The shock resignation of Fifa president Sepp Blatter four days into his fifth term has completely rattled the already troubled organisation under investigation by United States and Swiss officials for financial crimes and corruption.
Despite half his former colleagues being arrested or under deep suspicion, Blatter maintains he has had a squeaky-clean record during his 40 years and four days as a Fifa administrator.
Many are claiming that Blatter's resignation reinforces the idea that a ''fish rots from the head'', suggesting that organisational contamination starts in the board room and quickly spreads to the rest of the business.
It may seem an obvious cleansing process to get rid of the ''head'' to eradicate the rot, but for those who know their fish well, in reality it is the guts of the fish that rot and stink before the head.
For any organisation to go toxic there has to be a structure that allows toxicity to take hold.
The leaders may set the tone, but it is the people and the institutions that slowly bend their will that influence the culture and practices of an entity.
In the end, the toxicity or ''rot'' of an organisation is from the inside out and not from the top down.
Although Blatter may not necessarily be the seed of contamination he could be the carrier, and his resignation does signal to Fifa that it desperately needs to reassess its structures and systems that have allowed corruption to flourish.
Should one person spend so long at the top of an organisation, for instance? Even the US president gets only two terms in office, so 40 years is enough for one person to be in power.
Do all nations have the same number of votes irrespective of their participation numbers or financial contribution to Fifa?
Blatter relied on the support of smaller struggling nations, who receive grants from Fifa, to win back his presidency despite significant efforts from the bigger European nations represented by the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa).
Their threat to boycott the congress strongly indicated their opposition to his re-appointment.
And last but not least, how do countries such as Qatar get to host World Cup events when they have little football history and where summer temperatures regularly top 40degC? If this isn't corruption, it definitely reeks of bad decision-making.
Even if Blatter is relatively ''clean'' after the investigations are finished he isn't necessarily good for the organisation.
His public comments regarding women in football, racism, and foul play in the game are old-fashioned, sexist, racist and outdated.
In a statement hailing the first woman being appointed to the Fifa executive committee only two years ago he said: ''Say something, ladies. You are always speaking at home, now you can speak here'' - which sounds like he comes from the same school of thought as our own prime minister, who thinks pony-tail pulling is an affectionate game to play with young women in the hospitality trade.
Having survived public blunders and several investigations into Fifa's financial wheeling and dealing practices, perhaps Blatter thought himself untouchable. That feeling of invincibility ultimately leads to absolute power, and we all know that leads to absolute corruption.
Blatter's exit as the Fifa president may not be indicative of his personal guilt, but it is a signal to potential sponsors and supporters that Fifa acknowledges a need for change.
Sticking with the fish metaphor, Fifa should seriously consider who will take Blatter's place to signal a fresh start, and a fresh fish should have clear eyes with no cloudinesspresent.
