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Sponsors Coca-Cola Fifa

FIFA to meet with sponsors including Coca-Cola to outline reform strategy

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

August 19, 2015 | 2 min read

Under pressure football body FIFA is reportedly set to meet with major sponsors on Thursday to chart the progress of its promised reform.

Back in June, football fans and the media were quick to welcome Sepp Blatter’s claims he would step down from the Fifa president role after 17 years in charge. Controversially, since then, Blatter has put off his resignation until after the Fifa presidential election in February 2016, likely raising fears among sponsors that reform is still far off.

Reuters reports that a meeting will be held in Zurich featuring the body’s top sponsors to chart the course of the brand in the coming years.

Coca-Cola is the only confirmed party confirmed in the report but with Visa and McDonald’s also heavily invested in the future of the sport, their absence is unlikely.

The brands - and Adidas - in June hailed Blatter’s resignation as a positive step hoping change would come at FIFA sooner, rather than later.

The meeting comes to placate Coca-Cola, Visa and McDonald's after they last month demanded information on how FIFA was cleaning up its act after US corruption arrests and worker conditions in Dubai brought it into disrepute.

Sponsorship consultant Nigel Currie in June told The Drum that the removal of Blatter will not fully save FIFA's reputation and that a “complete rebrand is needed” if it is to continue its work.

Sponsors Coca-Cola Fifa

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