Which perspectives are involved in corruption in sports?
In regard to the perspectives involved, while many different individuals may take a certain stance on the issue, there are only two main opinions. This is true because of the fact that no matter what profession or status you have, whether it be athlete, journalist, coach, or regular civilian, we are all fans of sport and what it brings to our lives. Therefore, while each voice may have their own nuanced take, these are just specifics which come together to form one true perspective. The other lens through which the issue can be seen is that of the perpetrators, or the organisations in which they worked.
How does the marginalisation of certain voices impact the resolution to corruption in sports?
An organisation’s failure to engage the public’s voices, which are advocated for by numerous professionals, regulators, and fans, can contribute to the degradation of the organisation’s integrity. To better understand this idea, let’s take a look at the 2015 corruption scandal in FIFA. After numerous FIFA officials were charged with being part of corruption which, according to Simon Robinson, “involved criminal schemes involving well over $200m (£132m) in bribes and kick-backs” , FIFA President Sep Blatter reacted in a way which caused dismay in the football world. FIFA needed to find a way to reinstate the values which they strived to uphold back into their practices and proceedings. Rather than integrating the public’s voice in the process to find a resolution, Blatter took a divergent path, going so far as claiming that ‘accusations of corruption were racist’. This decision had the football community in outrage and severely lessened the chances of FIFA re-gaining the trust of fans and businesses who they were associated with.
Pictured Left: Ex-FIFA President, Sepp Blatter
AFP Photo. “Ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter.” BBC, 21 Dec. 2015, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32985553.
According to multiple public studies done by The Guardian…
- 36% of football fans do not trust the sport at all
- 74% of sports fans agreed that sports today are more concerned with making money than providing entertainment and enjoyment for their fans
- 1/3 of fans say their trust in the sport industry had declined after corruption scandals
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How do separate organisations react differently to corruption within the company?
One commonality between all sporting organisations is that corruption always poses a threat; however, what sets these organisations apart is their perspective on the issue. Difference in perspectives will influence how each organisation reacts to corruption. As shown earlier, FIFA’s officials reacted to the 2015 corruption scandal in a very negative manner. On the other hand, the International Olympic Committee’s response to the 1998 Salt Lake City scandal showed that organisations can move past major corruption issues if they make a sincere effort to do so. In response to the scandal, which involved numerous IOC officials accepting bribes from the Salt Lake olympic bidders, the IOC introduced an Ethics committee to control the organisation’s activities. This step showed that the IOC wanted to rebuild their former reputation and level of integrity because the ethics committee was focused on implementing the values which the organisation wanted to embody, as mentioned in the following quote from Corruption in Sport: Causes, Consequences, and Reform; “The Ethics Commission documents fully acknowledge that what the Olympic movement means by its values should be written into its practices”. These efforts were greatly respected and appreciated, and significantly helped rebuild the IOC’s reputation in the eye of the public.
Pictured Above: “The Olympics Scandal” TIME magazine cover, January 25th, 1999
Hochstein, Arthur, and Ed Gabel. “The Olympic Scandal.” Time Magazine, Time Magazine, 25 Jan. 1999, content.time.com/time/covers/europe/0,16641,19990125,00.html.