Jason Pine: FIFA leadership at its most appalling, most abhorrent

Fifa President Sepp Blatter. Photo / Paul Estcourt.

In the real world, the head of any organisation which has been mired in as much controversy and claims of wrongdoing as FIFA has would do two things.

Firstly, they'd take responsibility and front up.

And - in the face of what seems to be an overwhelming weight of evidence of systematic wrongdoing on the part of their organisation - they would tender their resignation.

But, that's not what FIFA President Sepp Blatter did when his organisation was plunged into crisis yesterday when a raft of senior officials were arrested on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100 million and when Swiss prosecutors announced a criminal investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups to Russia and Qatar.

Instead, what Blatter did was first refuse to front the world's media and then attempt to absolve himself of any responsibility at all.

When he did finally release a statement, it was laughable.

He said, "Misconduct has no place in football and FIFA will ensure those who engage in it are put out of the game."

If he actually meant that, he and the organisation he controls would have done something long, long before now.

FIFA officials are accused of "brazen corruption" stretching back 24 years.

In the words of the US Department of Justice, it's alleged that corruption in FIFA is, "rampant, systemic and deep-rooted and spans at least two generations of soccer officials who have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks."

It further alleges that through racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, they have "enriched themselves through the corruption of international football."

All of this on Sepp Blatter's watch.

And yet, even now, he refuses to take any responsibility.

That is leadership at its most appalling, its most abhorrent.

To not only turn a blind eye to 25 years of corruption by his colleagues, but to then refuse to take any shred of responsibility for the activities of his organisation.

He is deluded, he is blinkered and he is - as the head of a highly dysfunctional and almost certainly corrupt organisation - ultimately responsible.

He may not be "guilty" but in any other business, he'd be out the door.