FIFA going down the drain

[papa_smurf]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13587449

Candidate for FIFA presidency, Mohamed Bin Hammam pulled out of the bid to not see ""dragged more in the mud" - looking a bit too late for that. Unless FIFA sorts this alleged corruption scandal, major sponsors will not want to be associated with it. If the ICC can sort it out why cant FIFA?

[Gerald]

Money talks,even for them.

[Tchocky]

Looong time coming

[Egan]

So Bin Hammam and Warner are now suspended pending a full inquiry but Blatter has been cleared of any and all charges of wrong doing by FIFA's 'ethics' committee and is free to run for the presidency which he will of course win uncontested because the only challenger was, wait for it, Bin Hammam. Turned out nice for Sepp once again, hasn't it?

I don't understand how he can possibly be cleared of anything before the inquiry has even begun. Surely, at the very, very least, he should have been suspended until the committee has finished it's investigation and the election should have been put off until after everything had been decided.

The only way to deal with FIFA in general and Blatter specifically is for the organization to be dismantled. It's now making the United Nation's Human Rights Commission look positively moral and upstanding. It's disgusting.

Mind you, it's not just FIFA itself that disgusts me. The whining about impropriety from various parts of the English FA would have been easier to listen to if they hadn't publicly tried to crucify and silence elements of the media when Panorama first broadcast their claims back before the bids in the winter. And Chuck Blazer, who seems to have been responsible for this current crisis, doesn't seem to have had much of a problem with them back when the US, like England, was bidding for the WC either.

Not one of them comes out of this looking very good.

[STEED]

I hope they go to hell but money is power and it talks.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Egan

So Bin Hammam and Warner are now suspended pending a full inquiry but Blatter has been cleared of any and all charges of wrong doing by FIFA's 'ethics' committee and is free to run for the presidency which he will of course win uncontested because the only challenger was, wait for it, Bin Hammam. Turned out nice for Sepp once again, hasn't it?

I don't understand how he can possibly be cleared of anything before the inquiry has even begun. Surely, at the very, very least, he should have been suspended until the committee has finished it's investigation and the election should have been put off until after everything had been decided.

The only way to deal with FIFA in general and Blatter specifically is for the organization to be dismantled. It's now making the United Nation's Human Rights Commission look positively moral and upstanding. It's disgusting.

Mind you, it's not just FIFA itself that disgusts me. The whining about impropriety from various parts of the English FA would have been easier to listen to if they hadn't publicly tried to crucify and silence elements of the media when Panorama first broadcast their claims back before the bids in the winter. And Chuck Blazer, who seems to have been responsible for this current crisis, doesn't seem to have had much of a problem with them back when the US, like England, was bidding for the WC either.

Not one of them comes out of this looking very good.

Pretty much agree with the above......this organisation has absolutely no credibility at all

[Egan]

Do you know, back in either February or March, at the FIFA congress two points of discussion were bumped down the list to the bottom where they would only be brought up if there was time. Do you know what the two points were? The corruption allegations pertaining to the World Cup bidding process and whether goal line technology should be embraced. Do you know what they were bumped to make room for? This is a cracker: Whether snoods should be banned in football.

How do you deal with an organization which, as part of it's demands for allowing 'it's' world cup to be played in a country demand tax exempt status in perpetuity and that none of their employees or their employees employees will have to obtain a visa, and threaten to suspend any association if that associations national government 'interfere' in it's business whilst turning a blind eye to somewhere like South Korea who voted for Russia in the last bid because the South Korean government want to foster closer trade links to Russia, and are so flagrantly arrogant and -allegedly - corrupt that they kick any discussion of the subject out of their meetings and dare to criticizes countries for having a free media that report upon it? And....goodness I need to take a deep breath..lol.

I love football, I really do. But this is something else. If the EU has any balls what so ever they will simply start massive legal proceedings and get as many of these sods locked up as possible. FIFA might not be a criminal organization but I'm not sure the people running it aren't.

[Jimbuna]

Aye...but their saving ace everytime is the fact that they govern what is probably the most popular sport on our planet.

The devil looks after his own...I only wish a few countries would join together and leave FIFA to start an alternative governing body in direct opposition to that scummy lot but sadly I doubt that will ever happen

[Gerald]

The entire organization is top-heavy, and bureaucratic.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Vendor

The entire organization is top-heavy, and bureaucratic.

Why not give us your consdered opinion?

[papa_smurf]

If FIFA does not clean up, then its doomed as major sponsors will pull out as then do not want to be associated with a corrupt organisation.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Why not give us your consdered opinion?

What was done with this statement!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by papa_smurf

If FIFA does not clean up, then its doomed as major sponsors will pull out as then do not want to be associated with a corrupt organisation.

Whilst agreeing with your sentiments I'm honestly not convinced that would be the case because the corrupt bastids still hold court over a potential worldwide audience that is probably bigger in numbers than any other sporting audience.

Sad but true unfortunately.

[Egan]

Originally Posted by papa_smurf

If FIFA does not clean up, then its doomed as major sponsors will pull out as then do not want to be associated with a corrupt organisation.

Coca-cola doesn't seem to be losing any sleep over it at the moment according to quotes in the paper yesterday. Mind you, that could change.

There seems to be some sort of call from members of the English FA this morning for them, the US, Australia and others to start making demands before this ridiculous election goes ahead. Better late than never.

Anyway, see this BBC story for details of very unpleasant people turning on each other to save their own disgusting skins.

I cannot wait to see Warner go down, even more than Blatter. That this man has any role what so ever in an organization like FIFA is a testament to all that's wrong in football. Having said that, who wants to bet that Warner will end up with little more than a slap on the wrist - if that - where as Bin Hammam will be crucified as scapegoat who had the cheek to challenge Blatter?

This story about the FA exonerating four members of FIFA's executive committee of corruption is also interesting - but somewhat odd. I'm impressed by the speed the footballing authorities hold their inquests at....these allegations were only made a couple of weeks ago...

[mookiemookie]

What's FIFA?

</Typical American>