FIFA

Anonymous

I am not a football fan, but surely the news this morning can only be a good thing. Hopefully the whole organisation will be discovered to be rotten to the core and entirely replaced with a lot more transparency!

How long till Blatter's head will roll? I fear not soon enough

Apparently Paddypower are offering 11/10 that Russia's WC will be played in UK

crispybug2

I fear your optimism is unfounded

In the fine words of Del Amitri....

"Nothing ever happens,
Nothing happens at all,
The needle returns to the start of the song
And we all sing along like before!"

frenchfighter

Thank goodness the US have the cojones to go after these unbelivably corrupt officials. Football fans should be totally emabrassed at the way they let the Fifa take the piss for 25 years and stay silent.

I hope they rip those guys finances to shreds and lock them up for a long time.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/27/us/fi ... aStoryLink

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32895048

vinnymarsden

So….FINALLY someone has had the brass balls to take them on…arrests, finances exposed,offshore accounts..basically from how it looks..a totally rotten to the core organisation…and yet STILL Blatter has the nerve to stand for president!!
In the rarified atmosphere of big business these sort of investigations, as they draw to a close indicate/highlight just what is to take place, someone on the inside gets a heads up about what is going to happen….I wonder if Blatter in his supreme arrogance got the heads up and ignored it and pushed on for a further term of office!! I read that, despite all the arrests/allegations the election/votes will still continue! One can only hope that finally the member states see the entire organisation for what it is..a corrupt cash making machine that isn't about football, its about money, always has been but it has taken an investigation of this magnitude to actually expose the breathtaking arrogance of an organisation intended to support/promote football.For all the good FIFA has done over the years, and lets not deny it, they have took football around the world,they have now sullied their name/organisation!!
The UCI was stripped down root to branch following the allegations about Lance, well, in my opinion this goes way way deeper than the Armstrong affair, there has been what appears to be wholesale financial irregularities that NEED addressing by a complete clear out of all staff, right up to the top.
I remember reading a strategy book, I think it was the Art of War, and it states…if you chop off the head, the rest withers and dies, well let's hope the head goes, and after the clear out FIFA can, like the UCI look forward with some kind of new approach/vision of what it actually stands for.It is NOT a moneymaker for the members, actually…it is at the moment, but that can't be allowed to continue.
Cycling has been pilloried across the sporting world, maybe now its time to shine the light into some of the other sports that are far from squeaky clean!!

pblakeney

Some minor officials and past officials will be sentenced in the U.S.

The gravy train will roll on unabated.

:evil:

briantrumpet

PBlakeney wrote:

Some minor officials and past officials will be sentenced in the U.S.

The gravy train will roll on unabated.

:evil:

Dunno. US law enforcement agencies like to go for the big fish - I suspect they'll be hoping to roll over some of those charged today in return for immunity/reduced sentences. I bet they'd like to get Blatter if they can. I don't care a hoot for football, but I'd like to see any so blatantly corrupt organisation that has completely lost any sense of moral compass be brought to book.

Anonymous

BBC feed says blatter may be "questioned" in 2-3 weeks

crispybug2

briantrumpet wrote:

Dunno. US law enforcement agencies like to go for the big fish - I suspect they'll be hoping to roll over some of those charged today in return for immunity/reduced sentences. I bet they'd like to get Blatter if they can. I don't care a hoot for football, but I'd like to see any so blatantly corrupt organisation that has completely lost any sense of moral compass be brought to book.

Are you David Walsh in disguise?

slowmart

OP. There's a massive distinction between war and an individuals weakness for corruption and the solution offered by Sun Tzu however compelling the argument is.

Why did it take this long to bring the corruption to light and why did all the national football associations toe the line? Add the clamour of sponsors to be associated with such a corrupt organisation and the associated World Cup means a fireproof suit given the cash reserves of FIFA of $1.5 billion.

Its galling the Americans are cleaning house but even more frustrating that the FIFA press release has suggested it initiated the investigation.

