the right to hand over his voting power to another committee member or the Chair,
without notifying the rest of the committee in advance.
Language and Attire
Please wear western business attire. The official language in this committee is English. The sport
is called Association Football. Football is an accepted shorthand for this. Use of any other words,
like soccer, will not be permitted in debate or on any documents.
5
History of FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in the rear of
the headquarters of the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques at the Rue Saint
Honoré 229 in Paris on 21 May 1904. The French name and acronym are used even outside
French-speaking countries. The founding members were the national associations of
Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain (represented by Madrid Football Club; the
Spanish Federation was not created until 1913), Sweden and Switzerland. Also, that same day,
the German Association declared its intention of affiliating through a telegram. The aim of the
organization was to host championship matches between professional leagues from different
nations. The initial statues of FIFA stated the following:
● Only the represented National Associations would be recognized.
● Clubs and players could only play for two National Associations at a time.
6
● All Associations would recognize the suspension of a player in any Association.
● Matches were to be played according to the "Laws of the Game of the Football
Association Ltd".
● Each National Association was to pay an annual fee of 50 French Francs.
● Only FIFA could organize International Matches.
Without the British countries, early attempts at the organization of a tournament failed.
England, however, joined on 14 April 1905, thanks to great efforts by Baron Edouard de
Laveleye who was made the first honorary member of FIFA. In 1906, Daniel Burley Woolfall
took over as president, making strides to uniformity in the globe's laws. FIFA continued to
expand in federations and influence, monopolizing international matches. However, its
organizational skills were still not refined, and it was the Football Association which organized
the football tournaments at the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games, both won by Great Britain.
In 1930, Rimet, along with other FIFA representatives, organized the inaugural FIFA
World Cup, which took place in Uruguay. The very first world cup did not even include
qualifying rounds. Teams from Europe included France, Belgium, Yugoslavia, and Romania.
Other European teams complained about the distance to Uruguay and refused to travel so far.
The original gold trophy had the name of Jules Rimet's carved on the trophy and it was
contested three times in the 1930s. There were a total of 13 teams in the first world cup,
including the host Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Mexico and the
United States. The first world cup soccer match started on July 13th, 1930. France defeated
Mexico in a game of 4 to 1, paving way for a glorious world cup beginning. After the Second
World War, which resulted in a 12-year long halt of FIFA tournaments, the FIFA World Cup
gained worldwide recognition as the sole sporting event of the new world. The World cup has
7been held since 1958 in Europe and the Americas. However, the World Cup Executive
Committee's decision in May 1996 made a major decision of selecting Korea and Japan as co-
hosts for the 2002 edition. For more detail about the World Cup, refer to the FIFA World Cup
section of the background guide.
Over the past 25 years, football has enhanced its status as the world's leading game, reaching
into other branches of society, commerce, and politics. Football, more than any other factor, has
enveloped whole regions, people, and nations. With approximately 200 million active players, it
now constitutes a substantial chunk of the leisure industry, having opened up new markets for
itself and for the rest of the business world.
The potential has yet to be exhausted, especially in Asia and North America. As of mid-2007,
FIFA has grown to include 211 member associations, thus making it one of the biggest and
certainly the most popular sports federation in the world.
8Structure of FIFA
FIFA, the world’s governing body for organized football, is a private association under
Swiss law, with its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA is currently composed of 209
member associations covering the globe. Those national associations are responsible for
organizing and supervising football in their respective countries.
National football associations have not only joined together in FIFA but also in
federations— or “confederations” as designated by FIFA—with limited geographical scope and
jurisdiction. There are six such confederations in total, each of them responsible for a specific
region: Asian Football Confederation (AFC); Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF);
Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF);
Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL); Oceania Football Confederation (OFC);
and Union des Associations Européennes de Football (UEFA).
The confederations themselves are not members of FIFA. Under Swiss association law,
they are considered independent branches of the organization. Nevertheless, the FIFA Statutes
place certain duties on the confederations and grant them specific rights within the framework
9of FIFA. See FIFA Statutes Art. 20(3). One of the most important powers residing with the
confederations is the selection of the members of the FIFA Executive Committee.
FIFA consists of the following branches: the Congress (legislative); the Executive
Committee (executive); and the general secretariat (administrative). FIFA’s Judicial bodies are
independent from FIFA, but have specific powers granted to them under the constitution. FIFA
Congress is the organisation's supreme body. Numerous articles dictate which items are to be
discussed and which decisions are to be passed at this forum. As the legislative body of world
football - football's parliament in other words - the Congress bears a particular responsibility for
developing the game, the nature of which has been subject to increasingly rapid change over the
past few years. Each member has one vote at the Congress.
