Blatter launches anti-corruption battle plan

FIFA president Sepp Blatter went on the offensive Friday, hoping his new anti-corruption drive will ease the pressure on his scandal-hit organisation and bring transparency into the world body. Blatter, who won a bruising and controversial election battle to see off former Asian football supremo Mohamed bin Hammam earlier this year, said he will create a committee of good governance as well as four new task forces. The FIFA chief insisted that this new committee of good governance was essential if reforms agreed by the FIFA Congress in June were to be advanced. "This committee will establish necessary anti-corruption measures and codes of conduct," said Blatter. The new committee should be made up of 15 people, mostly from the world of football but also containing politicians. FIFA has been mired in corruption allegations since June with Blatter's battle with Qatar's Hammam particularly bitter. Hammam was eventually banned for life from all football-related activity after being accused of trying to buy votes in the election. He has constantly denied the allegations and has vowed to clear his name. Blatter was determined to come out fighting on Friday at the conclusion of the first executive committee since his re-election. "In any family that has hundreds of millions of people as is the case with FIFA, there will be some who are corrupt," he said. "What you cannot say is that the whole family is corrupt." Blatter also said that he would open a new probe into the collapse of ISL, the former marketing partner of FIFA. Documents relating to the International Sport and Leisure group will be re-examined at a December 16 and 17 meeting in an attempt to probe allegations that illegal payments were made to certain FIFA officials in exchange for TV and commercial rights. "The executive committee stated its full support for the release of the dossier on the ISL case," said a FIFA statement. "However, this can only be done after a thorough legal analysis because of the complexity of the matter. "The case will be opened at the next meeting of the Executive Committee in December 2011. It will then be given to an independent body for further examination."