Fast track extradition to the US would suggest an aggressive stance from the US prosecutors and the national bodies should all hang their collective heads in shame rather than distance themselves. greg dyke, what a xxnt.

pblakeney

briantrumpet wrote:

PBlakeney wrote:

Some minor officials and past officials will be sentenced in the U.S.

The gravy train will roll on unabated.

:evil:

Dunno. US law enforcement agencies like to go for the big fish - I suspect they'll be hoping to roll over some of those charged today in return for immunity/reduced sentences. I bet they'd like to get Blatter if they can. I don't care a hoot for football, but I'd like to see any so blatantly corrupt organisation that has completely lost any sense of moral compass be brought to book.

I hope that you are right, but fear that I may be.

briantrumpet

crispybug2 wrote:

Are you David Walsh in disguise?

Now this is getting confusing. I'm not sure if I'm me, Stevo 666, have been taken over by aliens or have overdosed on Viagra. It's a conspiracy, I tell thee.

mr_goo

The European authorities should hold their heads in shame for not pursuing the corrupt gravy train that is FIFA. Why is it that the US Judicial system and FBI have gone after them. Why not Interpol or our mickey mouse SOCA?
Just hope that Blatter is exposed in all this. Either as being corrupt or for turning a blind eye whilst this all went on during his watch.

FIFA this morning were full of bluster, saying it was a good thing. But more disappointingly they insist that 2018 Russia and 2022 Qatar will still go ahead. Yet both games are now being investigated for bribery/corruption. I wonder how the sponsors ie Coca Cola et all will feel about being associated with tainted sporting events?

orraloon

briantrumpet wrote:

It's a conspiracy, I tell thee.

Wrong thread.

Reported on t'BBC news the now that UEFA calling for the FIFA presidential election on Friday to be postponed, threatening possible boycott.

Given that FIFA's legitimacy is solely on basis that individual countries' associations in their regional groupings agree that FIFA has its global role, and that they own the World Cup TM tournament, if UEFA, and others?, decide to call their bluff things could get interesting.

No doubt m'learned friends in their armies are massing to 'free the FIFA 7', 14 or however many it is.

But not holding my breath that the lure of the oceans of dosh sloshing around the football world won't bring wor Sepp safely back to shore.

Anyroads, professional footballers are mostly overpaid diving pansies that need a good slap. Is the mug punter Sky Sports watcher that props all this up.

frenchfighter

Lineker (huge tan) calling for a Fifa boycott - well why weren't you shouting from the roofs in the years gone by? Powerless money grabbers the lot of them.

verylonglegs

Somewhat amusing that it's taken the US to come to the rescue and try to clear up soccer. Let's face it, any organisation that forces people to drink Budweiser at it's major tournament needs pulling apart.

On a more serious note...if they've got the proof they seem confident of then wouldn't they just have to apply enough pressure with threats of jail time until someone cracks and they all start pointing the finger at each other? They aren't hardened crooks after all. I'm sure I saw an article on a news site just last week claiming Blatter hadn't set foot in the US for a long while as he suspected they'd arrest him. Can't remember where I saw it though.

Lookyhere

Footie is fairly corrupt at all levels isnt? look at the players conduct or lack of, their salaries, the cash in envelopes, youth academies, the way WC's get awarded or the disgrace that is the workers living conditions building stadia, not too mention the workers who have died building these things.

the disgrace is that it has taken the US to bring charges against this lot.

turbotommy

The pessimist in me says this doesn't change much. A shuffle of the deck maybe but sill the same game.

Daz555

Mr Goo wrote:

FIFA this morning were full of bluster, saying it was a good thing. But more disappointingly they insist that 2018 Russia and 2022 Qatar will still go ahead. Yet both games are now being investigated for bribery/corruption. I wonder how the sponsors ie Coca Cola et all will feel about being associated with tainted sporting events?