The Executive Committee is responsible for overseeing FIFA’s day-to-day business and
representing FIFA vis-à-vis third parties.Relevant decisions of the FIFA Congress are binding on
the Executive Committee. Within this—very liberal—legal framework, FIFA has room to
determine the authority of the Executive Committee in response to specific circumstances.
Under FIFA Statutes, the Executive Committee is in responsible for, among other things:
● Appointing and dismissing the FIFA Secretary General.
● Appointing the chairmen, deputy chairmen and members of the standing committees of
FIFA, including the Legal Committee.
● Approving FIFA regulations.
Notwithstanding the above, the FIFA Executive Committee has the general power to act and
decide on all matters that do not fall within the authority of the FIFA Congress or any other
FIFA body. Moreover, it has the final decision-making power concerning any matters not
provided for in the FIFA Statutes.
The power of this committee, S.A.AC., comes from the FIFA Congress. As it is considered
10a direct replacement of FIFA Executive Council, it has been given the same powers that were
previously held by the Council. Also, as the S.A.A.C. has members from the general secretariat
along with representations of other important bodies like the IFAB, as well as people from
FIFA’s Judicial bodies, it does have all the powers associated with those offices and bodies as
stated in FIFA Articles. However, to increase transparency and accountability, FIFA Congress
has withheld the power to appoint people, allowing S.A.A.C. to recommend them to Congress for
final approval by the entire Congress.
For more information of which committee, body, or office has which power, please refer
to FIFA Statutes or the website.
11FIFA World Cup
Overview
By statute, FIFA is tasked with organizing its own international competitions, the highest
profile of which is the FIFA World Cup.
While there are several different “World Cup” tournaments organized by FIFA, the term
“FIFA World Cup” is generally used to describe the quadrennial competition of the senior men’s
national (“A”) teams of the FIFA member associations (the “World Cup”). The FIFA World Cup
consists of a qualifying stage and a final tournament. For the public, the focus is on the final
tournament of a FIFA World Cup, which takes place in one host country (or two in the case of
co-hosting nations) over a period of approximately four weeks in June and July. The name of the
country that hosts the final round of the FIFA World Cup is reflected in the designation given
the tournament: for example, 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.
The inaugural tournament of the FIFA World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930. Since
12then, it has been continuously organized on a four years’ cycle, except for 1942 and 1946 when it
interrupted by the Second World War. For each tournament, FIFA decides the number of places
awarded to each of the confederations beforehand, generally based on the relative strength of
the confederations' teams, with host nations receiving automatic qualification to the final
tournament.
The final tournament of each FIFA World Cup is divided into two stages: the group stage
followed by the knockout stage. In the group stage, teams compete within eight groups of four
teams each. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, which is a
single-elimination round in which teams compete in one-off matches beginning with the round
of 16 (or the second round) and advancing through to the final match.
Attendance and Viewership
The FIFA World Cup is the premier event for world’s most popular sport. In 1930, over
half a million people attended the first World Cup tournament and in 1950 attendance exceeded
one million for the first time. The last three World Cup tournaments (the 2006 World Cup
Germany, the 2010 World Cup South Africa, and the 2014 World Cup Brazil) have each been
attended by over three million people.
The World Cup was first televised in 1954 and is now the most widely viewed sporting
event in the world. For example, the final for 2014 World Cup Brazil had over a billion viewers,
while broadcasters showed over 98,000 hours of match footage, or over 11 years, for the entire
event. Not surprisingly, the World Cup attracts many sponsors.
Revenue and Sponsorship
The proceeds generated by the FIFA World Cup make up by far the major share of FIFA’s overall
13revenue. For the four-year periods that result from the corresponding cycles of the World Cup
tournaments, the amount of World Cup-related FIFA revenue for recent years is represented as
follows (in million US Dollars).
As shown in the chart above, World Cup-related revenue consistently accounts for 80 to
90% of FIFA’s overall revenue. For example, FIFA’s total revenue for the period of 2011 to 2014
amounted to USD 4.15 billion, with the World Cup-related revenue constituting 85% of this
total. The numbers make clear that FIFA could not cover expenses without the revenue
generated by the World Cup. It is imperative that the committee keep these figures in mind as
FIFA’s reputation directly affects how much revenue it can gain from the next FIFA World Cup.
For revenue distribution from 2014 onwards, refer to financial statements on the FIFA website.
Host Selection
Given the prestige inherent to the FIFA World Cup, being selected as a host country
brings with it a considerable attention on the world sports stage. Moreover, the economic
benefits that result from hosting the final competitions of a FIFA World Cup tournament are
substantial. A host country can anticipate a multibillion-dollar revenue increase from this one-
month event.
