The Qatar Stuff
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Chuck?
Blatter getting battered.
Great stuff from the NL FA chairman v. Praag (though not about Platini being the potential UEFA nomination for the FIFA presidency) :
http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/9344720/van-praag-wants-blatter-out
Great stuff from the NL FA chairman v. Praag (though not about Platini being the potential UEFA nomination for the FIFA presidency) :
http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/9344720/van-praag-wants-blatter-out
Blatter and FIFA have come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks following a sensational exposé in the Sunday Times newspaper that alleged corruption was at the heart of Qatar’s successful 2022 World Cup bid, although the organisers vehemently deny any wrongdoing.
Blatter condemned the reports on Monday, suggesting to the African and Asian football federations that they were motivated by “discrimination and racism” from the British media before all but announcing his intention to stand for re-election.
And Dyke told Sky Sports News on Tuesday that he said to Blatter: “I regard the comments you made yesterday about the allegations in the British media in which you described them as racist as totally unacceptable.
“I have read the articles in the Sunday Times in great detail. The allegations being made have nothing to do with racism, they are allegations about corruption within FIFA.
“These allegations need to be properly investigated and properly answered. We need to know from [FIFA investigator] Mr Garcia tomorrow if he was aware of the material in theSunday Times before it was published and, if not, will he now extend his investigation to consider the allegations?
“Mr Blatter, many of us are deeply troubled by your reaction to these allegations. It’s time for FIFA to stop attacking the messenger and instead consider and understand the message.”
Blatter is expected to announce his candidacy for the 2015 election at the FIFA congress on Wednesday, but a number of Europe’s top football officials, including former Manchester United chief executive David Gill and current Dutch FA boss Michael van Praag, have told him he should stand down after his current term.
And Dyke said: “The FA’s position is that we accepted four years ago that he was going to step down at this stage and there is some surprise that he is going to stand again. “What we, the FA, would certainly like is to see an election; competition and different candidates explaining how they would run FIFA in the future. I think the view is it’s time for change.
“The point that the Dutch were making this morning is that FIFA’s reputation – certainly in Britain and probably in most of northern Europe if not all of Europe – is of a suspect organisation where there has been an awful lot of corruption.
“And that can only be rebuilt if there is a new leadership.”
Blatter condemned the reports on Monday, suggesting to the African and Asian football federations that they were motivated by “discrimination and racism” from the British media before all but announcing his intention to stand for re-election.
And Dyke told Sky Sports News on Tuesday that he said to Blatter: “I regard the comments you made yesterday about the allegations in the British media in which you described them as racist as totally unacceptable.
“I have read the articles in the Sunday Times in great detail. The allegations being made have nothing to do with racism, they are allegations about corruption within FIFA.
“These allegations need to be properly investigated and properly answered. We need to know from [FIFA investigator] Mr Garcia tomorrow if he was aware of the material in theSunday Times before it was published and, if not, will he now extend his investigation to consider the allegations?
“Mr Blatter, many of us are deeply troubled by your reaction to these allegations. It’s time for FIFA to stop attacking the messenger and instead consider and understand the message.”
Blatter is expected to announce his candidacy for the 2015 election at the FIFA congress on Wednesday, but a number of Europe’s top football officials, including former Manchester United chief executive David Gill and current Dutch FA boss Michael van Praag, have told him he should stand down after his current term.
And Dyke said: “The FA’s position is that we accepted four years ago that he was going to step down at this stage and there is some surprise that he is going to stand again. “What we, the FA, would certainly like is to see an election; competition and different candidates explaining how they would run FIFA in the future. I think the view is it’s time for change.
“The point that the Dutch were making this morning is that FIFA’s reputation – certainly in Britain and probably in most of northern Europe if not all of Europe – is of a suspect organisation where there has been an awful lot of corruption.
“And that can only be rebuilt if there is a new leadership.”
Mercury or Venus wouldn't be too much hotter than Qatar in summer.
Stupid question but why are sporting federations exempt from legal regulations? I mean on the face it we've all known FIFA are corrupt, there's been many documented books and articles about it so why can't the legal authorities be it Interpol, CAS or whoever investigate the allegations and bring up charges?
Fifa get away with it because they are based in Switzerland which does not recognise bribery as a crime.
It was only recent Fifa scandals which have made them have a rethink I believe, and begin the process of introducing long overdue legislation to fall in line with the rest of the western world. Cue Fifa relocation to the middle east!
The pretence is that the money goes to provide football facilities for schools and clubs.
Is bribery a crime in this case though - they aren't public officials - and this isn't a public vote.
It's basically add-ons & incentives.
The problem that England seem to be bleating about is that it's not a level playing ground because, I'd imagine if public funds were used in an England bid, they couldn't be used to "incentivise" voting for England, whereas an oil-rich Arab nation could probably use the money for whatever they want.
I get that it's shit because Qatar is probably one of the last places in the world where it makes any sort of sense to hold a World Cup.
The thing - in fact the only thing that will have any impact on how FIFA does business is whether the sponsors that pump huge amounts of money in to the World Cup will want "their brand" connected to something that is perceived to be "dodgy dealing"
The bribery part was what I was thinking, but I couldn't think how to explain it. My head is frazzled.
I bet Switzerland gives them all sorts of tax breaks too. Switzerland must be the ideal country for them, apart from the financial gains it's also ideally situated from a geographical point of view for fifa.
I'd say some arab dishing out wads of cash in brown envelopes to football administrators around the world can be justifiably interpreted as bribery! As for England " bleating on about it " it is great investigative journalism into a bidding process England wasn't involved in! Qatar / Fifa cheated the other bidders, Japan the US and Australia, not England.
I'm surprised their isn't one of those online petitions calling for Blather's head or some kind of review of his activities. I bet it would get millions of sigs.
It's a fair point. Universities are always at it - invite a politician to a college feast, hint at an honorary fellowship or a cushy retirement as master of a college, and bingo - they get what they want in terms of funding etc. I guess the problem with FIFA is the sheer scale of the practice.
Again - is bribing a FIFA official some sort of offence - all the bids are bribes - just some have bigger brown paper envelopes.
If you don't think the interest and the investigations into this have anything to do with England not winning the 2018 bid that's fine - I think it has everything to do with it.
I think England should get the World Cup - absolutely - it's a sensible choice - but these decisions aren't based on sense.
It hasn't anything to do with it. Nobody is contesting the award of the 2018 World Cup to Russia, although it would be surprising if money had not changed hands, particularly as the England bid only received one vote. The interest and investigations are due to the international football world wanting to know how it was decided that such an unsuitable host country as Qatar should be chosen. It's not just the English FA making a fuss.
Yeah - England made a few noises about Russia, but quickly retracted and apologised.
Look - I agree - the only rational explanation is those who voted where given heavy incentives to vote in favour of Qatar.
As was mentioned by someone earlier - the only crime here is the pretence that anything other than the bid with the deepest pockets is going to win the right to stage the thing.
Well... That & the blatant disregard for the fundamentals if football - namely a good playing environment & fans.
Yes, that's what is supposed to happen. After all, FIFA go to the trouble and expense sending teams of experts to assess the ability of the potential host countries to put on the best show in the interests of the game. It's not worth doing all that if it's just going to be a bribery contest. 🙂
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