FIFA corruption allegations

[SwanVsDalton]

Well, I say 'allegations'...

After Bin Hammam and Warner were touted on by fantastically named Santa Claus look-a-like Chuck Blazer (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3QClxhGDWog/TPkSYtzb5NI/AAAAAAAABVo/a2U1ibsUQd4/s1600/blazer.jpg), now Sepp has got his own problems to deal with (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13574338.stm).

The FIFA situation is rapidly turning into the end of Reservoir Dogs. Who's going to be Steve Buscemi?

[geysir]

Chuck Blazer as Mr.Orange

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3QClxhGDWog/TPkSYtzb5NI/AAAAAAAABVo/a2U1ibsUQd4/s1600/blazer.jpg

[BonnieShels]

Crisis what Crisis?

God bless FIFA... The way this has gone I foresee John Delaney in power soon enough.

[Noelys Guitar]

Blatter won't last. Not with big sponsors like Adidas making serious noises. And its only a matter of time before some DA in the US is going to try make a name for him/herself. Some of the alleged dodgy dealings took place in the US.

[Stuttgart88]

It was the broadcasters and sponsors who paid good wedge to be associated with the Olympics that forced changed within the IOC.

FIFA is Swiss-based, I have bemoaned for a long time the lack of an ambitious prosecutor / DA in Switzerland who would try and make FIFA more accountable.

[BonnieShels]

All I can say is Platini played this Presidential election supoibly.

Never mind Blatter, seems we've seen the back of Jack Warner as well. Oh yeah!!!

[Kildareman]

Has Ireland a vote in the Presidential election, i would expect so. And will Delaney vote for Septic Bladder, that dispictable (sp)little man ?

[Sullivinho]

Warner and Bin Hammam now strongly urging their respective regions to back Septic Bladder, Warner in particular cringeworthy style and in violation of his suspension. Can you imagine what kind of shenanigans have gone on in the background? What a joke that organisation is at the top. God only knows what kind of secrets and unnamed victims are buried in Blazer's face rug.

[Stuttgart88]

FA and SFA calling for postponement. The same FA that presides over the "worst governed sport in the country" (Hugh Robertson, UK Sports Minister) and is subject to a parliamentary enquiry into its governance. Don't get me going on the SFA's governance.

FIFA is a shambles, but so too are the FA and SFA.

Adidas making their concerns known. I'm sure they're equally concernede about the real details of their relationship with Blatter over the last 20 years becoming better know. There's a wide call for sponsors and broadcasters to become more involved in the governance of thyese organisations. Could you imagine if Murdoch got his talons into FIFA? The only thing I could think of in its favour would be that Murdoch would be able to market a product that could stand up to the EPL. International football has lost its lustre for most people (look at the Irish no-shows...).

[old git]

Chuck Blazer as Mr.Orange

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3QClxhGDWog/TPkSYtzb5NI/AAAAAAAABVo/a2U1ibsUQd4/s1600/blazer.jpg
chuck blazer has just had his services terminated with immediate effect by fifa ... things look to be getting messy and good ould sepp just ignores it and carrys on with election of 1 canditate himself..

[Closed Account 2]

Now apparently Chucky's not been fired as Lisle Austin, the acting head of Concacaf doesnt have the remit to sack him. The whole sham of an organisation is starting to fall apart, yet it still seems Blatter will stay on for another 4 years.

[Dodge]

17 associations voted for the English proposal to postpone election. 17 abstained

The FAI, IFA and FAW were among 172 to vote against that proposal

[Closed Account 2]

Disappointing that the FAI didn't vote for a postponement. It might not have been politically expedient to vote for it, but I think it would have been morally right. The way Blatter ridiculed us after the whole Henry handball showed they don't respect the FAI anyway.

[DaveyCakes]

It'd be interesting to know who voted for the postponement..

[EastTerracer]

I'm sure Delaney will argue that he voted with his good friend Michel Platini as UEFA had requested. However, Platini is severely compromised due to his alleged pact with Blatter (its likely that Blatter will back Platini to succeed him in four years time).

It might have been a good political (and maybe even financial) move for the FAI and Delaney but as cfdh_edmundo said above it just seems immoral to be supporting someone we know has lots of skeletons in the cupboard.

