FIFA: “The stadiums’ State”

June 2015

A short guide (for the inexperienced only!) to the worldwide Government of Football - Institutions, regulations

and offices - to introduce the greatest spread and World following

FIFA: the origins

May 21 1904, Paris.

7 European Countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) founded the Fédération Internationale de Football Association - FIFA.

Italy joined it in 1905.

FIFA: the objectives

An objective - to develop international Football - and few rules for a start:

mutual recognition of the national associations;

a code of common rules, the “Laws of the Game of the Football Association”.

Today 6 Continental Confederations are members of FIFA. For Europe, it is the “Union des Associations Européennes de Football” (UEFA). In total,

209 National Football Associations belong to FIFA.

FIFA: For the Game, For the World

Aims to improve the game of football and promote it globally.

It’s the Guardian of the game: drafts and updates Organisational Regulations. FIFA guarentees the observation of the rules and their enforcement.

Organises a number of international tournaments, especially the FIFA World Cup, that has taken place from 1930 every 4 years (except in 1942 and in 1946).

It awards the FIFA Ballon d’Or to the best player of the year. Who is the best player in charge?

Cristiano Ronaldo!

Where is FIFA?

Home of FIFA is in Zurich, Switzerland, (not only) simbolically representing the driving force behind the global Government of Football. It includes offices, meeting rooms, auditorium, football fields and equipped-sports areas.

Elected by the FIFA Congress, he remains in office for 4 years (renewable). He must collect the absolute majority in the first election round (2/3 of valid and secret votes) or, if not, the simple majority of votes during the following election round/s. Each FIFA affiliated member association can nominate candidates for the FIFA Presidency, by an official request to the General Secretary at least 2 months before the elections.

The President

Lack of transparency?

This method has been contested for its lack of transparency: sponsors of the electoral presidential FIFA campaigns are not publically known and the General Secretary presents the candidates only a month in advance, with little notice. Furthermore, this office is renewable without time limits.

Since 1998, the undisputed dominus of Football is the Swiss Joseph Blatter. Recently he resigned because of scandals that involved other FIFA representatives. Blatter remains in office until December 2015.

Presides over the FIFA Congress and the Executive Committee; he represents FIFA legally. Looks after the external and political bodies - affiliated Football Confederations and member associations, Government Institutions and other stakeholders. Has a casting vote for the Executive Committee.May propose the appointment or dismissal of the Secretary.Presides over the Standing Committees meetings, included the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup and the Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility. May propose the appointment of Standing Committees’ Presidents and members.

In the opinion of many, this is a monistic system of power without provision for checks and balances.

The powers of the “King” of Football

It is the FIFA collective body with executive and decisional powers, consisting of:

FIFA Government: the Executive Committee

President.

8 Vice Presidents, elected by the Confederations.

15 ordinary Members, appointed by the Confederations and the Associations.

It passes decisions on all cases that do not come within the sphere of responsibility of the Congress or are not reserved for other bodies, e.g.:

The Executive Committee: Tasks

appoints representatives of FIFA who shall attend the General Assembly of the IFAB (International Football Association Board); may decide to set up ad hoc Temporary Committees; decides whether to admit, suspend or expel a Member; appoints the Chairmen, Deputy chairmen and members of the Standing Committees; approves FIFA Organisational Regulations; elects, on the proposal of the President, the General Secretary; until 2011, it selected the host venue from the bids designated by the Executive Committee. This particular competence passed to the Congress, starting from the choice of the Nation hosting FIFA World Cup 2026.

It is the FIFA legislative body - the Parliament of Football - chaired by the President. Since 1998, it meets at least one a year. It is a democratic body, with one vote for each Member.It approves FIFA Organisation Regulations, the Annual Report, the Budget. It establishes, for each member association, the subscriptions.It elects the President.

The Congress

The final tournament is hosted by a selected Country; few rules, in particular the right to host the event shall not be awarded to members of the same Confederation for two consecutive FIFA World Cups.

The bidding procedure to select the venue of the FIFA World Cup is long and controversial, since there are not clear and precise criteria, and it is determined by political factors.

Focus on... the FIFA World Cup

Let us take one example: FIFA could consider moving the 2022 Qatar World Cup, to winter, for clear climatic reasons!

32 national teams compete, in two stages: the group stage followed by the knockout stage.

Since 2006, when the World Cup was won by Italy, the trophy - 36 cm (14.2 in) high, made of solid 18 carat gold - is not anymore held by the winning nation permanently because damages have occurred in the past years.Winners returned home with a gold-plated replica.

Out of curiosity

The trophy is designed by the Italian Silvio Gazzaniga and both (those true and the copy) were made by the goldsmith GDE Bertoni in Paderno Dugnano (MI).