FIFA officials arrested in Switzerland in corruption investigation, bet Blatters shi77ing it. 049:gif
Nah he will know a bent copper and give him some money so he is cleared and someone else will take the fall . I mean they very rarely get the head of a mafia family
Good news ... If something useful actually comes of it and things change. Probably won't though. Still, we can all hope!
http://designtaxi.com/news/376099/Powerful-Anti-Logos-Of-Sponsor-Brands-For-The-2022-World-Cup-In-Qatar/ (http://designtaxi.com/news/376099/Powerful-Anti-Logos-Of-Sponsor-Brands-For-The-2022-World-Cup-In-Qatar/)
Along the same lines.
The most corrupt organisation in the world may finally be getting the justice it deserves.
Shame Blatter wasn't on the list but surely even he can't survive this. Teflon Blatter time to throw in the towel.
Blatter seems untouchable - I doubt he'll get caught up in this investigation. The best we can hope is that this'll be a wake up call for those who were thinking of voting for him and his corrupt regime in the upcoming election.
With this sort of investigation you have to start at the bottom and work up
You will be surprised how cooperative the minions will be when they face the prospect of spending time in chokey if they don't spill the beans and of course they will usually have kept some evidence of another's guilt to get them off the hook
So watch that space
At last!
I love how Blatter is trying to rush through this election before anything about him comes out. What does it take for this man to resign? The death toll in Quatar should be enough for all the countries and sponsors to boycott that competition. Interesting if not slightly (massively) biased coverage on talksport.
If this corruption is proved it will be on Blatter's watch. Therefore something must stick and he will have to go. We can only hope.
this shouldn't be such a big news story just inevitable that somebody would dare to take on a multi national body that has no fixed moral compass.
For me, this screams out that Blatter is culling those who supported his ouster in the coming elections. This kind of thing happened around the time of the last elections when several major FIFA officials were ejected from the organization for bribery and corruption. Sepp is solidifying control once again IMO.
When he took over there were only twelve people in the top committee. Must be over a hundred now. No wonder he gets voted in each time he has made the jobs for the people he is asking to vote.
Fifa presidential election to go ahead despite corruption arrests
The Fifa presidential election will take place on Friday as planned despite the arrest of seven Fifa officials on charges they received more than $150m (£100m) in bribes.
Among those arrested is Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb.
A separate criminal investigation into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were allocated has also begun.
But Fifa has already ruled out a revote, insisting Russia and Qatar will remain the respective hosts.
Sepp Blatter faces Prince Ali bin al-Hussein in Friday's election as he seeks a fifth term as Fifa president.
Prince Ali described Wednesday's developments as "a sad day for football" but declined to comment further.
Fifa issued a statement welcoming "actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football".
Corruption probe number one
Swiss police made dawn raids at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, where Fifa officials are staying ahead of Friday's presidential election.
The seven Fifa officials were arrested after the US Department of Justice issued a 47-count indictment charging 14 defendants with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies in a 24-year scheme.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, a US law enforcement organisation, also raided the headquarters of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) in Miami.
"The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted," said US attorney general Loretta Lynch.
"It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks."
Indictment details:
•Bribes linked to commercial deals dating back to the 1990s for football tournaments in the US and Latin America
•Nine current or former Fifa officials, including Webb and former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, charged with corruption
•Four individual and two corporate defendants, including former Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer and Warner's sons Daryan and Daryll, plead guilty
•Alleged scheme "fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created uneven playing field"
•"Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks and bribes became a way of doing business at Fifa"
•Majority of scheme involved corruption over media and marketing rights to matches and tournaments
The seven Fifa officials arrested were Webb, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel and Jose Maria Marin. They now face extradition to the United States.
Meanwhile, Warner, a former Fifa vice-president from Trinidad and Tobago, insists he is innocent of the charges.
Now 72, he quit world football's governing body in 2011 after being suspended pending the outcome on an investigation into corruption allegations against him.
In a statement, he said the "actions of Fifa no longer concern me".
Corruption probe number two
In a separate move, just hours after the earlier arrests, Swiss authorities opened criminal proceedings over the awarding of the hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Electronic data was seized from Fifa's headquarters in Zurich as part of a investigation into "criminal mismanagement" and "money laundering".
Swiss police intend to question 10 Fifa executive committee members who took part in the voting process in December 2010.
Three years ago, Fifa hired a former US prosecutor, Michael Garcia, to investigate allegations of bribery over the awarding of the World Cups to Qatar and Russia.
However, it refused to publish his report, releasing only a summary in which it said there were no major irregularities. An angry Garcia quit, saying the summary was "erroneous".
Reacting to the news that criminal proceedings had been opened, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said his country had "nothing to hide" and welcomed the Swiss investigation.
Fifa's reaction to developments
World football's governing body has been dogged by allegations of corruption and wrongdoing in recent years.
The latest events are another major blow, although Fifa's communications director insisted the organisation was committed to reform.
"This is good for Fifa," Walter De Gregorio told a news conference. "It hurts, it is not easy, but it confirms we are on the right track."
De Gregorio said Blatter was "very calm", adding that the 79-year-old Swiss "is fully co-operating".
Fifa later issued a statement welcoming "actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football".
Uefa, the body that governs European football, said it was "astonished and saddened by the events", while Jim Boyce, Britain's outgoing Fifa vice-president, said it was "another sad day for Fifa".
German Football Association president Wolfgang Niersbach said developments were "shocking and harmful for the world of football".
He added; "It would be terrible if the severe accusations against members of Fifa prove to be correct."
England's Football Association said Wednesday's events "are very serious for Fifa and its current leadership".
FA chairman Greg Dyke added that there "must be a question mark" over whether the presidential election should take place now.