[bennocelt]

Hope Mcdonnell in the INDO highlights this, imagine the FAI voting for what was more or less a vote of confindence for Blatter. Wow the FAI are a joke

[Closed Account 2]

It'd be interesting to know who voted for the postponement..

FAs of England and Scotland plus 15 others, possibly Australia, who in my mind have the most to be bitter about in this whole debacle. Some may have been from the Asian FAs who felt disgruntled about the treatment of Bin Hammam, certainly there was talk they would stage a walk-out in protest. There were another 17 abstentions, so about 16% of the 208 didn't vote for Blatter.

It's seems that the FAI, Welsh FA and Northern Irish FA all voted for Blatter.

[Cymro]

Disappointing that the FAW, IFA and FAI voted against the postponement, but not entirely surprising.

FIFA is currently holding an election where there is only one candidate running, his sole opponent having been forced out of the democratic process (the FIFA congress) in shady circumstances. If this were real life, we'd have sent an army and invaded FIFA in the name of democracy. As edmundo said, it's immoral.

[Stuttgart88]

...only if they had oil or alleged WMD :)

The worst thing is that the office of President has so much power that weak associations like ours have much to fear by being on the outside.

[Thunderblaster]

Some people tend to forget the very high feelings of football supporters here when FIFA seeded the playoffs back in September 2009, when it became very obvious that France, Portugal and Germany/Russia were in danger of not topping the group and facing possible elimination at the expense of smaller countries like ourselves. I suspected at the time that it was in order to get these "favoured" countries through. When the draw was made, I had a very bad feeling that Ireland would get cheated in the play-offs, in which they did with Thierry Henry's handball and there was huge national anger at the time over the matter with Henry and Blatter getting the most coverage. Blatter then came out with a scurillous comment about the Irish looking to be the "33rd" team in the World Cup as a big joke. Now the FAI are supposed to have voted to keep Blatter in power instead of looking for a postponement of the election after the cynical treatment meted in 2009. The FAI are out of order to endorse this man who had the pleasure to belittle the country after being cheated and the grassroots Irish football supporter have never forgotten the blatant cheating that undermined the game of football on that infamous night in Paris. All true supporters of football must petition change and reform in the corridors of power that are FIFA Headquarters and ensure that there is accountabillity and transparency within the organisation rather than a phoney election that even North Korea would be proud of.

[geysir]

The English FA and the English press have got their self-righteous knickers in a twist about Blatter, since they were jilted in favour of Russia.
Blatter loves a good public humiliation and the English FA obliged.

[Dodge]

Very good article on Sports Illustrated

http://t.co/LmMBWmt

[Stuttgart88]

Some people tend to forget the very high feelings of football supporters here when FIFA seeded the playoffs back in September 2009, when it became very obvious that France, Portugal and Germany/Russia were in danger of not topping the group and facing possible elimination at the expense of smaller countries like ourselves. I suspected at the time that it was in order to get these "favoured" countries through. When the draw was made, I had a very bad feeling that Ireland would get cheated in the play-offs, in which they did with Thierry Henry's handball and there was huge national anger at the time over the matter with Henry and Blatter getting the most coverage. Blatter then came out with a scurillous comment about the Irish looking to be the "33rd" team in the World Cup as a big joke. Now the FAI are supposed to have voted to keep Blatter in power instead of looking for a postponement of the election after the cynical treatment meted in 2009. The FAI are out of order to endorse this man who had the pleasure to belittle the country after being cheated and the grassroots Irish football supporter have never forgotten the blatant cheating that undermined the game of football on that infamous night in Paris. All true supporters of football must petition change and reform in the corridors of power that are FIFA Headquarters and ensure that there is accountabillity and transparency within the organisation rather than a phoney election that even North Korea would be proud of.

I haven't forgotten this at all, nor I'm sure has the FAI. The problem is that FIFA also has the capacity to wreak havoc on an association like ours if they so wish, or more pertinently, if the President so wishes. That's what I was referring to in the post above yours.

[Stuttgart88]

The English FA and the English press have got their self-righteous knickers in a twist about Blatter, since they were jilted in favour of Russia.
Blatter loves a good public humiliation and the English FA obliged.Yep, like the FA has any moral high ground to stand on.

