David Gill receives his nomination at the Executive Committee from FIFA President Sepp Blatter at the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich on Friday. PHOTO: REUTERS
Gill said he could not serve under Blatter because of the mounting corruption scandals that have hit FIFA and the threat to his “professional reputation”.
The 57-year-old Gill, former chief executive of Manchester United, was elected to take the FIFA vice-president’s place reserved for the British nations.
After the arrest of seven FIFA officials in Zurich and a parallel inquiry into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Gill said he would not take up the seat under a Blatter presidency.
“This action is not something I take lightly but the terribly damaging events of the last three days have convinced me it is not appropriate to be a member of the FIFA executive committee under the current leadership,” Gill said in a statement. “I do recognise that Mr Blatter has been democratically elected and wish FIFA every success in tackling the many troubling issues it faces. However, my professional reputation is critical to me and I simply do not see how there will be change for the good of world football while Mr Blatter remains in post.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2015.
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