Damian Collins, a British member of parliament who has called for Fifa reform, said it was "a hugely significant development for Fifa" and said Blatter had failed to live up to his promises to stamp out corruption.
"Because he has totally failed to do this, it has been left to an outside law enforcement agency to do the job and take action," said Collins.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32895057 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32895057)
At last! Somebody with enough clout to stick it to these sleazebags.
Loretta Lynch (US Attorney General) giving it the full broadside right now on SSN (and other channels, I guess). Go get 'em gal.
Hope this is just the beginning of clear out the rot that has taken over the governing of the beautiful game. As has been said, amazing that you can arrest 7 but isolate the president. Hopefully more will come out this.
If the high level bunch they've got at the moment go down, the whole lot'll come down with it. Even as experienced an escapologist as Blatter wouldn't be able to isolate himself from the kind of high level stuff Lynch has just outlined. She includes a 'major US sportswear company' - put a tick beside the name you think that might be.
US Attorney General saying that she can not comment on Blatter or his status in the ongoing investigation. If Blatter isn't pooping his pants then he had at least better be planning his escape route.
The whole of FIFA need to go & replaced by people elected in a democratic election with independent auditors. The whole sorry organization is corrupt & has been for years. Everyone has known this for years & it is not a moment too late to stamp it out.
Quote from: cmg on May 27, 2015, 03:53:08 PM
At last! Somebody with enough clout to stick it to these sleazebags.
Loretta Lynch (US Attorney General) giving it the full broadside right now on SSN (and other channels, I guess). Go get 'em gal.
Obviously not intending to bid for the World Cup next time round then.
Quote from: Bill2 on May 27, 2015, 04:49:46 PM
Quote from: cmg on May 27, 2015, 03:53:08 PM
At last! Somebody with enough clout to stick it to these sleazebags.
Loretta Lynch (US Attorney General) giving it the full broadside right now on SSN (and other channels, I guess). Go get 'em gal.
Obviously not intending to bid for the World Cup next time round then.
Probably the only shot the US had for 2026 was to replace Blatter anyways.
One has to question the motive of America to get involved in a sport they barely give two-hoots about. I believe it is because Blatter has awarded the next World Cup to RUSSIA, who they are starting to have a "cold war" with, that has provoked this interference with football on this scale.
Incriminate the people below Blatter and they do a 'deal' under threat of years in prison on "racketeering" charges in the fraut US legal system to remove him and the WC to Russia goes with it.
Watch this space....
Cannot believe anyone can think that FIFA is in anyway corrupt?
They have that very nice man, Sepp Blatter in charge and they also have a very shiny sign outside their head office with those big letters, FIFA. It just shouts honesty and trust!
Fraudulently
Involves
Fiddling
'Allegedly' ;)
Quote from: Nick Bateman on May 27, 2015, 05:54:47 PM
One has to question the motive of America to get involved in a sport they barely give two-hoots about. I believe it is because Blatter has awarded the next World Cup to RUSSIA, who they are starting to have a "cold war" with, that has provoked this interference with football on this scale.
Incriminate the people below Blatter and they do a 'deal' under threat of years in prison on "racketeering" charges in the fraut US legal system to remove him and the WC to Russia goes with it.
Watch this space....
Or it could just be that these guys have been grafting millions upon millions for decades and doing nothing to redeem themselves.....like paying off the right people. FIFA earns too much not to be giving tribute up the food chain.
Quote from: Nick Bateman on May 27, 2015, 05:54:47 PM
One has to question the motive of America to get involved in a sport they barely give two-hoots about. I believe it is because Blatter has awarded the next World Cup to RUSSIA, who they are starting to have a "cold war" with, that has provoked this interference with football on this scale.
Incriminate the people below Blatter and they do a 'deal' under threat of years in prison on "racketeering" charges in the fraut US legal system to remove him and the WC to Russia goes with it.
Watch this space....
Question all you like. But the USA is the ideal party to take this action for a number of reasons.
They have the muscle to make things happen (like it or not). If we (UK) started to talk about extraditing bodies from Switzerland they'd just laugh at us.
Also, because they are not a big part of the FIFA establishment (largely a Europe/South America hegemony) they can stand a little to one side. At the same time they (or at least the US Dept of Justice) are not trying to shirk their own involvement. Lynch has mentioned that leading US companies are involved in a big way and she more or less stated categorically that the awarding of the 2016 Copa America (the centenary tournament of which they are very proud) to the USA for the first time was, in fact, a stitch up.
It is true that Football (Soccer as Ms Lynch would have it) lags behind the domestic sports in the US - but it is a vital market for the future of the game and 'two hoots' in the US of A might be worth a whole flock of owls from some other necks of the woods.
The world was shocked when, seemingly out of nowhere, neither of the two leading candidate countries to host the Cup then (U.S. and England) lost to Qatar, a country with zero football history and current presence, unspeakably hot desert temperature during the traditional set-aside calendar dates for the Cup. It's one thing to plan on moving the Cup every four years to a different continent than the forum for the immediately preceding Cup. No one questions the value in that guiding principle. This was rigged. There are reports of an eyewitness-a woman in attendance - who is alleged to have clearly heard an agreement go down to bribe country officials a set amount of money to swing the vote to Qatar. And as to Russia -- I don't have any details yet.