-they engaged in all the horse trading and arse licking that everyone else engaged in
-they had the chance to vote for Johannson, but voted for Blatter thinking they'd get WC06
-the FA regulates (weakly) the "worst governed sport in the country"
-the FA has chosen to ignore Lord Burns' recommendations to improve its governance and is still riddled with conflicts of interest
-the FA (and EPL and Football League) are currently subject to a parliamentary investigation (the same enquiry that Lord Triesman complained to about FIFA - rightly is has to be said)
-English club football has done more than anything else to undermine the status of international football, FIFA's only "asset".
-the vulgar excesses of the Premier League have destabilised nearly all of European club football
-English football has suffered "regulatory capture" where the regulator makes concessions to the regulated clubs in order to prmote its clubs' superiority in Europe. This comes at the expense of the solvency of the Football League and at the expense of a level playing field in European countries who try to govern the game sensibly

English football can't be blamed for Bosman and its consequences, but it can be blamed for a lot of football's ills, despite offering possibly the best and most glamourous league in the world. It's a paradox in some senses, but whether you love or loathe the EPL depends on a value judgment. I love it and loathe it at the same time.

[BonnieShels]

Very good article on Sports Illustrated

http://t.co/LmMBWmt

Indeed and it is. Have a lot of time for Vickery. Talks a lot of sense.
It's very clear and has been as long as I can remember (My footballing memory stretches as far back as the group stages of Italia '90 as a 6 year old) that there has always been an English chip on the shoulder when it came to footballing matters. Even when they didn't qualify for USA '94 it was seen as a conspiracy.

It has been perfectly obvious since Blatter has been in charge England were going to get nothing and their incessant whinging at every turn about one thing or another is staggering. We could never compete.


As regards our voting for Blatter today; it was just political expediency. The man was going to be re-elected whether we voted for him or abstained so there was no point even going against the grain to be set up for ridicule.
We had nothing to lose for voting for him and as well as that why would we want to be included in a group containing the FA, the SFA and the FAA where will that get us?

We and Delaney have much bigger fish to fry... let's fry them fish rather than try to apparently save face.

At the end of the day only we'd have noticed if we had done.

[bennocelt]

One thing that I find funny is every time I watch the BBC or Sky they have David Davies on - the man who tried to flog Hoddles bio while at the same time as giving him the knife in the back

If Delaney had balls he shud have went up for election agasint Blatter,lol

[DannyInvincible]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13625200.stm


I'm the president of all the associations and will work with all of them, and with 186 votes I'm proud.

Well, I guess you would be... :rolleyes:


Meanwhile, it has emerged that at least one of the countries who voted in favour of the FA's proposal to postpone the election did so by mistake.

Vietnam voted 'yes' to postpone the election believing they were actually voting to proceed with the election and Blatter as the only candidate.

An attempt to dismiss their opposition to Blatter in light of his "resounding" victory or more unbelievable ineptitude from those making decisions on the game of football? Either way, it's pretty depressing stuff.

[Thunderblaster]

If FIFA are keen to embrace reform, the president of the organisation shall serve no more than two terms in office. Blatter is now on his fourth term of office. In the last number of years, we have seen riots in Africa if the president of a particular country amends the constitution to allow himself an extra term in office.

[osarusan]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13845203.stm


Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has resigned, world football's governing body has confirmed.

"As a consequence of Mr Warner's resignation, all ethics committee procedures against him have been closed and the presumption of innocence is maintained," said a Fifa statement.How very convenient for everybody that no procedures will continue.

[geysir]

According to FIFA, the ethics procedures will continue but not against Warner.
Once he leaves football altogether, FIFA have no jurisdiction over him. Nevertheless, Warner will give evidence as a witness.

[Mr A]

Loadsa money handed out, and some very damning evidence against Warner and Bin Hamman by the look of it: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13878161.stm

Surely the Qatar decision will have to be revisited now...

[BonnieShels]

From that article...


Damian Collins, the Tory MP who is campaigning for a reform of Fifa, believes the case against Warner should be re-opened.

"This makes Fifa's claim that Warner can be presumed innocent absolutely incredible," he said. "I believe Jack Warner should be made to answer these charges - it's not enough just for him to resign.

"This shows it was a big error of judgement by Sepp Blatter to call off the inquiry and cover this up.

