Adidas urges FIFA to up game on transparency and compliance

BERLIN (Reuters) - German sportswear company Adidas called on soccer's world governing body FIFA to do more to establish transparent compliance standards after several of its officials were arrested on Wednesday over suspected corruption. "The Adidas group is fully committed to creating a culture that promotes the highest standards of ethics and compliance, and we expect the same from our partners," Adidas said in an emailed statement. "Following today's news, we can therefore only encourage FIFA to continue to establish and follow transparent compliance standards in everything they do." Adidas, associated with FIFA since the 1950s, lined up with fellow FIFA sponsors Sony, Visa and Coca-Cola last June to demand soccer's rulers deal thoroughly with allegations of bribery to secure the 2022 World Cup for Qatar. The company said at the time that the negative public debate was not good for football, nor for FIFA and its partners. On Wednesday Adidas, which has signed up as a FIFA sponsor until 2030, said that, as the world’s leading soccer brand, it would continue to support the game on all levels, without elaborating. Adidas, Visa and Coca-Cola all made statements last week pushing FIFA to take seriously the issue of rights for migrant workers in Qatar in response to reports of human rights abuses at the 2022 World Cup construction sites. FIFA's public accounts shows it received a total of $177 million in 2014 from its long-term partners - Adidas, Coca-Cola, Emirates airline, Hyundai, Sony and Visa - and $131 million from sponsors of the World Cup. (Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by David Goodman)