Fridays election of a new FIFA President may have been the second-most important thing to happen at FIFA's extraordinary congress. Before Gianni Infantino's election as Sepp Blatter's replacement, delegates vited to enact much-needed FIFA reforms.
With these reforms, FIFA is at least paying lip service to moving away from the rampant corruption that has inhabited it pretty much forever.
Today is the #FIFA presidential election. These are just some of the reforms the new leader will be working with. https://t.co/ongToiPF4A
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 26, 2016
The reforms check the boxes that need checking: moving closer to gender equality, becoming more transparent, money-wise, separating politics and management and making the president less powerful.
Here's a list of the reforms, via the BBC:
Disclosure of salaries
This will happen on an annual basis for the Fifa president, all Fifa council members, the secretary general and relevant chairpersons of independent standing and judicial committees.
Presidents limited to three terms of four years
This applies to the Fifa president, Fifa council members and members of the audit and compliance committee and of the judicial bodies. Sepp Blatter served five terms as Fifa president dating back to 1998.
Separation of political and managerial functions
The elected Fifa council will replace the executive committee and will be responsible for setting the organisation's overall strategic direction. The general secretariat will oversee the operational and commercial actions needed to implement the strategy.
Promotion of women in football
A minimum of one female representative will be elected as a council member per confederation.
Human rights enshrined in Fifa statutes
These all strike us as good ideas. If they can actually be enforced, we may be in business here. But then, this is FIFA, so who the hell knows what's going to happen.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