"Fifa should also confirm Mohamed Bin Hammam should not similarly be allowed to resign in return for having the investigation dropped."

The thing is what will the end result be? "Oh Mr Warner and Mr Bin Hammam ye're as crooked as a shepherds staff"... and what jail?
Did they break any laws as opposed to FIFA's rules?
The sheer lack of understanding from Collins is rather breathtaking when he has charged himself with cleaning up FIFA. Why all of the sudden interest in FIFA's processes?
Give me a break.

I would like to think on foot of this that Qatar would be revisited as it was patently a terrible and obviously corrupt choice but unless it's investigated it won't be changed.
Though 1986 shows us there is a precedent for this sort of thing and besides 11 years is a ridiculously long lead in time.

[NeverFeltBetter]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27652181

Looks like confirmation of what everyone basically knew already. At times, it doesn't seem like anything will bring an end to the multi-level disaster that is the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar. Is there any chance of that vote being re-run? Must be nearing a point of no return soon.

[BonnieShels]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27652181

Looks like confirmation of what everyone basically knew already. At times, it doesn't seem like anything will bring an end to the multi-level disaster that is the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar. Is there any chance of that vote being re-run? Must be nearing a point of no return soon.

I think it will be dragged out until it is at the point of no return and they'll put their hands up and say "Oops, if onky we found out sooner".

There's plenty of countries who could step in to take the competition with relative ease so it's not out of the realms of possibility that it will end up somewhere else.

7 years is usually the lead in for these tournaments. So 2015...

[Charlie Darwin]

Mexico stepped in as the 1986 host at three years' notice, so even though it's a bigger tournament I'd imagine somewhere like Germany or France could step in at short notice.

[BonnieShels]

Mexico stepped in as the 1986 host at three years' notice, so even though it's a bigger tournament I'd imagine somewhere like Germany or France could step in at short notice.

Or England or Australia or the USA...

[osarusan]

As well as other countries being able to take the WC at short notice, the preparation already underway/completed by the original host would probably be taken into account.

As an example, a construction company that secured a multi-million (billion?) dollar loan to build X number of WC stadia in Qatar - what would happen to them and who would be financially responsible? (Could probably say the same for construction of roads, hotels as well)

The upcoming world cup has come at a nice time for FIFA. Media will forget this story for a while.

[NeverFeltBetter]

That's what I fear, that feeling of "Oh well, we can't stop now, look at how much money's been spent already!". Sunk costs and all that.

You'd imagine a re-vote would be limited to the original bidders, which outside Qatar were the US, Australia, Japan and South Korea. That vote was so bent its hard to imagine it being a useful indicator of where a re-run would go. FIFA predilection for sending the tournament to new places might mean down under, but other than that it would have to be the States right?

Also: http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27654587

[Stuttgart88]

As well as other countries being able to take the WC at short notice, the preparation already underway/completed by the original host would probably be taken into account.

As an example, a construction company that secured a multi-million (billion?) dollar loan to build X number of WC stadia in Qatar - what would happen to them and who would be financially responsible? (Could probably say the same for construction of roads, hotels as well)

The upcoming world cup has come at a nice time for FIFA. Media will forget this story for a while.I wonder if Qatar themselves could be on the hook? It's not unfeasible that any legal contracts between FIFA and Qatar have some sort of condition precedent that the Qataris had acted in good faith throughout the bidding process. If it can be shown they didn't, there would be no recourse to FIFA.

[BonnieShels]

As well as other countries being able to take the WC at short notice, the preparation already underway/completed by the original host would probably be taken into account.

As an example, a construction company that secured a multi-million (billion?) dollar loan to build X number of WC stadia in Qatar - what would happen to them and who would be financially responsible? (Could probably say the same for construction of roads, hotels as well)

The upcoming world cup has come at a nice time for FIFA. Media will forget this story for a while.

Their issue will be with Qatar, the Qatar FA and The AFC. I'm sure there's enough money to keep em quiet.


That's what I fear, that feeling of "Oh well, we can't stop now, look at how much money's been spent already!". Sunk costs and all that.

