News that FIFA President Sepp Blatter is under investigation regarding alleged corruption further plunges football’s governing body into crisis communication mode.
It’s not the first sporting body to face challenges of this kind. Indeed, it’s a sad fact of modern sport that all governing bodies will have to deal with corruption issues from time to time: cricket, tennis, snooker and horse racing are just four of the high profile sports that have grappled with corruption allegations in recent years. But FIFA’s challenge is even greater for one important reason: the alleged corruption is not amongst its players, but within the organisation itself. As a consequence, time is running out for the organisation to seize the initiative and commit to the changes necessary for it to restore trust.
As someone who advised the International Cricket Council when it first grappled with match-fixing allegations, I know that it’s possible for organisations to recover their reputations, but it requires commitment, courage and communication. Commitment to rid the sport of corruption. Courage to take difficult short term decisions in the interest of long term reputation protection. Communication to give stakeholders confidence that the organisation is genuinely honest, transparent and open.
More than anything, successful crisis communication requires leadership. And when the current leadership is itself at the heart of the crisis, it often requires a new chief to lead the change.
As FIFA faces the biggest reputational threat in its history, football fans around the world must hope that this crisis turns out to be the catalyst for a more credible organisation in future.