Host countries also face specific demands. For example, they must ensure that their
general and sports-specific infrastructure is capable of coping with the considerable challenges
that result from vast numbers of spectators, athletes and administrative staff coming to a few
14selected locations for a very short period of time.
With regard to the selection of countries as hosts of the final competitions of a FIFA
World Cup tournament, the relevant rules and regulations have changed over time. For four
decades until 1998, FIFA followed a pattern of alternating the hosts of FIFA World Cup
tournaments between the
Americas and Europe. The
2002 World Cup however,
marked the first change to
this pattern with the host
countries (South Korea and
Japan) located in Asia. The
2006 FIFA World Cup was hosted by Germany in line with the custom to hold every second
FIFA World Cup in Europe. By contrast, the decisions on the hosts of the 2010 and 2014 FIFA
World Cup tournaments were made in accordance with a specific rotation scheme among the
FIFA confederations, allowing only countries from the chosen confederation (Africa in 2010,
South America in 2014) to bid to host the tournament. That rotation system was abandoned in
2007. Since that time, any country represented by a national association in FIFA may apply as
host for a FIFA World Cup. The only restriction is that tournaments may not be held on the
same continent, or hosted by member associations of the same confederation, on two successive
occasions.
15FIFA and Corruption
Overview and Importance
FIFA, as a brand, is known to be more corrupt than some countries. In order to
understand the scale of corruption in FIFA, and why it matters, it is important to look at FIFA
not as a footballing organization, but just as any other international organization.
If we remove football, then we what do we have? We are left with an international
organization with hundreds of national members from across the world; an organization with a
hierarchy of privilege and power that includes some of the world’s leading brands as sponsors
and an organization managing a budget of billions. We have spent decades rooting out the
corruption and fraud that has existed in major companies, from Enron to Satyam Computer
Services to Volkswagen, and targeting the individuals, such as Bernard Madoff and Jérôme
Kerviel, whose personal fraud has led to international scandals. Yet we have allowed one of the
biggest international organizations to go unchallenged for too long. We can look at this with two
primary concerns: integrity of public office and mismanagement of funds.
When international figures, such as former-FIFA President Sepp Blatter, are elected to
their position in FIFA they have been chosen by individuals to represent an international
organization that stretches to every corner of the globe. This means that Blatter and his
associates represent each nation in the world and in turn they represent every footballer,
employee, and fan who invests time, money and energy in the sport.
Therefore when they give into bribery and corruption they reject the trust and faith we
have put in these figures to carry out important and influential jobs. FIFA has a vast
international reach and an influence over the society and economies of world powers that many
organizations can only dream of. Therefore, we have to hold these individuals accountable.
16In addition to their influence these figures have control over vast sums of money and
control political decisions, such as the awarding of future events, that have huge financial
implications, not just regarding the funding of such events, but also the media revenues and
economic prosperity that these events can stimulate.
Essentially the FIFA scandal comes down to an issue in integrity and morality. We seek
to live in a world where elected officials can be trusted to carry out a task with honor and
honesty, where funds are managed efficiently and where political decisions are based on merit,
rather than the value of a bribe. The scandal should shock us and compel us to action in the
same way corporate greed, industrial fraud, and organized criminality has done in the past.
Some in the press has jokingly referred to Blatter as Don Blatterone, head of an international
crime syndicate, and in our approach to fighting this corruption we should treat FIFA as a new,
industrial form of mafia and one that needs to be broken.
History
While there are several strong allegations, reaching deep into FIFA’s past relating to
officials looking the other way, match-fixing, and other issues, a good place to start to
understand FIFA’s history of association with corruption is 1998, when Sepp Blatter won his
first FIFA election and was elected President of FIFA. This election was soon followed by reports
that the election was rigged, with members paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to vote for
Blatter. Even though the allegations were dropped, this was not the last time Blatter was accused
of rigging elections.
In 2002, then FIFA Secretary General Michel Zen-Ruffinen accused Blatter of
mismanagement of funds and losing around half a billion dollars. Blatter denied this, saying
there were no criminal actions. Then in 2006, due to external pressures, FIFA published its first
Code of Ethics. The first major incident- with proof- occurred in 2006, when FIFA Vice
17President Jack Warner made a million dollars selling illegal tickets to World Cup games. FIFA
condemned the actions, but he retained his position. This pattern of high ranking members
profiting personally from FIFA tournaments came further in the spotlight when a letter detailing
a $10 million payment to Jack Warner for the World Cup in South Africa was leaked.
