ABSTRACT
In a surprise announcement on 2 June 2015 that he would ‘lay down’ his mandate at a to-be-convened extraordinary congress, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said: ‘While I have a mandate from the membership of FIFA, I do not feel that I have a mandate from the entire world of football – the fans, the players, the clubs, the people who live, breathe and love football. . .’ A brief statement, but one that says much about the governance issues that have plagued FIFA – and, indeed, many international sporting federations – for a number of years.
