FIFA corruption allegations

[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...

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...