The British Newspaper, The Sunday Times, conducted an undercover investigation that
revealed that FIFA Council members have sold their votes for the host for the World Cup. This
resulted in the suspension of Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii. Later on, more and more
reports emerged that bidding processes of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were affected by large
sums of money. This was followed by Russia and Qatar receiving the rights to host the World
Cups. The Football Association, who had a bid for England to host the 2018 World Cup, accuses
ExCo members of trying to get bribes from England, including one person asking for a
knighthood from the Queen.
A whistleblower, Phaedra Al Majid, then made several accusations saying that the Qatar
World Cup was bought. This was then followed by more allegations against Warner, who
resigned to avoid further investigation. However, his partner, Muhammad Bin Hammam, was
found guilty by the ExCo of buying votes and received a lifetime ban. This, rather than the end,
was just the start. Chuck Blazer, an ExCo member, agreed to be a government informant for the
United States Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) and Internal Revenue Service(IRS). This
directly lead to several incriminations including Warner.
In an effort to contain the fallout, and put on a positive pro-reform image, FIFA
appointed Michael Garcia, an attorney from New York, to head the Ethics Committee and
investigate the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process. Garcia was barred from meeting and
interviewing Russian officials by Russia because of his American nationality and possible anti-
Russian bias. This resulted in Cornel Boberly taking charge in the Russia bid process, along with
18interviewing persons of interest in the US. Amidst this, Muhammad Bin Hammam was given
another lifetime ban for buying World Cup votes, with further restrictions regarding his
involvements in football.
The Garcia Report, and the Boberly supplemental, which were leaked in full later on,
were submitted to FIFA. Rather than releasing the entire report, FIFA released a summary that
determined "various incidents which might have occurred" did not "compromise the integrity"
of the voting process. Both the Garcia Report and the Boberly Report are linked at the end of
this guide, and may also be found on the FIFA website. It is encouraged that delegates read
them. Garcia disagreed with the summary, saying the document includes "numerous materially
incomplete and erroneous representations of facts and conclusions”, and then resigned over
FIFA’s handling of his investigation.
In 2015, this drama reached its climax and Swiss authorities, backed by evidence
gathered by FBI and IRS, arrested 7 FIFA Executives in Zurich. The US Department of Justice
unveiled a 47-count indictment relating to racketeering and bribery for 14 defendants. Despite
this happening in the background, Sepp Blatter managed to win a 5th consecutive term as
President. But this victory for him did not last. Major sponsors stepped in and forced him to
resign days later.
Chuck Blazer pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in the US for 1998 and 2010 World Cup
bids, as reports of conversations emerged that Morocco should have hosted the 2010 World
Cup, with votes deliberately miscounted to award it to South Africa. The British Broadcasting
Corporation revealed investigations into Warner, as Swiss authorities started investigating 53
cases of money laundering relating to football officials. Chuck Blazer and David Warner received
life bans from football by FIFA. This entire scandal ended with Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini
banned from FIFA for eight years by an ethics committee.
19As the previous 20 years have shown, corruption in FIFA is widespread and present
throughout the organization; not just the top or the bottom.
20FIFA Past Actions
After the dethronement of Sepp Blatter, the new President, in conjunction with FIFA
Congress, started a series of reforms, that while well-intentioned, were ultimately not enough. It
is imperative that the S.A.A.C. recognize these efforts and address them, whether it may to
amend them, to repeal and replace them, or to build further legislative upon them. The general
synopsis of these reforms are as follows:
● FIFA decided to not allow belts, cuff links, or exposed pieces of metal in “high-risk”
matches with have sold tickets more than 80% capacity. This was done to curb expected
fan violence in Russia. However, the fans decided to rip seats and use them as weapons
instead.
● FIFA decided to allow female referees in all World Cup matches, following the successful
debut in the German Bundesliga. Due to severe opposition from the Russian Local
Organizing Committee(LOC), the implementation of this proposal was delayed till after
the World Cup.
● FIFA decided to limit pitch designs in World Cup Stadiums to stripes or checkers. This
was done with the foresight that “rogue” groundsmen might make pitch designs with
suggestive shapes, like an obscene gesture as was seen in a match between CSKA
Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg.
● FIFA recommended to the IFAB to increase the punishment for dissent and simulation
by players as well as coaches. This is to increase discipline during matches and to ensure
that players are well-behaved, as bad behavior by players leads to fan protests and
violence. IFAB adhered to FIFA’s recommendation, which resulted in the most red and
yellow cards given to players and coaches in a World Cup. Rather than reducing violence,
this increased violence in the stands and the fans tried to show their disapproval of the
referee.
21● All stadiums were required to have clear glass walls around the pitch to protect players
from projectiles thrown by the fans. This was very helpful in most cases. However, it
injured a record number of fans as projectiles like flares bounced off the wall and hit
them. In some stadiums, the wall was made of thinner glass as a cost-cutting measure.
