THE International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) called on football associations across the world to yesterday push for an independent Fifa reform commission.

Current president Sepp Blatter is stepping down after 17 years in charge due to the ongoing crisis at world governing body.

Fifa are currently under investigation by the US government for corruption, with nine officials having been arrested so far.

And with news yesterday that Swiss Office of the Attorney General white-collar crime division head Michael Lauber is probing 53 possible money-laundering incidents surrounding the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow believes that football associations worldwide cannot accept that Fifa can reform itself once Blatter leaves because it has never been able to stop corruption in its ranks.

She said: “The world of football and the international community at large must act or corruption in one of the highest-profile international institutions will be legitimised with destructive impacts well beyond Fifa itself.

“The sheer scale of the corruption investigations and the links of those involved with violations of workers’ and other human rights, demand urgent and decisive action.

“Major Fifa sponsors must also recognise that their reputations and even their own business models are at threat. Sponsors should make this reform commission a condition of any continued relationship with Fifa.”

The independent commission would review the management and governance of Fifa including its constitution, statutes, financial policies, committee structure, electoral processes and appointments.

At the same time it would implement new governance arrangements, including overseeing any elections — to prevent any corrupt individuals becoming president — as well as tackling workers’ rights issues in the build up to and beyond the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

“With Sepp Blatter announcing that he will step down, there’s a chance to undo the damage he has done to Fifa and to reform its management and governance,” added Burrow. “After year upon year of scandals, the only way to achieve this is through the independent commission.”

Lauber said that his investigation could take years but is not worried about the collateral damage to Russia or Qatar if any wrongdoing is proved.

“I don’t mind if this has collaterals somewhere else,” he said. “I don’t care about the timetable of Fifa — I only care about my own timetable, which is following Swiss procedural code.”

Lauber went on to admit that both Blatter and secretary general Jerome Valcke could be interviewed as part of the investigation.