Sponsors of the FIFA asking Blatter to leave “immediately” his post – The World

Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Visa and Budweiser: four biggest sponsors of FIFA, immersed in a vast corruption scandal, asked in turn Friday, October 2 its president, Sepp Blatter, to immediately leave his post, but Blatter’s lawyer in the United States, Richard Cullen, said that his client would not resign early.

Tired of legal adventures after the opening last week of criminal proceedings in Switzerland against Blatter, sponsors have gone on the attack. For the first time since the beginning of the scandal FIFA, they publicly called for the departure of the boss of world football

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The Swiss and US authorities announced in May the opening of investigations against leaders of FIFA suspected of corruption, including through allocation of World Cup 2018 2022 in Russia and Qatar.

Sepp Blatter, who says he innocent, announced his resignation from the presidency of FIFA on June 2, just four days after being re-elected. His successor shall be appointed on 26 February. His lawyer argued that from the time it is necessary to reform FIFA would not be in the best interests of the Federation.

In any case, this offensive sponsors “can change that” as the president of the Football Association (FA), Greg Dyke. “ No matter what Mr. Blatter now, if people who fund Fifa want a change, they will have ” , has he said.

$ 30 million per year

This Friday, it is primarily the heavyweights of the US economy and global Coca-Cola and McDonald’s have launched an offensive that seems concerted, in the form of unequivocal statements issued simultaneously.

“For the good of football,” giant soft drinks asks Sepp Blatter “immediately resign” . McDonald’s released its own statement in stride. “The events of recent weeks have continued to tarnish the reputation and diminished public confidence in his leadership” , lamented the world’s number one fast food.

Visa and Anheuser-Busch brewer InBev (Budweiser), joined by AFP, have pressed then the nail Visa as McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are among the so-called global partner of FIFA. They are paying each annual $ 30 million (€ 26.8 million) to be granted this status and to use it in their marketing and advertising strategies.

For the Anheuser Busch InBev group, parent Budweiser brewer, the presence of Mr. Blatter in his post “is ” an obstacle to the reform process “.