FIFA’s latest crisis shows why sport needs independent oversight

Every now and then, sport is plunged into crisis when external scrutiny exposes opaque decisions or wrongdoing that its own institution failed to identify or confront.

World football entered one of those moments a few weeks ago.

Reporting by the Times journalist Martin Ziegler revealed Gianni Infantino's plan to restructure FIFA's commercial operations.

From there, the tectonic plates began to shift.

UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions.

Confederation protested the lack of consultation and senior figures inside FIFA broke ranks.

In an extraordinary statement, FIFA's then Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour called the proposal the project of one person, said Statt have been deceived, and accused the leadership of contempt and intimidation.

Within days, Infantino withdrew the plan.

FIFA's elected bodies and internal checks did not alert the football world.

Investigative journalism did.

Then the familiar cycle begins.

Sports leaders claim to have learned the lessons and announce another round of reforms promising greater transparency and integrity until the next survivor, whistleblower or investigation exposes what the system still failed to stop.

Play the Game has documented more than 25 years of corruption, doping scandals, abuse, match manipulation and other integrity breaches.

Reform has too often followed external intervention rather than effective action from within sport.

Every now and then, sport is plunged into crisis when external scrutiny exposes opaque decisions or wrongdoing that its own institution failed to identify or confront.

World football entered one of those moments a few weeks ago.

Reporting by the Times journalist Martin Ziegler revealed Gianni Infantino's plan to restructure FIFA's commercial operations.

From there, the tectonic plates began to shift.

UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions.

Confederation protested the lack of consultation and senior figures inside FIFA broke ranks.

In an extraordinary statement, FIFA's then Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour called the proposal the project of one person, said Statt have been deceived, and accused the leadership of contempt and intimidation.

Within days, Infantino withdrew the plan.

FIFA's elected bodies and internal checks did not alert the football world.

Investigative journalism did.

Then the familiar cycle begins.

Sports leaders claim to have learned the lessons and announce another round of reforms promising greater transparency and integrity until the next survivor, whistleblower or investigation exposes what the system still failed to stop.

Play the Game has documented more than 25 years of corruption, doping scandals, abuse, match manipulation and other integrity breaches.

Reform has too often followed external intervention rather than effective action from within sport.