While one might normally think Blatter will invoke plausible deniability, the Justice Department will flip the lower rung actors to rat out higher ups to save their own skin. They'll 'cut a deal' in exchange for their testimony. And that might domino all the way to Blatter. Standard operating procedure. These same people are supposed to be there for the vote. But they got rousted out of bed at 4:00 a.m., and I don't think they'll be there for the voting.... The higher ups who get fingered will of course try to impeach the credibility of those who ratted them out, arguing you can't believe a defendant who cut a deal to save his own skin. Such testimony is suspect. But juries and judges make that call; and more times than not, they don't discount such testimony out of hand. Rather, they believe it. I recall England getting a single vote for the hosting the Cup that year. One single vote. For many countries, hosting the Cup, like hosting the Olympics, is the kiss of death. Look at Yugoslavia, Brazil, Athens, etc. Stadiums that sit and rot. Specialized activities buildings that become white elephants. Cost overruns that cripple a nation's or city's budget. England and the U.S., by contrast, have and had the infrastructure in place to host the Cup without great expense, and without the likelihood of being unable to meet completion and quality deadlines. One single vote. If it looks like a duck; walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it's a duck. We all suspected there were bribes. This is going to be very interesting.
To say that America doesn't give a hoot about soccer is just plain ignorant. More Americans watched the last WC final than have ever watched a World Series or NBA final. The fact that the time zones were in our favor had something to do with it to be sure. Those 1 & 2 AM games from South Korea on a work night were difficult.
This investigation has had to be going on for quite some time. Nobody is better at cracking organized crime, & that is what FIFA is, than the US Justice Department. Ask John Godde. I don't know how long FIFA has been corrupt but no one else had had any success in cleaning it up. I thought waiting until all seven were in Switzerland with whom we have a strong extradition treaty, was pure genius. Of the seven countries represented only your guy has a sound legal system in place so getting at them in the Caymans, Brazil, Costa Rico or Uruguay would have been difficult. Once they end up here and look at the interior of an American jail & their lawyers tell them that federal crimes require that 80% of the sentence be served before parole can be considered and I think the rats will begin to squeal. I just hope it gets to Septic Bladder.
Fair play to Loretta Lynch and her predecessor.
gregg dyke on the offensive tonight. saying blatter has got to go. hopefully get this riddiculous qatar wc stopped aswell
YJ, it has been going on for quite some time. From what I was reading this morning, they got Blazer to wear a wire tap during the 2012 Olympic tournament.
Heard someone call FIFA the MaFIFA. Made me chuckle. Wonder if these guys helping have broken their blood oath of silence.
What is needed in parallel with the excellent work of the US justice authorities is for the main football nations in Europe and N, South and Central America to walk away from FIFA, forget Russia (criminally undermining Ukraine) and Qatar (not a football nation with no proper infrastructure for the game) and start from scatch. The 2016 competition to be held in mainland Europe, maybe shared among France, Germany and Holland, and the next one in America, similarly shared between two or more countries. Get rid of this over-the-top bidding by individual countries and associated bribery, utilise existing stadiums to keep down costs and above all make it accessible to genuine football fans.
Quote from: Oakeshott on May 27, 2015, 11:19:06 PM
What is needed in parallel with the excellent work of the US justice authorities is for the main football nations in Europe and N, South and Central America to walk away from FIFA, forget Russia (criminally undermining Ukraine) and Qatar (not a football nation with no proper infrastructure for the game) and start from scatch. The 2016 competition to be held in mainland Europe, maybe shared among France, Germany and Holland, and the next one in America, similarly shared between two or more countries. Get rid of this over-the-top bidding by individual countries and associated bribery, utilise existing stadiums to keep down costs and above all make it accessible to genuine football fans.
is that you sepp? you sound like more of a dictator than sepp did. needs to go to a vote between countries that want it and can host it. just saying where it should go starts you off on the wrong foot from the outset, and the vote should be cast from the head of every single fa
Even Sepp Blatter fell off the back of a Lorry.
Disappointing.
In my opinion there has been an inordinate amount of garbage posted on these pages over the past few months. No problem. It's only my opinion and I can always scroll by or ignore those areas which do not interest me.
But this thread, on one of the major occurences in the football world over the past few years, has engendered some lively and informed comment with not everybody in total agreement, but with a broad range of support.
It now seems to be in danger of being hijacked by matters irrelevent to a football forum. You may or may not agree that the US Attorney general is the ideal person to head this initiative to clear the FIFA Augean stables but her political affiliations are of no footballing interest. No one cares if Loretta Lynch is a Democrat, a Republican, an Anarcho-Syndicalist or a Coalminer's Daughter.
an Anarcho-Syndicalist
Oh I'll have to go and look up what one of those it... is it something to do with newspapers... Do I win a prize?
However, I have had nothing but contempt for FIFA as run by B;atter for several years, and when you consider he was a protege of Havelange, and what has happened to him, I am not in the least surprised at what has transpired.
Quote from: snarks on May 28, 2015, 08:45:56 AM
an Anarcho-Syndicalist
Oh I'll have to go and look up what one of those it... is it something to do with newspapers... Do I win a prize?
Don't think Anarcho-Syndicalists do prizes.
Not many around these days, especially not in the USA (just Noam Chomsky and, possibly, the drunk bloke from the Simpsons).
Lots of them got shot in Spain, by their enemies, their allies and each other. It's a creed which tends towards fragmentation and self-destruction. Think Punk Rock without the laughs but with better tunes.
Quote from: cmg on May 28, 2015, 08:11:05 AM
Disappointing.
In my opinion there has been an inordinate amount of garbage posted on these pages over the past few months. No problem. It's only my opinion and I can always scroll by or ignore those areas which do not interest me.
I believe that the beginning of this garbage posting can be attributed to the date that I stopped posting regularly.
This story gives some more additional background on Loretta Lynch. Before she became Attorney General, her office in Brooklyn, NY was where most of the research and legwork was done dor this case, so it would be reasonable to say that as she was head of that office, she was likely a big part of the investigation and therefore knows the case very well. So as she is now atty general, she might just be the perfect person to be in place for this case, as she will pursue it with passion having already invested years of hard work into it.
