John Delaney: It’s a good day for the game

There were cheers in Abbotstown yesterday evening with FAI chief executive John Delaney describing events at Fifa headquarters in Zurich as a “good day for football”.

Delaney was a constant presence on the airwaves and television screens in the lead-up to last Friday’s presidential election, criticising the credentials of Sepp Blatter.

Yesterday, his wish was granted when the veteran legislator bowed to pressure by quitting the post despite being re-elected only four days earlier.

“I’m delighted Blatter has stepped down,” affirmed Delaney to RTÉ sport.

“It’s a good day for world football. I’m not surprised it has happened.

“There was momentum against him, sponsors, the FBI, the British government, from within football where 73 countries, nearly 40%, had the bravery to vote against him last Friday.

“Certain countries would have been afraid to even think about voting against him.

“The culture at Fifa was one of corruption, one of bribery. It had nothing to do with the beautiful game and as I described it last week, was more out of a mafia movie than football.

“Even though it was a secret ballot, a lot of people were of the view that it would be difficult to remove him.”

Now that the ringmaster has departed the scene, and a string of officials face corruption charges in both the United States and Switzerland, Delaney feels the focus should switch to reforming the culture within the world governing body.

Delaney’s acquaintance, Uefa president Michel Platini, is already the favourite to fill the vacancy when it comes before a vote of 209 countries at the emergency congress, probably in January.

“It’s now important that when the debate moves on — and it is important that the debate moves on — that we use this opportunity to change the culture of Fifa,” stressed Delaney.

“I’m just hopeful that we can carry that change through. We have this great opportunity to get world football on the front pages for the right reasons.

“There was a blind loyalty to Blatter by the African and Asians nations. They felt Blatter going would mean them not getting their funding but a message now needs to go to them.”

Delaney cited what he believes is an improvement in the International Olympic movement as an example where a change of guard worked.

“If you go back to the IOC, the international Olympic movement, they faced these issues many years ago and they changed that culture very quickly with a strong president who brought in good governance procedures,” he said.

FA chairman Greg Dyke claimed Blatter’s decision made it a “brilliant day” for football and warned that Qatar’s World Cup organisers may have cause to fear the consequences.

Dyke said: “It’s a brilliant day for the game — this is football’s Salt Lake City moment and whoever takes over has to be squeaky clean. The whole Fifa operation has to be modernised.”

The Salt Lake City reference is in relation to the International Olympic Committee’s bribery scandal in relation to the 2002 winter Games which led to major reforms of that body.

Asked if the resignation could mean the decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar will come under renewed scrutiny, Dyke said: “If I was the Qatari organisers I wouldn’t sleep very well tonight.

“There has been less evidence about corruption involving Russia. Qatar was never understandable — to have a World Cup in the middle of summer in Qatar when even Fifa’s health and safety people advised not to do it.

“I think if the evidence comes out which shows the bidding processes were above board that’s fine.

“If it shows they were corrupt then obviously the bids should be re-done, it’s as simple as that.”

Platini, who had last week implored Blatter to step aside, welcomed the announcement.

He said: “It was a difficult decision, a brave decision, and the right decision.”