Washington - Just as US authorities said indictments of FIFA leaders were only the beginning of their investigation, US-based FIFA sponsors and lawmakers said Friday that Sepp Blatter's re-election only starts his work to rebuild trust.
FIFA backers Coca-Cola, Budweiser and McDonald's called for quick moves to transparency while Visa let stand its demand for changes with the threat to withdraw if none are forthcoming.
And US Senator Charles Schumer demanded Blatter's first act as the re-elected FIFA president be to make public the details of a self-ordered FIFA investigation by former US Attorney Michael Garcia, who called FIFA's self-produced summary of his report "incomplete" and filled with "erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions."
Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan lost Friday to Blatter in voting just two days after charges of fraud, bribery, money laundering and racketeering were made against several of FIFA's top executives.
Sponsors, whose financial backing provides the ultimate power and support for the global football governing body, showed willingness to let Blatter make good on his promise to act, but signaled they expected swift action and major changes.
"Our expectation is that FIFA will now act quickly, decisively and transparently to restore its reputation for both the good of the game and for fans worldwide who expect nothing less," McDonald's said in a statement. "The world expects concrete actions and so do we."
Transparency was also a keynote of Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev's statement.
"We expect the next FIFA presidency to resolve internal issues, install positive change and adhere to strong ethical standards and transparency," it said.
"Through our sponsorship, we have time and again seen the power of soccer in bringing people together and this is what FIFA must represent for football fans around the globe."
Blatter was told in no uncertain terms by sponsor Coca-Cola that the sense of violated trust will require transparency if he is to be seen as a credible agent of change.
"FIFA must now seize the opportunity to begin winning back the trust it has lost," Coca-Cola said in a statement.
"We urge FIFA to take concrete actions to fully address all of the issues that have been raised, in a swift and transparent manner."
Another US-based FIFA sponsor, Visa, decided not to release a new statement after demanding major changes just two days earlier when the indictments were revealed.
AFP