Http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/loretta-lynch-stunning-debut-fifa-soccer-118353.html (Http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/loretta-lynch-stunning-debut-fifa-soccer-118353.html)
Blatter is "living the dream" of all CEOs of organisations - huge salary, lots of power but absolutely no responsibility if any thing is going wrong BUT is able to take credit for everything that is going right!
Smile and wave boys, smile and wave!
it's this simple
Uefa shoul resign from fifa and run football in europe as a stand alone body... unfortunately uefa are only slightly less dodgy..... yet that is what they should do.
the world cup is not that great a tournament, the last few have been dull and even the one in brazil went on far too long. the world cup needs to be streamlined, but that is a different story.
In the case I am suggesting uefa is the richest biody by far and so fifa would have to disband/change..... but european football does need them and football does need them, too much money and too many thrid world despots lining their own pockets (hardly big news!).
the world cup in russia should be boycotted as should qatar, if they still go ahead... even if england didn't win 2018, to get just one vote proved beyond reasonable doubt that the process was corupt. that was impossible in a fair ballot.
I have spake!
It is good that something at last is being done about this.
There has been too much ducking and diving over this.
In the lead-up to the awards of the next two tournaments to Russia and Qatar, the Sunday Times went public on all the corruption and the BBC did likewise in "Panorama". And yet nothing was done.
Then there was the investigation that FIFA commissioned, then suppressed when the findings weren't favourable. Even to this day they have refused to disclose the full report.
It is good to see UEFA now publically stating that the elections tomorrow should be scrapped and that Blatter should go.
As the other federations have yet to state anything I suspect that the elections will carry on and Blatter will somehow live to see another day.
I originally tried to point out, too obliquely perhaps, that Ms. Lynch's appointment wasn't an election in any normal sense of the word, that it was an 'election' only in the pinched definition of the Senate fulfilling its duty to advise and consent by way of some display of approval. The constitutional underpinning of the phrase "advice and consent" was never explained by the original framers. What does it mean? It's been the subject of much debate and many law review articles. No one knows with certainty how "advice and consent" is to be manifested. But over time, the U.S. Senate gave up scratching its collective head, and just engaged in simple straight up or down voting to manifest the "consent" half of their duties with respect to certain enumerated Presidential nominations. Rare, very rare, was the Senate that failed to quickly confirm a Presidential nomination which required senatorial "advice and consent." Until we got to the Obama Administration. (Let's see... What's different about him from all of the other past Presidents?) A review of history shows that Democrat party majority Senates in the past almost always gave the then-Republican President quick approval of almost all of his nominations requiring such "consent". The time lag in the Loretta Lynch nomination broke every record for a Presidential appointment in -- I think --U.S. history. Well, there might have been a few federal judge nominations by Clinton or Obama that the Repubs held up for a longer period. But no one on par with the level of this appointment. Here's a handy article that explains it: http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/237008-advise-consent-and-confirm-loretta-lynch (http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/237008-advise-consent-and-confirm-loretta-lynch)
Updates and analysis of the criminal prosecution of FIFA official deserves a place at the table on this discussion board. It's that important. But I fear we are running perilously close to a lock down with opinion discussion about American politicians and political beliefs. Let's cool our jets and stay on topic--breaking news about the investigation, the charges, the evidence, the key players, the named defendants, the timeline going forward, repercussions, etc. -- and no more side bars to the danger zone, OK? My gosh, it's still hard to believe a nation has actually brought major criminal charges against FIFA. Did any of you see that coming? Not I. And to think that Switzerland had the courage to assist the way it did. Nice.
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/clean_up_football_uk/?bjXKhjb&v=59477
Protest and make a bit of action to boot with this petition to get blatter axed
A lovely article in the BBC rolling sports news on its website:
"Zambian journalist Kennedy Gondwe explains to BBC World Service (why Sepp Blatter is popular in Africa).
"Sepp Blatter is at least a person who has done or has been able to deliver on a number of things he has promised Africa," Gondwe told Outside Source. "He has come to understand what Africans need. Sometimes what is viewed as corruption in Europe is not exactly corruption here in Africa.
" :doh:
NY Times -- today
U.S. Soccer Will Support Blatter Rival in FIFA Election
ZURICH — At dawn on Wednesday, Sunil Gulati, the president of U.S. Soccer, woke with a start, his phone buzzing on the desk of his room at a luxury hotel here. A police raid was quietly going on in the halls around him, and some of Mr. Gulati's closest professional colleagues — a few of them his friends — were being arrested on various charges related to corruption. The calls and texts did not stop for hours.
Mr. Gulati, who is also a member of FIFA's powerful executive committee, said his emotions were mixed as he read and talked about the news. "Shock and disappointment were first," he said. "Then, very soon after, came anger."
That anger, he added, only confirmed a decision he made months ago: On Friday, when one delegate from each of the 209 associations that are members of FIFA casts a vote for the next FIFA president, Mr. Gulati will instruct the United States delegate to vote against the longtime incumbent, Sepp Blatter, and vote instead for the only other candidate, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.
Sepp Blatter's Embattled FIFA Presidency
As Mr. Blatter seeks his fifth term as the president of soccer's global governing body, a look back at his troubled tenure.
Mr. Gulati, in an interview here Thursday, said he knows that doing so might have repercussions for U.S. Soccer in the future, especially if Mr. Blatter, as expected, wins a fifth term as FIFA president. Anti-American sentiment is not unusual in international sports, and the involvement of the Justice Department in the arrests will not help the United States' image.
Under Mr. Blatter, FIFA has often operated with a culture of "retribution," as Prince Ali once put it, which could make it more difficult for U.S. Soccer to find allies. But Mr. Gulati has decided that voting in favor of change at FIFA is the most important priority, even if it might hurt the United States in its bids to host a World Cup.
It is not a decision he undertook lightly — he said he discussed it with a few U.S. Soccer board members before backing Prince Ali's bid — but it is one he said was critical.