This was broken easily and resulted in thousands of injuries with matches being
abandoned for safety concerns, and later on, played behind closed doors.
● All stadiums were required to install metal and explosive detectors, and all bags and
purses were searched. However, despite this and other security measures, many flares
were snuck onto the stands. This was alarming as it is hard to know exactly where the
breakdown of the security perimeter was.
● After the successful debut of Video-Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Confederations Cup,
FIFA, in conjunction with LOC, decided to implement its use in the World Cup proper.
While the system was intended to reduce human error on “match-critical” decisions, it
ended up causing controversy based on how much evidence was enough evidence, and
how to judge a player's intention. This led to mass riots, primarily because there was no
consistency, which was a telltale sign of poor referee training.
22FIFA Media Briefings
FIFA has received worldwide disdain for its lack of transparency. With the firm belief
that the secretive nature of how important decisions are made contributed to corruption, VISA,
Coke International, and other sponsors decided to set certain requirements that FIFA has to
follow to keep its very lucrative sponsorships. These include public release of all financial
documents, declaring any offers of any gifts offered to any FIFA members by any parties, and
media briefings.
As members of S.A.A.C, and by extension, FIFA, all committee members are required to
submit to periodic questioning by media outlets in an open setting. These will be conducted in
the committee room. The media representatives will ask certain committee members questions
relating to what they have said or done in committee. If committee members want to talk to the
media outside of the briefings, they can contact them through Slack.
Some media outlets will reach
out to committee members on slack
for a comment on a story or their
opinion. It is up to the individual
delegate if they want to give a
comment. They may also ask
committee members for an exclusive
interview. Committee members may
also reach out to media outlets to give
them a lead on the record, off the record, or to do an interview alone or with someone else.
The following media outlets will be present on a rotational basis:
23● ESPN
● Bleacher Report
● FourFourTwo
● Goal.com
● BBC
● The Guardian
● L'Équipe
● Football Italia
● Sky Sports
● BT Sports
● beIN Sports
● Süddeutsche Zeitung
● Dirty Tackle
● The Offside
● FIFA TV
If committee members want to request the presence of a specific media outlet, they can send a
message to crisis.
24FIFA Code of Ethics
As members of S.A.A.C, and by extension, FIFA, all committee members are expected to
hold themselves to the highest of ethical standards. Below is a summarization of the Substantive
Law, as stated in FIFA Code of Ethics.
1. People bound by this code are expected to be aware of the importance of their duties.
They are also expected to follow all applicable laws to the full extent.
2. People bound by this code may not abuse their position in any way. They must also
behave in a dignified manner and act with complete credibility.
3. People bound by this code have a duty to be neutral in all dealing with government
institutions, international bodies, associations and other groupings.
4. People bound by this code have a fiduciary duty to FIFA.
5. People bound by this code have an obligation to maintain the confidential nature of all
they come into contact with. This extends to after the termination of the relationship that
makes them bound by this code.
6. People bound by this code are forbidden to forge any document or falsify an original
document.
7. People bound by this code will immediately report any potential breach of this code to
the Ethics Committee- Investigatory Chamber. Failure to do so will result in their
association of said breach.
8. At the request of the Ethics Committee, all people bound by this code are obliged to
report all facts and documents to the Ethics Committee.
9. Any conflicts of interest that may arise during the course of a person’s work with FIFA
must be reported to the President immediately. This includes friends, family, and other
relatives.
10. People bound by this code cannot accept gifts from any bodies unless it is of symbolic
25value, will not create a conflict of interest, does not create an undue advantage, is not
contrary to their duties, and falls within their official duties. If in doubt, gifts should not
be accepted.
11. People bound by this code must not offer, promise, give or accept any personal or undue
pecuniary or other advantage in order to obtain or retain business or any other improper
advantage to or from anyone within or outside FIFA.
For the full Code of Ethics, including the Ethics Committee, it’s power, sanctions, and other
details, please refer to the entire Code of Ethics on the FIFA website.
26Issues to Consider
As responsible for administering a global sport, there are a lot of issues that S.A.A.C. needs
to consider. Some of them are as follows:
● Labor Disputes: The one occurrence that is common across all World Cups is the large
cost that is attached to building infrastructure. In an effort to minimize this as much as
possible, countries tend to use migrant and immigrant labor, as they have to pay them
less. This, in countries like Qatar, is essential because much of the infrastructure needs
to be built from scratch.
However, these workers
are underpaid, held
hostage, and tend to die
by the hundreds to meet
the goals of tight
deadlines and low
budgets. The World Cup
in Qatar, for example, is
expected to cost about
5,000 lives-all of which
are migrant labor.