The fact that they still sponsor FIFA in full knowledge that Qatar World Cup is going to kill a few thousand slave workers during construction tells me they don't give a damn.

joelsim

This is different. It's not the Sunday papers exposing scams and bribery, it's the FBI on criminal practices including money laundering. I think, and hope, heads will roll this time.

laurentian

I Can't Believe It's Not Blatter

briantrumpet

I hate to mention the parallel, but the Armstrong saga changed course once the US regulatory authorities got properly involved. There was the same culture of a widespread fraud being known about by many people, but no one individual thinking that their voice would change things. Once the ball started rolling with a powerful regulatory body being at the centre of the action, many of the individuals involved felt their voice might have an effect, collectively.

If the FBI do nail this one, it's going to make a great film. I'm reminded of Morgan Freemon's line in The Wire: " "You follow drugs, you get drug addicts and drug dealers. But you start to follow the money, and you don't know where the f**k it's gonna take you".

bompington

Garry H

briantrumpet wrote:

If the FBI do nail this one, it's going to make a great film. I'm reminded of Morgan Freemon's line in The Wire: " "You follow drugs, you get drug addicts and drug dealers. But you start to follow the money, and you don't know where the f**k it's gonna take you".

Was Morgan Freeman in The Wire? I missed that episode, or you're thinking of the guy that made toy furniture...

briantrumpet

Garry H wrote:

briantrumpet wrote:

If the FBI do nail this one, it's going to make a great film. I'm reminded of Morgan Freemon's line in The Wire: " "You follow drugs, you get drug addicts and drug dealers. But you start to follow the money, and you don't know where the f**k it's gonna take you".

Was Morgan Freeman in The Wire? I missed that episode, or you're thinking of the guy that made toy furniture...

Oops. Lester Freemon, of course, played by Clarke Peters.

MattPillinger

briantrumpet wrote:

I hate to mention the parallel, but the Armstrong saga changed course once the US regulatory authorities got properly involved. quote]


I was thinking the same thing. The FBI are clearly no respector of reputation, size or status quo.

I think it will be extremely difficult for Blatter to survive this, unlike in the past where he has somehow managed to wheedle his way out of impossible situations. FIFA will come out a much changed organisation

ilm_zero7

at last - Sepptic Blatter is presumably so keen to hang onto power because its the only way hecan keep a lid on his involvement, if he cared for the sport as much as for himself he would have gone years ago

one sure way to sort this is for UEFA to pull out of the FIFA World Cup and do its own - that way the original World Cup would be meaningless

sloppyschleckonds

When you say "rotten to the core" are you implying everyone who works or represents FIFA is rotten?

laurentian

MattPillinger wrote:

I think it will be extremely difficult for Blatter to survive this, unlike in the past where he has somehow managed to wheedle his way out of impossible situations. FIFA will come out a much changed organisation

As has been said many times, if he was unaware of the goings on, he was incompetent. If he wasn't unaware, he was involved so either way he shouldn't be in the job.

Problem is that an awful lot of the world (and by extension its football governing bodies) will not have the same opinion as we do. Rightly or wrongly backhanders, bribes and inducements are not seen in the same way all over the world as we see them - I wouldn't be at all surprised if he gets back in on Friday.

Also sounds like Putin is not too happy about the American intervention outside of the US . . . anybody think there may be something he's not telling us? . . .

ai_1

VinnyMarsden wrote:

....For all the good FIFA has done over the years, and lets not deny it, they have took football around the world,they have now sullied their name/organisation!!....

I don't consider soccer's popularity to be a good thing. It's mass delusion.
It's quite clearly a boring spectator sport that's given way to much exposure. It's an imposition on my life and I would like some compensation if the trauma caused to me by the existence of soccer is due, in part, to illegal activities.

slowmart

bompington wrote:

And the clamour of brands paying to be associated with the tournament was until yesterday unabated.

I doubt anyone views football as the beautiful game anymore.

ai_1

Slowmart wrote:

.....I doubt anyone views football as the beautiful game anymore.

I never understood why anyone thought it was a beautiful game. The business side of football is certainly not beautiful even if you ignore the corruption. I never really liked soccer anyway. It was fun to play as a kid but I never thought it was good to watch. As I got older I continued to find it uninteresting to watch but also started to find football more and more distasteful. The sport is rife with uncivilised behaviour by players, managers and fans.