FIFA adviser resigns in dispute over 'neutered' reform proposals

FIFA anti-corruption adviser Alexandra Wrage has quit her role because of a perceived lack of progress from the governing body of world football in improving its internal transparency.

Wrage, the President of international compliance expert TRACE, quit the FIFA Independent Governance Committee (IGC) over her belief that key proposals to reform the organisation have been watered down.

FIFA set up the IGC to help it become more transparent in the wake of allegations of bribery and World Cup vote-buying scandals.

In a recent interview, Wrage said the proposed reforms had been "neutered".

FIFA launched its reform process almost two years ago amid fierce criticism after Mohamed bin Hammam, an election rival to President Sepp Blatter, was accused of bribery. Bin Hammam was later banned for life by Fifa, but he continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Wrage, a Canadian member of the IGC, said she was "frustrated and surprised" that FIFA had failed to back several measures she regarded as "really bland, straightforward governance provisions" after a meeting of its leading executive committee in March.

The IGC proposals included measures to:

Toughen up the process for deciding how future World Cups are awarded

Ensure independent oversight of Fifa's powerful executive committee

Disclose how much president Sepp Blatter and other leading executives are paid

Ensure integrity checks for future executives are carried out independently

Speaking last month, Wrage stated "key provisions that are accepted in the corporate world have not been accepted here - our recommendations just seem to fall off the agenda."

A statement on TRACE's website now reads "(FIFA) remains the closed society that fuelled its problems to begin with."

http://www.traceinternational.org/