● Development: The issue
of protection of rights
and the well-being of the
laborers that FIFA is reluctant to actively confront extends not only to the laborers off
the pitch, but also those on the pitch. Because of the huge monetary success that soccer
brings to the star players, and an element of hope that it brings among the poor, the
27exploitation of these prospective soccer players by corrupted agents or coaches have
become increasingly a concerning issue in the soccer community.
● Game Improvements: FIFA has come under fire for some missed calls and referee
troubles in the past few world cups, but instead of focusing on improving the refereeing
or adding technology to the mix, under Blatter they came up with another, more brilliant
move: simply stop showing the replays. This, they argued, would result in less fan
dissent, which would be a safer tournament. In terms of fairness in general, FIFA has
been dragging its feet over adding any type of assistive technology to the game, even
though people had been calling for years for goal-line technology that would definitively
prove when the ball had crossed the goal line. In 2010, in South Africa, they refused to
even bring up the topic of video technology in the midst of the missed-goal controversies.
It wasn’t until 2012 that Blatter finally deemed it a necessity in the game after a
Ukrainian-England match saw an official miss a Ukrainian goal.No one has been able to
force FIFA to move faster, and it is frustrating that an organization that runs the
“people’s game” is so impervious to the desires of the people.
● Ballon d’Or: The Ballon d’Or is an annual award that is granted to the player with the
best overall performance in league and national play. Since its rebranding in 2010, the
Ballon d’Or has been granted to only two players: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has been the most recent winner of the accolade, winning it for the 3rd time(4
total) to Messi’s four wins(5 total). The fact that this award has only been granted to two
players in the past 7 years contributes to critics claiming that it is a foundational error of
FIFA not granting the prize to the player who deserves it most. The Ballon d’Or appears
to be a popularity contest, and the selection process exhibits a lot of room for corruption
and rigging. As both Ronaldo and Messi are international faces for big brands like Nike
and Adidas, they are therefore are consistently publicized in advertisements and
commercials. Without a doubt, FIFA certainly gives the impression that talent will not
28guarantee a win. Also, in the past FIFA has flirted the voting deadlines. For example,
most recently, in November 2014 when Ronaldo displayed a stunning hat-trick in the
playoff against Sweden, FIFA extended the voting deadline from the original November
15th to November 29th. Public opinion shifts dramatically with events closest to the
voting date, and it appeared that Ronaldo would most certainly seal a Ballon d’Or win if
the deadline were extended to take into account his performance in the playoff.
● Player’s Health: Football has come a long way in the past decades as it relates to player’s
safety. With more awareness regarding the dangers of concussions, and actions like
mandatory stoppage of play when there is a chance of an injury, football as a sport has
received praise for trying to be proactive. However, there is a general consensus that
more needs to be done to protect the players. There needs to be substantial work done
that ensures that we can detect minor injuries and ensure they never become major
injuries. For example, managers have in the past had to keep on injured players because
they are out of substitutions. Many companies, including Adidas, are experimenting with
clothes like compression belts that have sensors built-in. This will be used to gain
information like heart rhythm, muscles group status, blood oxygenation levels, and
everything else in between. FIFA needs to decide if these technologies can substantially
help increase the detection of injuries like stress fractures, and what are the downsides to
such technologies.
29List of Members of S.A.A.C.
The Special Administrative Adjudication Committee (S.A.A.C.). of Federation International
Football Association (FIFA) is made up of the following members:
Lukas Brud Rep from International Football Association Board
Lukas is a person who believes that the best work is done when no one is looking. Such is
the mystery surrounding him that even the organization he represents, IFAB, does not know
much about him. A widely believed theory is that he leveraged his connections while he was in
FIFA for over 3 years. However, most of his connections are now behind bars. He is considered
the man single handedly responsible for the mainstream push of Video-Assistant Refereeing.
Some anonymous sources have even alleged that he paid referees off so that they would make
mistakes that would lead a public push for this technology.
Tjasa Andree-Prosenc Rep from Court of Arbitration of Sport
Master of law; Attorney at law; Council Member of the International Skating Union
(ISU); Member of the Executive Board of Slovene National Olympic Committee (NOC); VP of
the Slovene Skating Union; ISU Referee for championships and Winter Olympic Games;
Arbitrator with the International Biathlon Union (IBU). Technical Delegate for Figure Skating
for OWG 2006 Torino, OWG 2014 Sochi, OWG 2018 PyeongChang. With a resume like that,
Tjasa is no pushover. She believes in upholding the law- regardless of the cost.