"Would I like to see the United States host a World Cup in the future?" Mr. Gulati said. "The answer is, of course, yes. But for me, and for U.S. soccer, better governance and more integrity at Concacaf and FIFA are far more important than hosting any international soccer tournament."
He added: "I'm sure there are some people who would disagree with that decision and would prioritize things differently. But this is how we feel, and we are doing what we think is right. If being on the right side of issues costs us from hosting a World Cup in the future, that would be unfortunate. But we are prepared to deal with that."
The hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup — the 2018 tournament will be in Russia, and the 2022 event is scheduled for Qatar — will be awarded in 2017. It is difficult to predict how FIFA will look by then, but Mr. Gulati is hopeful that Prince Ali, instead of Mr. Blatter, will be leading something close to a wholesale change in the organization.
Mr. Gulati also said that the Canadian soccer federation would join him in backing Prince Ali, who has campaigned largely on a platform of reform.
When it was noted that Prince Ali is considered a significant underdog to Mr. Blatter, who has held the FIFA presidency since 1998, Mr. Gulati shrugged.
"Being on the wrong side of an election result — if that's what happens — is not necessarily being on the wrong side," he said.
There is a viable alternate path. If The U.S. and Europe have had enough of FIFA's corruption and of Mr. Blatter, they should withdraw...
It's astounding that USSF would even consider supporting Blatter, though I understand the calculation. The real problem in FIFA is, in a...
A Jordanian prince as the less corrupt option. Time to opt out.
Wednesday's events only strengthened Mr. Gulati's determination, he said. As he watched Attorney General Loretta Lynch's news conference — in which she and other government officials detailed the widespread corruption their investigation had uncovered — Mr. Gulati found himself shaking his head over and over.
Later, when he saw wives and other family members of those arrested in the hotel, he witnessed the personal level of the arrests. The arrest of Jeffrey Webb, the president of Concacaf and Mr. Gulati's closest friend among the officials who were detained, was particularly jarring.
"It was a huge shock," he said. "I know a number of the people were involved in the indictment, but Jeff is the one I know best in that group. That was hard."
He continued: "Everything that happened — it's just so many things. It's embarrassing. It's awkward. It's everything."
Mr. Gulati would not go as far as Michel Platini, the president of European soccer's governing body who called for Mr. Blatter to step down earlier Thursday, but he did make clear that he believes the first step toward restoring fans' trust in FIFA is with a new president.
"The central issue for me now is governance," he said. "And I think that governance would be significantly enhanced by a change in leadership. It's time — it's past time — for a change."
Whether one likes or dislikes Mr.Blatter, it is a dangerous president to set for America to have someone arrested for an alleged crime committed not in America.
On that basis, they could accuse YOU of "racketerring", which is one of the broadest most vague terms of impeachment in U.S. law, and have you shipped over to stand trial against the weight of their government and secret services prosecuting one on whatever charges they have allegedly uncovered.
America has little interest in soccer so it does strike one as odd of their involvement in this matter.
Frankly, the last World Cup was the best refereed in ages and for once FIFA and Blatter were determined that their tournament would not be hijacked by the divers and professional cheats freom around the world. It was back to reality when the Premier League & Champions' League followed with the "usual suspects" receiving all the help they literally screamed for.
OK, as one vigilant member pointed out, this thread has gone off topic and should be locked, but it is a very relevant topic, therefore, I am removing all posts not directly relevant to the OP, and any further posts as such will be treated in exactly the same way, and so leaving the thread open.
If members want to argue, especially about politics, or any other banned subject on here, then do it on your own board, FoF is not the place.
Thanks,
LM
Nick
To use an "Americanism" wake up and smell the coffee. America have been doing this for a long time. Their law gives them jurisdiction where American services have been used, be it a server for emails, or an American wifi system.
Also do not forget their propiatal interest in the Dollar, as this transaction have taken place in that currancy, I really have no issue with it.
Heck I'm sure their joint chiefs would much rather have invaded to do it, but I'll take the legal route every time.
Hope this keeps out of the politics aspect.
Quote from: Nick Bateman on May 29, 2015, 04:21:08 PM
Whether one likes or dislikes Mr.Blatter, it is a dangerous president to set for America to have someone arrested for an alleged crime committed not in America.
On that basis, they could accuse YOU of "racketerring", which is one of the broadest most vague terms of impeachment in U.S. law, and have you shipped over to stand trial against the weight of their government and secret services prosecuting one on whatever charges they have allegedly uncovered.
America has little interest in soccer so it does strike one as odd of their involvement in this matter.
Frankly, the last World Cup was the best refereed in ages and for once FIFA and Blatter were determined that their tournament would not be hijacked by the divers and professional cheats freom around the world. It was back to reality when the Premier League & Champions' League followed with the "usual suspects" receiving all the help they literally screamed for.
What on Earth do well performed World Cups have to do with bribery and money laundering? Absolutely nothing.
You say that no crime was committed in The U.S., something that simply isn't true. A great deal of the money laundering took place in The U.S., using banks located there. Even a cursory reading of the news on the subject would provide one with that bit of information.
Your continued conspiracy theories are uninformed. It's as if you've heard someone read the title of an article on the subject and just taken it upon yourself to make up the rest.
Quote from: Logicalman on May 29, 2015, 04:37:19 PM
OK, as one vigilant member pointed out, this thread has gone off topic and should be locked, but it is a very relevant topic, therefore, I am removing all posts not directly relevant to the OP, and any further posts as such will be treated in exactly the same way, and so leaving the thread open.
If members want to argue, especially about politics, or any other banned subject on here, then do it on your own board, FoF is not the place.
Thanks,
LM
I accept my punishment with humility :0)
NB
"US has no interest in 'soccer" !!
