The President of the United States of America, Barrack Obama; has said that football is a big business in need of accountability and transparency.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the G7 meeting held in Krun, Germany. According to him; “Football or soccer, depending on what side of the Atlantic you live on, is a game, but it’s also a big business; it is a source of incredible national pride, and people want to make sure it operates with integrity.

"I will say that in conversations I've had here, in Europe, people think it is very important for FIFA to be able to operate with integrity and transparency and accountability," Obama added.

This is the first time the president has commented on the US Justice Department’s investigation into the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA). A situation that is believed to have contributed to the decision of FIFA President, Sepp Blatter’s decision to step down from his post.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released a 47 – count indictment in their FIFA investigations against a number of top officials of the global football governing body- most allegations arising from payments of bribes in World Cup bidding processes.