Ramon Jesurun VP of CONEMBOL
Not much is known about Ramon before he burst onto the scene from nowhere in 2006
as President of Dimayor. Then, he became the President of the Columbian Football Association
in 2015. Even in charge of all football in Columbia was not enough to shed some light to his
background. There were rumors that he had links to the Columbian cartels that were brought up
30during his election to the Presidency of CONEMBOL, but nothing substantial was ever proven,
and a few witnesses who came forward disappeared soon after the case was closed. He is not
someone a lot of people trust, simply because no one knows what he really wants or where his
allegiances lie.
Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa VP of AFC
Hailing from the House of Khalifa, the Royal family of Bahrain, playing football was a
passion of Salman. However, he soon realized that someone of his pedigree and connections was
more suited to running the sport. He was the “elected” the President of Bahrain Football
Association. His tenure was what can be called the golden era of football in Bahrain, with the
national team being one game away from reaching the World Cup 2 times, and going to the
semifinals of the continental tournaments. He realized that he was destined for greater things,
and ran and won the office of AFC President, despite questions of his troubled human rights
record following him.
Karl-Erik Nilsson VP of UEFA
Karl-Erik is an established player, having held the office of Mayor in Sweden and being a
referee in Europe for over 15 years. After retiring from refereeing, he joined the Swedish
Football Federation, and was soon elected President. This was followed by being elected as the
Vice President representing UEFA in FIFA. He is known to love 2 things: boating and fighting
corruption. However, there is talk that his passions have crossed in the past in an unorthodox
way, but proof is hard to come by.
Ahmad Ahmad VP of CAF
Ahmad rose to prominence as a football coach in Madagascar. However, he soon become
involved in the government of Madagascar as Secretary of State for Sports, before making a
31radical switch to Minister of Fisheries. While the reasons of this switch are unknown, he then
resurfaced a few years later as the President of the Mangalasy Football Federation. This was
then followed by him becoming the President of Confederation of African Football. No one
knows how he was able to secure the votes to remove Issa Hayatou, who had been in office for
39 years. However, his first actions included a complete restructuring, which included firing
people who were deemed “unfit”, creating new positions and giving them to people who no one
knew existed.
Phillipe Moggio VP of CONCACAF
The election of Phillipe Moggio to the Presidency of CONCACAF raised a few eyebrows.
He knew sports, but his specialty was tennis, not football. However, this choice was
understandable given the fact that half of CONCACAF was under investigation for corruption.
The thinking was that an outsider would not know the right people, and thus was less likely to
give in to corruption. However, someone should have told the people in charge that football is
not the only sport with a corruption problem...
David Chung VP of OFC
David Chung was born in Malaysia, but he achieved fame for his work is boosting women
and grassroots football in Papua New Guinea. His work there resulted in him being elected
President of the Papua New Guinea Football Association, and then to the Oceania Football
Confederation. His work was recognized by the Queen in 2012 with a knighthood. David Chung
is perhaps the one person on this committee whose ethics are above question. Or perhaps no
one has dug deep enough.
32Mukul Mudgal Chair of Governance and Review Committee
Prepare to judge and be judged. The former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High
Court, he boasts connections to the Indian justice system. However, his expertise is not limited
to the workings of the legal justice system of India. He possesses experience in overseeing
international friendlies in the cricket circuit and the Indian Premier League before being tapped
for a similar capacity in the Asian Football Federation. If there’s anyone who can do this job, it is
him.
Alejandro Dominguez Chair of Finance Committee
Alejandro hails from a footballing background, as his father Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb
was a football administrator and a wealthy businessman. His father was accused of being a
cigarette smuggler in Brazil, and even now, there is a warrant for his arrest there. While there
are numerous questions regarding Alejandro’s run for office, as his predecessor as well as his
competition was arrested for corruption, he himself has not been linked to any dubious dealings
or breach of ethics so far.
Aleksander Čeferin Chair of Organization of Football Committee
Here stands a man with a good head on his shoulders. A Slovenian trained lawyer, he is
familiar with the practices of good governance and legal proceedings. A morally upright
individual, Aleksander would become UEFA president in 2016 and a FIFA vice-president in the
process. He would immediately set to work on building the integrity of his federation, passing
strong measures such as UEFA president term limits, requiring members of the Executive Board
to be in active roles (president), among other regulations. As the head of arguably the best
Federation in all of FIFA, he is not one to be trifled with.
33Victor Montagilani Chair of Football Stakeholders Committee
Playing football? Check. College? Check. Businessman? Check. Soccer Executive?