I beg to differ, every school I go by has at least one 'soccer' pitch and I rarely see an NFL Football pitch unless the extensions are fixed onto the footie goals.
It's only 8 years since they were ranked 4th in the FIFA rankings and they've got to the finals of the
last 9 world cup. It's growing, perhaps not as fast as it could but the interest and level of excitement for the last WC was huge, there were at least 2 huge street parties where I live for the games.
This may also surprise you.......Rugby.
I watched a game between the US and the All Black Maori's
60,000+ people in the Philadelphia Eagles stadium, the noise and support was fantastic.
I was surprised at how good the US was and their captain, Todd Clever,a giant of a man was superb
and a great inspiration and motivator for the team and crowd.
He would easily earn a place in any team in the world.
They narrowly lost in the last 10 minutes or so.
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on May 29, 2015, 04:53:06 PM
What on Earth do well performed World Cups have to do with bribery and money laundering? Absolutely nothing.
I wanted to point out how well FIFA officiated their last WC, as opposed to the one they did in South Africa which was a disaster! One only hears negative comments from the British media about Sepp Blatter and it is something I had on my mind to balance the argument somewhat.
And why hasn't Roman Ambramovich been charged yet, after all the press were telling us how
Chelsea are the most
hated club in football, to most of the press fawning over them with sniveling nauseating ingratiation?!
Quote from: rogerpinvirginia on May 29, 2015, 05:06:00 PM
"US has no interest in 'soccer" !!
Perhaps I took a cheeky swipe at the U.S. and exagerrated a little to make a point. One does get the impression of a lack of interest from the major investors of sport rather than the populous, who seem to be more involved.
Quote from: Nick Bateman on May 29, 2015, 04:21:08 PM
Whether one likes or dislikes Mr.Blatter, it is a dangerous president to set for America to have someone arrested for an alleged crime committed not in America.
On that basis, they could accuse YOU of "racketerring", which is one of the broadest most vague terms of impeachment in U.S. law, and have you shipped over to stand trial against the weight of their government and secret services prosecuting one on whatever charges they have allegedly uncovered.
America has little interest in soccer so it does strike one as odd of their involvement in this matter.
Frankly, the last World Cup was the best refereed in ages and for once FIFA and Blatter were determined that their tournament would not be hijacked by the divers and professional cheats freom around the world. It was back to reality when the Premier League & Champions' League followed with the "usual suspects" receiving all the help they literally screamed for.
Nick,
The unfortunate (for some) truth is that US currency is generally accepted a s world currency, and as such falls under the purview of the US Treasury, ergo, the US DoJ, and rightly so.
In addition, it appears to have been widely spoken about regarding the allegations of corrupt practices by FIFA officials, and others, for many a year (are they REALLY a charity you ask?), and I have to say whereas I may not always agree with the USDoJ poking about in other countries affairs, they appear to have been the only real Justice Department to have the gonads to do something about it, or at least try to.
Therefore I welcome their intrusion into dealings in foreign countries, and applaud the ingenuity of how they managed to have such arrest warrants executed by governments one might feel would prefer not to assist, but realize the USDoJ is not someone to urine-about with, and I hope they do their usual trick of turning the pions and finally going after the bigger fish, whomever they may be, that has brought the name of the beautiful game into such disrepute.
Blatter wins first round of votes but fails to gain 2/3rds majority, going to 2nd round. fp.gif
Prince Ali withdraws. Time to pull out of fifa
Time for UEFA to pull out and leave this clown to ruin his organisation :dead horse:
Quote from: Buffalo76 on May 29, 2015, 06:25:56 PM
Time for UEFA to pull out and leave this clown to ruin his organisation :dead horse:
hope. They do. Euros every two years would be better anyway. It would give some of the other continents a chance at winning a world cup too
Quote from: Nick Bateman on May 29, 2015, 04:21:08 PM
Whether one likes or dislikes Mr.Blatter, it is a dangerous president to set for America to have someone arrested for an alleged crime committed not in America.
On that basis, they could accuse YOU of "racketerring", which is one of the broadest most vague terms of impeachment in U.S. law, and have you shipped over to stand trial against the weight of their government and secret services prosecuting one on whatever charges they have allegedly uncovered.
America has little interest in soccer so it does strike one as odd of their involvement in this matter.
Frankly, the last World Cup was the best refereed in ages and for once FIFA and Blatter were determined that their tournament would not be hijacked by the divers and professional cheats freom around the world. It was back to reality when the Premier League & Champions' League followed with the "usual suspects" receiving all the help they literally screamed for.
Mr. OW, the US has jurisdiction because many of the billiions of dollares in bribes were laundered through banks in the USA. That makes it a crime. And this "precedent" has been going on for the better part of a generation. It just didn't involve football until now, so perhaps you weren't aware.
Assuming, arguendo, Blatter gets re-elected, which looks likely, I wonder how far into his new tenure it will be before he is served with papers, if at all. And whether or not he is ever formally charged, if the prosecution results in some early plea bargaining guilty verdicts of lower-rung actors, won't the tide turn against Blatter? Won't those with a vote make sure Blatter or his hand-picked successor doesn't get elected thereafter?
Rats do dessert sinking ships and I should think there may well be some "He knew all about it"
If indeed he did.
Either way as president surely he is still accountable for his troops.
Boycott their sponsors the only way, but guess we're in Europe so that won't help.
More U.S. press/opinion coverage. Some good stuff in here:
It was a lot closer than we thought it would be a week ago, but in the end the result was as expected: four more years of Sepp Blatter.
Joshua Keating
In the first round of voting in FIFA's presidential election in Zurich, Switzerland today, incumbent Sepp Blatter, needing a two-thirds majority to avoid a second round of voting and secure his fifth term, came out ahead of Jordanian Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein's 133-73, but still seven votes short of the supermajority. The second round required just a simple majority and Ali withdrew, mercifully sparing us all another long and pointless vote.
