Former heads of FIFA ethics committee launch consultancy

Lausanne (AFP) – The two judges who formerly ran the FIFA Ethics Committee announced on Thursday that they have started a company to advise on good governance in sports.

Cornel Borbely, who is Swiss, was chairman of the FIFA committee’s investigatory arm, while Hans-Joachim Eckert, a German, presided over the adjudicatory chamber which banned former president of the governing body of world football Sepp Blatter and UEFA head Michel Platini, among others.

In May, FIFA, under its new president Gianni Infantino, opted not to reappoint Borbely and Eckert.

That decision, Borbely said at the time, was “politically motivated” and put an end to FIFA’s “efforts at reform”.

The new company, the Sports Governance Unit (SGU), is based in Zurich and headed by Borbely, Eckert and Marc Tenbucken, a communications expert from Munich.

SGU said in a press release that its aim “is to advise associations, clubs, sponsors and governments on issues in the context of good governance, integrity and compliance in sports”.

“Today, it is more essential than ever for sports officials to be concerned with questions on ethics and compliance,” Eckert said.

The release went on to say that “international federations and clubs are faced with a growing pressure from external stakeholder groups” and that “fans and sponsors expect more and more transparency.” It also warned that  “public authorities…are now closely monitoring the activities of sports associations and professional clubs”.