Pressure builds on Greg Clarke to leave £190,000 a year role as FIFA vice

FIFA have ramped up the pressure on Greg Clarke to step down from his role as vice president.

The 63–year-old resigned from his position as chairman of the Football Association on Tuesday in disgrace following a variety of offensive comments about minority groups.

However, he remains in a £190,000-a-year post on the FIFA Council, after being elected by UEFA last year, and his term of office runs until 2023.

Greg Clarke resigned as chairman of The FA after using the term ‘coloured’ footballers

While Clarke is expected to ‘do the right thing’, as one source described it, as of Wednesday night he had not stepped down, with his lack of action prompting a strongly-worded statement from FIFA, which heavily suggested that he should do so.

A FIFA spokesperson said: ‘FIFA’s zero tolerance position on discrimination remains steadfast and clear: any form of discrimination, including racism, sexism and homophobia, has no place in football.

‘In the circumstances and given the nature of his comments, FIFA considers that Mr Clarke did the right thing to resign as Chairman of the FA on Tuesday.

 In a strongly-worded statement on Wednesday night, FIFA urged Clarke to ‘do the right thing’ 

 

‘Mr Clarke was elected to his position on the FIFA Council by UEFA and his term of office runs until 2023. He is, of course, free to resign from the FIFA Council, just as he has resigned as Chairman of the FA. It is for Mr Clarke to take that decision.’

Clarke made the comments before MPs at a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport hearing. 

He referred to ‘coloured footballers’ and prompted further criticism by claiming that gay players made a ‘life choice’. In what was a surreal, career-ending hour, Clarke also referred to a coach telling him young female players did not like having the ball hit hard at them and said there were ‘a lot more South Asians than there are Afro-Caribbeans’ in the FA’s IT department because ‘they have different career interests’.

Clarke is one of three vice presidents elected by UEFA to sit on FIFA’s decision-making body. Alongside the six-figure salary, the role comes with generous travel expenses.

UEFA declined to comment.