The voting was done by secret ballot but we know a bit about which candidate members were planning to support. UEFA, Europe's 54-member soccer federation, was backing Prince Ali, though a few members—Russia, of course, and most likely Spain—broke ranks to support Blatter. The U.S. was on Team Ali, as was Canada and Australia. There were also reports on the day of voting that South America's 10-member federation CONMEBOL was switching its support to Ali.
But ultimately, that wasn't enough to overcome Blatter's overwhelming support in Africa, Asia—despite the fact that Ali is FIFA's vice president for the region—Central America, and the Caribbean. (The head of the Dominican Republic's football association compared the FIFA head to Jesus, Nelson Mandela, and Winston Churchill at a meeting last month.) As thoroughly corrupted as Blatter's FIFA appears to, well, everyone, he's clearly been good to many of the members.
Blatter was characteristically confident before the vote, telling the delegates in his statement, "You know me already, I don't need to introduce myself to you. You know who you're dealing with. I also know I can count on you. We need to recover our good name. We will start tomorrow morning with this goal in mind."
So what happens now? Swiss authorities have informed Blatter that he could face questioning within weeks as part of its inquiry into vote-rigging in the awarding of World Cups to Russia and Qatar. And U.S. authorities will now be submitting formal extradition requests for most of the officials arrested earlier this week. The fallout of the scandal is also now spreading to Brazil, where the police and congress have now launched inquiries into money laundering and tax evasion by soccer officials. The former president of the Brazilian football federation was among those arrested and his successor fled Switzerland before today's vote, apparently panicked by today's vote.
The organization itself seems at risk of imploding. UEFA head Michael Platini, who had called on Blatter to resign, said this morning that his members, which include soccer powerhouses like Germany and Spain, would consider pulling out of FIFA if Blatter were re-elected. The head of the England Football Association Greg Dyke also said that the country would consider boycotting the 2018 World Cup in Russia if Blatter stays and would consult with other UEFA members about doing the same.
Blatter may have survived the vote—and it would be a mistake to underestimate his long-term survival skills—but the troubles seem likely to continue for the world's most popular sport.
A Not So Brief History of Sepp Blatter's Crookedness
Why the American Justice System Actually Stands a Chance Against FIFA
Money starts to talk.
May 29 (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co urged FIFA to take "concrete actions" to address the issues that have been raised, hours after Sepp Blatter was re-elected the president of the world football governing body mired in a corruption scandal.
"FIFA must now seize the opportunity to begin winning back the trust it has lost," Coca-Cola, one of the major sponsors of FIFA, said in an email on Friday.
Blatter was re-elected the president of FIFA for a fifth term as the only other candidate conceded defeat after a first round of voting in an election overshadowed by allegations of corruption in world soccer.
I would boycott the companies that bankroll FIFA, but in most cases I don't consume their products. However I honestly believe that the only way to topple the filthy, corrupt and despicable entity that is FIFA is to drive away its commercial sponsorship.
Of course I am not suggesting that Mr Blather is filthy, corrupt and despicable as, of course, there is no suggestion that he had any idea what was going on during his watch (credible or what?!). Just staggeringly inept then?
It's soccer. If you're truly so perturbed by a word, feel free to come and find me.
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 08:23:40 PM
The next person to call Association Football, soccer. Will have their Tongue nailed to the Jaws of A Great White Shark with toothache.
If they survive that ordeal, they will be tarred and feathered, and removed to a desert island, to spend the rest of their life alone with Sepp Blatter.
Lighten up Francis... :dft011:
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on May 29, 2015, 08:27:35 PM
It's soccer. If you're truly so perturbed by a word, feel free to come and find me.
only since 1974. plus americans played football well before american football was even invented
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 08:23:40 PM
The next person to call Association Football, soccer. Will have their Tongue nailed to the Jaws of A Great White Shark with toothache.
If they survive that ordeal, they will be tarred and feathered, and removed to a desert island, to spend the rest of their life alone with Sepp Blatter.
There probably wouldn't be much need for the second option, but here goes
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
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soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
Idle threat
Quote from: rogerpinvirginia on May 29, 2015, 08:37:22 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 08:23:40 PM
The next person to call Association Football, soccer. Will have their Tongue nailed to the Jaws of A Great White Shark with toothache.
If they survive that ordeal, they will be tarred and feathered, and removed to a desert island, to spend the rest of their life alone with Sepp Blatter.
There probably wouldn't be much need for the second option, but here goes
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
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soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer football soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
Idle threat
at least you got it right once ;)
What I find bizarre about the various FA's who voted for Blatter, apart from the fact that the vast majority of them are absolute minnows in a footballing context, is that surely they must realise that they will come under intense scrutiny as to how they spent the money that Blatter dished out. It just smacks of an extreme cover-up with people sticking together to delay the collapse of a rotten house for as long as possible.
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 09:47:05 PM
It's Football and always will be, soccer is a pathetic word for girls.
If I were younger and single I would use no other word than soccer just to get in good with the soccer women of the world.
Back on topic, I can't see a middle ground for this situation at the moment. The footballing/soccer world is either nearing a radical overhaul of or split from FIFA or a return to the status quo once the winds have died down.
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 09:47:05 PM
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on May 29, 2015, 08:27:35 PM
It's soccer. If you're truly so perturbed by a word, feel free to come and find me.
I don't think that would be a good idea, but I frequent St George's Gym Putney most days, I am available for consultations, advice and support for those more vulnerable than me.
It's Football and always will be, soccer is a pathetic word for girls.
Kind of makes you wonder why the English thought it up, eh?
