Fifa scandal: Drama football fans could do without

So a confession first: I am a football nut, and have been to the last three world cups in Germany, South Africa and Brazil.

I watched as Michael Owen tore cruciate ligaments in the match against Sweden in Cologne and then took himself off the pitch on all fours; I saw Frank Lampard score a clear and obvious goal in Bloemfontain but was adjudged not to have crossed the line in England's mauling by Germany; and I sat disconsolate in Sao Paolo as - entirely predictably - Luis Suarez scored the goals for Uruguay that dumped us out of the tournament

So like any good football fan, I've gone through the usual range of emotions - hope that your team is going to do well, and then the despair when it all ends in tears. What tends not to interest fans of any sport is how it is governed. We will dissect the tactics of the manager, the performance of the the team, who we need to buy in the transfer window. But not the bureaucratic structures governing the sport.

So here's a question for you sports fans. Do you know who is in charge of the Professional Golfers Association? No? Me neither. What about the head of the ATP in Tennis? Got any names? Sorry, I am going to have to hurry you. Ok - what about rugby or cricket or basketball or baseball or swimming or athletics? Nope, nothing, rien de tout. I have no idea myself

But ask any football fan what the governing body of football is and who is its head - and I reckon nearly everyone would be able to name Sepp Blatter. And for all the wrong reasons.

Let's deal with the trivial-but-egregious-nonetheless category. There were his comments about racism in football - nothing that can't be sorted by a handshake, Mr Blatter sensitively noted. Oh and what about Russia being awarded the World Cup given their attitude towards homosexuality. "I would say they [gay fans] should refrain from any sexual activities." Now on women's football he did say back in 1995 that "the future of football is feminine". Visionary and forward looking? Well it was until he just ever so slightly undid it by adding that the female players should "wear tighter shorts and low cut shirts... to create a more female aesthetic".

This would all be forgivable if Fifa had standards of corporate governance that you would expect of any public company whose CEO was subject to the usual checks and balances. But it plainly doesn't. Just take the Qatar decision. The case is still unproven that there was anything untoward about the awarding the World Cup to this desert kingdom - but has anyone read anything, anywhere that leads you to believe it was a decision taken for all the right reasons? Really? Honestly?

And as fresh allegations surfaced from within the organisation, and reports into corruption were written and then not published, Fifa carried on as though beyond the reach of any law. Sepp Blatter has behaved as though he was a supra national potentate. That has changed today, even though he is not implicated in any of the charges brought by the US prosecutors.

The USA may be a footballing minnow (yes, yes I know they did way better than England in the last World Cup), but today it has shown the importance of fair play with the breathtaking news conference given by the Attorney General, the head of the FBI and the head of the IRS.

The scale of what they allege is eye popping - the kickbacks, the fraud, the money laundering, the extortion, the corruption, the bribes. Al Capone is made to look like a kindergarten novice compared to this lot, if the allegations turn out to be true. The IRS boss said "this is the World Cup of fraud and today we are giving FIFA a red card."

He also said it was a good day for football. It feels as though it is quite the reverse. But I hope he's right. And then we fans can go back to talking about the merits of 4,4,2 over 3,5,1,1 and whether England will ever be able to play with a diamond formation. And like all those other sports, return to having no idea who the faceless bureaucrats are that keep everything running