Thomas Bach has warned  that FIFA must be braced for a similarly “painful experience” which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also endured in order to reform.
IOC president Bach stated that there is “no comparison” between the bribery scandal which left the football world governing body’s reputation in tatters and the Salt Lake City corruption.
The IOC expelled members over the awarding of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002 and Bach believes FIFA should learn the lessons his organisation had to in order to rebuild their reputation.
“We can only encourage FIFA to continue their reforms, which have obviously been initiated. We cannot give advice of what to do in detail. But we appreciate that there is a readiness for reform now and for substantial reform,” Bach said.
“We also know from experience the other part of the job – it means putting everything on the desk which can be a painful experience, but it is absolutely necessary to do this, as we have seen from our own history.
“I am still convinced that only by doing this at the time that the IOC could restore its credibility. So this is our experience and we can only put this at the disposal of FIFA, while acknowledging the fact that the structure of FIFA is very different from the IOC and that the difference in scope is huge.
“There is almost no comparison with regard to what happened with Salt Lake City and what is now at stake at FIFA. This is, yeah, very hard to compare. Maybe only in principal, but not in scope.”
Long-serving FIFA president Sepp Blatter last week announced his intention to resign after 14 people, including nine past and present FIFA officials, were indicted by United States authorities on charges of racketeering conspiracy and corruption.