Fifa braced for report

FIFA’s executive committee is bracing itself to receive an anti-corruption report with president Sepp Blatter saying football’s governing body needs actions, not just words.

Mark Pieth, a professor at the Basel Institute of Governance, has produced the report on the way Fifa operates as part of an attempt to reform the organisation following a series of corruption scandals. “Looking forward to our meeting,” said Blatter on Twitter last night. “Delighted to see my main ideas for reform in Mark Pieth’s report. I stressed how to improve Fifa’s governance since the beginning of last year. Not just words but actions. I hope my colleagues share my enthusiasm for reform.”

Blatter has recently sought to distance himself from his fellow executive committee members, pointing out they are chosen by their respective continental confederations.

He is due to give a media conference following the executive committee meeting, which will also hear a report from Claudio Sulser, who is head of a separate team aimed at bolstering Fifa’s ethics committee.