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SANDY — After FIFA President Sepp Blatter stunned the world with his announcement Tuesday that he would be stepping down from his role, Real Salt Lake midfielder Luke Mulholland offered up his nominee.
“Appoint Steven Gerrard as president,” said Mulholland, a native of Preston, England, after RSL training, unofficially nominating the former Liverpool captain and future L.A. Galaxy midfielder.
Laughs aside, the news from the top level of FIFA’s international hierarchy reached into the depths of RSL’s locker room pretty quick — and the team voiced apparently unanimous support that Blatter’s resignation can only be good for the game.
“There are a lot of things coming out, and I’m sure they aren’t all good for him,” RSL coach Jeff Cassar said after jokingly announcing his own run for the FIFA presidency. “But it’s about getting someone in there that everyone can work together with for the good of the game. But it is kind of odd when he just won (re-election) and now he resigns.”
After overseeing an alleged corruption scandal among his top executives and vice presidents, an ABC News report Tuesday said that Blatter himself is also in the midst of an investigation by the FBI and U.S. authorities after last week’s indictment alleging financial misconduct among the president of CONCACAF and other FIFA executives.
Blatter announced his resignation in a speech before a hastily called general assembly of international soccer’s governing body, saying that he will step down because he “only wants to do what's the best for football and FIFA.”
Mulholland, who admitted he hasn’t been a fan of Blatter’s tenure since the FIFA president helped deny World Cup host bids to his native England and adopted United States, hopes the change in leadership is best for the game — helping to root out some of the alleged corruption against the international federation.
“I think it will change. It’s just a big cleanup,” Mulholland said. “I think everything will be done by the books now, and with the investigations (ongoing), they won’t try anything. Everyone’s going to have to back into (the cleanup).”
After jokingly nominating English international Gerrard for FIFA president, Mulholland admitted it didn't necessarily matter who is voted into the new post — just so long as world soccer is behind him or her.
“I don’t think who really matters, just so long as it’s a person who is about the people underneath him and doing the right stuff for the game and for the right reasons,” Mulholland said. “I just hope someone like that can take control.”
His coach is hopeful the next FIFA president can get back to doing right by the world’s game.
“I think for the most part, people do what is right for the game,” Cassar said. “That’s what I try to concentrate on: doing everything that myself, our club, our organization and our league can do. There are always those people (who work in corruption). It’s a good thing they are getting rid of him, and it’s even more important who they replace — making sure they have the right integrity and what is best for the players and the growth of the game.”