Absolutely. Victor has done it all, from playing amateur ball with Columbus F.C. to running the
British Columbia Soccer Association and Canadian Soccer Association. He has a unique
understanding of the game having participated both on the field and off the field. Now, Victor is
to take his business acumen and executive experience to the presidency of CONCACAF. As the
president of a region, he is automatically a FIFA Vice-President, making him one of the top dogs
in the hierarchy. The question is, what will he do with this power…
Raymond Hack Chair of Players’ Status Committee
The Players’ Status Committee that Hack heads needs to be run well to ensure a fair
competition in Qatar. Qatar and other states have negotiated shady deals to allow players from
other countries to represent them internationally, an affront to the fair play of the sport. Mr.
Hack has a lifetime of experience in management and sports administration, including positions
as CEO of the South African Football Association, director of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South
Africa Local Organizing Committee and formerly the Chair of the FIFA disciplinary committee.
Michel D’hooghe Chair of Medical Committee
Baron Michel D’Hooghe admitted to receiving a Renoir painting from a Russian agent to
lobby his vote before the vote for the location of the 2018 world cup. Too bad the decision was
made before he came clean. A medical doctor and former president of the Belgian football
association, D’Hooghe has a solid CV for his position. His royal title and history of accepting
valuables for votes raise questions about his ethical stability.
Philippe Le Floc’h Chair of TV and Marketing Committee
34Mr. Le Floc’h succeeded as the UEFA marketing director by restructuring the entire
UEFA commercial apparatus. As chair of the TV and Marketing Committee he will have wide
latitude to negotiate sponsorship and commercial relationships, but the role also bestows great
responsibility for maintaining and bettering the image of FIFA to a global audience. A Master’s
degree in law will help Mr. Le Floc’h stay within the bounds of just action, just as it might allow
him to skirt the edges of illegality.
Tomaz Vesel Chair of Audit and Compliance
Tomaz Vesel, former Supreme State Auditor of the Republic of Slovenia, loves to audit.
He has organized assistance to the former Yugoslavia and is an active member of the
International Organization of Supreme Audit Organizations. Vesel oversees all financial
accounting within FIFA, and takes his work seriously. A pristine track record precedes his work
with FIFA, so any attempt to influence Vesel may result in counter-investigation by his
department. The previous chair of this committee resigned after FIFA changed rules around the
appointment of chairs to its committees, a change that would inhibit the auditing branch from
conducting investigations. It remains to be seen how Mr. Vesel will navigate these changes.
Maria Claudia Rojas Co-Chair of Ethics Committee-Investigatory Chamber
An elite Colombian lawyer by training, Ms. Rojas is familiar with corruption at the
highest levels and she is willing and able to prosecute it. She specializes in international tax law,
humanitarian law, human rights, bioethics and national defense. Her background has made her
aware of the vast human rights abuses committed in preparation for the 2022 Qatar world cup,
and she has not looked well on Russia’s foreign policy outside of the sphere of international
football. Ms. Rojas sees the next World Cups as identity defining for FIFA, and will do whatever
she must to improve the humanitarian, security and legal status of those tournaments and of
FIFA.
35Vassilios Skouris Co-Chair of Ethics Committee-Adjudicatory Chamber
Former President of the European Court of Justice Vassilios Skouris brings a lifetime of
legal experience and a sanitarily clean background to the committee. His professorial style may
not strike some as intimidating, but he has the knowledge and the skill to investigate even the
cleverest perpetrators. Vassilios is well read in international politics, science and economics, and
has applied a staunchly conservative philosophy in major legal decisions regarding workers’
rights and the legal powers of corporations, decisions that suggest a close and friendly
relationship with big money.
Anin Yeboah Chair of Disciplinary Committee
Ghanaian constitutional lawyer and Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana Anin Yeboah
is not a man to shy away from trouble. He was elected chairman of the Disciplinary Committee
for his unwavering adherence to a personal philosophy of self-discipline and lifetime dedication
to justice. His widespread support within FIFA, however, is suspicious given the deep network
of corruption within the organization.
Thomas Bodstrom Chair of Appeal Committee
Thomas Bodstrom has a history of sordid and unethical behavior despite his success in
Swedish politics. He admits not paying required taxes for having home servants and has
advocated against privacy rights, suggesting that minor criminals be monitored by the
government on a long-term basis. His sudden rise to prominence in Sweden is not well
understood, nor are his past refusals to submit to drug testing. His chairship comes, then, at a
critical moment in his career. Bodstrom must prove himself to be ethical or corrupt.
Note: Some people hold multiple positions in real life in FIFA and its affiliates. For the
purposes of this committee, they are only entitled to the position that is stated in the
36background guide. However, this relates to only football related positions. The status of any
other positions or powers can be verified by note with Crisis.
37Sources
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