Separating the Commercial and Regulatory Sides
Fifa's recent World Cup controversies have highlighted the need for a separation between the commercial and regulatory sides of the organisation. According to Miguel Maduro, a former chair of Fifa's governance committee, creating different corporate entities within Fifa would allow for different priorities to take hold. "There would have to be a Chinese wall between these entities and they would have to have different incentives," he says. "Those who are seeking to maximise commercial income should not be dependent on the regulatory rules and those working on the regulatory side should not be influenced by commercial considerations."
Introducing External Regulation
Critics argue that Fifa needs to be held accountable by an external body. Maduro suggests creating a new equivalent to Wada, the global anti-doping body, to review ethical issues and compliance of sporting organisations. "Change needs to be imposed from the outside," he says. "It won't happen from the inside." Uefa, which has been moving closer to Brussels, has already called on the EU's executive to intervene over another Infantino plan: to expand the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.
Limiting Executive Power
Fifa's president, Gianni Infantino, has too much power, according to critics. Maduro suggests removing the president's power to determine funding or introducing a system where the heads of Fifa's six continental confederations take turns at being president. "It's not an outrageous idea," says Mark Pieth, a governance expert. "I am Swiss and it happens in my country. Seven ministers take turns being the president, but their tenure lasts one year and it's clear who the next president is because they go around in order."
Greater Transparency
Campaigners are frustrated by Fifa's lack of transparency over decision-making and the existing appeals process. Nick McGeehan, the director and co-founder of the not-for-profit Fair Square, notes that greater transparency would also involve engaging more with the media. "It seems like Infantino only calls a press conference once every four years," he says. "It shows an authoritarian state-style distrust of the media and a concomitant lack of transparency."
Rethinking Development
Fifa's development budget is equal to many big development agencies, but there is a lack of scrutiny over how the money is spent. McGeehan notes that greater transparency would involve engaging more with the media and providing audited accounts. "Where are the audited accounts?" he asks. "Fifa have a development budget that is equal to many big development agencies, but not only is there no needs analysis in terms of how that money is distributed but there is literally no evidence of any audits."
Switching the Electorate
A change in who gets a say in Fifa's decisions might be another way to achieve more effective governance. Ashish Prashar, a political consultant, suggests that confederations should get together and form a new entity to solidify the game with the values that serve the people. "The biggest item for that entity must be fan ownership of the game," he says. "The World Cup and its surrounding events should involve the public in its decision making whether that's fan groups, fan ambassadors or elections for fans."