BERNE, (Reuters) – FIFA will meet some of its leading commercial partners tomorrow to discuss reforms, a source close to soccer’s world governing body said yesterday.
The meeting will take place in Zurich, the source told Reuters, although no further details were available.
FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said last month that Coca-Cola, Visa and McDonald’s had written asking for information about what was being done to clean up governance of the sport and offering to meet soccer’s ruling body.
Valcke’s announcement came after Coca-Cola and Visa urged FIFA to support the creation of an independent body to reform the way it is run.
McDonald’s said it had told FIFA that its internal controls and compliance culture were not consistent with the expectations it had for its business partners.
Coca-Cola confirmed in a statement that they would be involved. “The Coca-Cola Company will be participating in the working session with FIFA. We are not providing any further details at this time,” it said.
FIFA was thrown into turmoil in May when U.S. prosecutors indicted nine soccer officials, most of whom had FIFA positions, and five marketing and broadcasting company executives over a range of alleged offences.
The charges included fraud, money-laundering and racketeering.
