Opening addresses
The 209 FIFA members have been given a united message from the body's acting President Issa Hayatou, the President of the Swiss Football Association Peter Gilléron and the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach.
The gist of all their addresses has been: “Reform now or go bust”.
“This is a watershed moment in the history of FIFA,” said Hayatou. “The entire world has its eyes on us today. We have the power to change things.”
Gilléron told delegates that the host country, Switzerland, has done its bit by “bringing the sun to Zurich today”. “We have the power to make the sun shine on FIFA and football by making the right decisions,” he added.
Bach reminded the Congress that the IOC also faced a watershed moment following the Salt Lake City Winter Games corruption scandal of 2002. “We at the IOC know from our own history what it takes to rebuild credibility,” he said. “Restoring credibility to sporting organisations is the foundation of our mission.”
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