Seamless president takeover owes much to IOC's reformation under Jacques Rogge’s leadership.

Maybe you missed it. Thomas Bach is the new president of the International Olympic Committee, elected to an eight-year term last month. “Thomas who?” you ask. Good question. He is a one-time Olympian, having competed in fencing at the 1976 Montreal Games, where he collected a gold medal in the team foil event. He is a lawyer by profession who has in recent years headed up the German Sports Federation (in fact, his resume bears quite a resemblance to that of his also newly elected vice-president, our own John Coates). There were four other nominees for the top job, all beaten fairly and squarely without a hint of controversy. Bach succeeds Jacques Rogge, who has moved aside after 12 years’ rehabilitating the Olympic movement after the corruption-infected years when one Juan Antonio Samaranch ruled the roost.

The very fact that Bach takes over the reins so seamlessly owes much to the reformation that has taken place under Rogge’s leadership. It is proof that cultural change can happen in the world’s major sports bodies when the right leaders are installed and checks and balances introduced to keep things on the straight and narrow ... The uncontroversial awarding of the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo was further testament. Can you see where we’re going here?

The contrast with the world governing body of soccer, FIFA, could hardly be more stark. Sepp Blatter has been presiding over the world game since 1998. His only apparent credential for the role was his position as lackey of the previous president, Brazilian Joao Havelange, who has now been proven corrupt during his tenure. Blatter was elected unopposed in 2011 after his main rival for the top job, Mohammed Bin Hammam, withdrew on the eve of the election contest. Qatar was subsequently awarded the 2022 World Cup hosting rights amid widespread accusations of vote-rigging and bribery, and despite the fact that games were going to be played in 40 degree-plus heat.

Most recently, Blatter has announced an intention to shift the dates of the Qatar tournament to the “shadier” month of November – an outrageous abandonment of the bidding criteria that even moved FFA chairman Frank Lowy to demand the $43 million of Australian taxpayers’ money wasted on our own bid to be handed back by FIFA ...

Dream on, Frank. As has already been revealed, the Australian bid was prepared to get down and dirty when it suited us.

What would be more welcome would be a full account from Mr Lowy on the truth about what it takes to grease the wheels of world football under the stewardship of Blatter. The sooner there is a revolution and renovation in the halls of FIFA, as has been the case with the IOC, the better. Much of Mr Lowy’s involvement in football in this country appears destined to leave a lasting legacy for the code. He could make no greater contribution to the health of world football than by finally disclosing the secret deals and dirty tricks that he must have learned go into the bidding process.

And if Mr Bach wants to chime in, he can arrange for the sport to be excluded from future Olympics until the allegations of graft and corruption swirling around world football are thoroughly investigated – and the bad eggs ejected. Because right now FIFA is giving sport a bad name.