You'd imagine a re-vote would be limited to the original bidders, which outside Qatar were the US, Australia, Japan and South Korea. That vote was so bent its hard to imagine it being a useful indicator of where a re-run would go. FIFA predilection for sending the tournament to new places might mean down under, but other than that it would have to be the States right?

Also: http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27654587


I'd like to see it go to Oz in fairness it's a decent shout for a WC. All things being equal I would have had them as a shoo-in for that vote.

Funny how no-one is talking about 2018 and what could have been equally as bent a voting process...

[NeverFeltBetter]

Well, Russia, for all of its problems, is capable of hosting the tournament on a level that Qatar just isn't. It has built stadiums, a footballing tradition, and you can conceivably forsee the country having transport and other infrastructure issues sorted in the next four years. So the media and such just don't care as much.

[BonnieShels]

Well, Russia, for all of its problems, is capable of hosting the tournament on a level that Qatar just isn't. It has built stadiums, a footballing tradition, and you can conceivably forsee the country having transport and other infrastructure issues sorted in the next four years. So the media and such just don't care as much.

I get the why. I just think it's funny.

[gastric]

Their issue will be with Qatar, the Qatar FA and The AFC. I'm sure there's enough money to keep em quiet.




I'd like to see it go to Oz in fairness it's a decent shout for a WC. All things being equal I would have had them as a shoo-in for that vote.

Funny how no-one is talking about 2018 and what could have been equally as bent a voting process...

Oz only got one vote to host the WC which I believe was the lowest score. It knocked them for six when they didn't get it, as they don't cope with failure easily. Oz could host it without having to completely rebuild infrastructure, though it would encourage their arrogance which makes English arrogance at sporting success seem mild.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I think Australia might just have a right to be bit haughty in this specific circumstance. Their bid receiving just one vote was criminal (quite literally, perhaps).

[pineapple stu]

I think Australia might just have a right to be bit haughty in this specific circumstance. Their bid receiving just one vote was criminal (quite literally, perhaps).
More likely it was exact opposite of criminal.

Australia is a reasonably logical choice of host at some stage though.

[Closed Account 2]

Mexico stepped in as the 1986 host at three years' notice, so even though it's a bigger tournament I'd imagine somewhere like Germany or France could step in at short notice.

There is always the PlatiniFudge™ option of spreading the World Cup out into 6-7 countries like he’s doing for Euro 2020. It could seriously irritate the fans and the teams, but it was Michel's brainwave for solving Euro 2020 after he's messed around with Turkey in the Euro 2016 bidding.

Interesting that Platini voted for the Qatar bid (remind me who his son works for again?) and Blatter, for all his faults, apparently didn't.

[BonnieShels]

I think Australia might just have a right to be bit haughty in this specific circumstance. Their bid receiving just one vote was criminal (quite literally, perhaps).


More likely it was exact opposite of criminal.

Australia is a reasonably logical choice of host at some stage though.

It's beyond logical. Maybe too logical. It's defintiely a World Cup I'd like to hit up too. For all their faults the Ozzies do sport really well.


There is always the PlatiniFudge™ option of spreading the World Cup out into 6-7 countries like he’s doing for Euro 2020. It could seriously irritate the fans and the teams, but it was Michel's brainwave for solving Euro 2020 after he's messed around with Turkey in the Euro 2016 bidding.

Interesting that Platini voted for the Qatar bid (remind me who his son works for again?) and Blatter, for all his faults, apparently didn't.

There was barely a peep about that. After the bid was won there were murmurings and then not a lot.

Is it any wonder PSG won't get kicked out of the CL.

[gastric]

I wondered why there was not the usual carry on in Oz by the FFA ( we was robbed!) when news of these new allegations arose. I think every nation who bid are up to their eyes in crap and this could be a very interesting inquiry.

http://www.theage.com.au/fifa-world-cup-2014/world-cup-news-2014/australias-world-cup-bid-to-be-probed-as-whistleblower-to-testify-in-new-york-20140602-39eum.html

[NeverFeltBetter]

Report/probe will be published after the World Cup: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/worldcup/2014/0603/621319-qatar-could-lose-2022-world-cup-report-to-come/

[NeverFeltBetter]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/worldcup/2014/0605/621791-platini-demands-2022-re-vote-if-corruption-proven/

A lot of officials seem to be lining up behind a revote option. Flying kites and all that.