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 10:18:01 PM
Quote from: HatterDon on May 29, 2015, 10:06:46 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 09:47:05 PM
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on May 29, 2015, 08:27:35 PM
It's soccer. If you're truly so perturbed by a word, feel free to come and find me.
I don't think that would be a good idea, but I frequent St George's Gym Putney most days, I am available for consultations, advice and support for those more vulnerable than me.
It's Football and always will be, soccer is a pathetic word for girls.
Kind of makes you wonder why the English thought it up, eh?
But it's the yanks that play it.
Didn't you get your 50th anniversary [Fulham at Wembley] issue of TOOFIF? It's amazing the number of articles from '75 that used the word "soccer." And only the English would come up with a "cutesy" word like "soccer." ASSOCiation Football became "soccer" about the same time RUGby Football became "rugger."
But we and the Aussies are always happy to follow your lead.
Quote from: HatterDon on May 29, 2015, 10:37:54 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 10:18:01 PM
Quote from: HatterDon on May 29, 2015, 10:06:46 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 09:47:05 PM
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on May 29, 2015, 08:27:35 PM
It's soccer. If you're truly so perturbed by a word, feel free to come and find me.
I don't think that would be a good idea, but I frequent St George's Gym Putney most days, I am available for consultations, advice and support for those more vulnerable than me.
It's Football and always will be, soccer is a pathetic word for girls.
Kind of makes you wonder why the English thought it up, eh?
But it's the yanks that play it.
Didn't you get your 50th anniversary [Fulham at Wembley] issue of TOOFIF? It's amazing the number of articles from '75 that used the word "soccer." And only the English would come up with a "cutesy" word like "soccer." ASSOCiation Football became "soccer" about the same time RUGby Football became "rugger."
But we and the Aussies are always happy to follow your lead.
It doesn't really matter does it boys? I dislike it being called soccer but it's what they call it. They have named their game football in homage to our great game. I would rather Americans call it rumplestinskin and support fulham than not be interested. We have a great US bunch of fans and I would not want to alienate them. I know from both your posts this is all in good humour.
Quote from: Jonaldiniho 88 on May 29, 2015, 10:44:46 PM
Quote from: HatterDon on May 29, 2015, 10:37:54 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 10:18:01 PM
Quote from: HatterDon on May 29, 2015, 10:06:46 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 09:47:05 PM
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on May 29, 2015, 08:27:35 PM
It's soccer. If you're truly so perturbed by a word, feel free to come and find me.
I don't think that would be a good idea, but I frequent St George's Gym Putney most days, I am available for consultations, advice and support for those more vulnerable than me.
It's Football and always will be, soccer is a pathetic word for girls.
Kind of makes you wonder why the English thought it up, eh?
But it's the yanks that play it.
Didn't you get your 50th anniversary [Fulham at Wembley] issue of TOOFIF? It's amazing the number of articles from '75 that used the word "soccer." And only the English would come up with a "cutesy" word like "soccer." ASSOCiation Football became "soccer" about the same time RUGby Football became "rugger."
But we and the Aussies are always happy to follow your lead.
It doesn't really matter does it boys? I dislike it being called soccer but it's what they call it. They have named their game football in homage to our great game. I would rather Americans call it rumplestinskin and support fulham than not be interested. We have a great US bunch of fans and I would not want to alienate them. I know from both your posts this is all in good humour.
I think my American friends would be quite relieved to discover that I've given up my football addiction in favor of being slavishly devoted to International Rumplestiltskin! Thanks for the tip! starsnstripes
Quote from: rogerpinvirginia on May 29, 2015, 08:37:22 PM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 29, 2015, 08:23:40 PM
The next person to call Association Football, soccer. Will have their Tongue nailed to the Jaws of A Great White Shark with toothache.
If they survive that ordeal, they will be tarred and feathered, and removed to a desert island, to spend the rest of their life alone with Sepp Blatter.
There probably wouldn't be much need for the second option, but here goes
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
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soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
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soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer football soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
Idle threat
Just count yourself lucky you weren't the next person.
I can cope with 'soccer' because it is has been used here even if much less often than 'football'.
The word that grates for me though is 'roster'. Please, at least when talking about British teams and Fulham in particular, can we all say 'squad'.
More sponsors are making serious noises of rebelling. But they have multiyear deals, so we'll have to wait to discover how the Morals clauses in those sponsorship contracts, respectively, are worded. This article was just published:
Soccer's 'nuclear option' could make the World Cup irrelevant
What would happen if Sepp Blatter hosts a World Cup and most of Europe, several South American powers, and the US don't show up?
Blatter was voted to a fifth term as FIFA president on Friday, but the governing bodies of soccer's wealthiest region, the world's biggest economy, and several nations in soccer-crazed South America opposed him following a string of scandals.
As the 79-year-old was celebrating defeating Jordan's Prince Ali bin al-Hussein 133-73 for another four-year term, his opposition was figuring out how to pressure him for change.
The Union of European Football Associations could threaten what's become known as soccer's nuclear option: prominent nations breaking away and holding their own tournament, call it a Clean Cup. At FIFA's World Cup qualifying draw on July 25 in St. Petersburg, Russia, there could be scores of empty seats in the Constantine Palace.
"Blatter's supporters are Vladimir Putin, the invader; the Qatari government and their supposed slave employees to build the facilities; and about 80 or 90 tiny countries that he has given each one a vote and a ton of money to," said Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based consulting firm SportsCorp.
"He needs to be careful not to overplay his hand," Ganis said. "He was given an opportunity to do what he said, which is reform FIFA. If he uses that opportunity to extract retribution against those who are opposed to him, he's setting up a confrontation that if it goes all the way to the end, he can't win. He's never demonstrated that level of ignorance, so I don't expect that he will do so."
With a one-nation, one-vote system, Blatter has support of a majority of FIFA's 209 nations. But most of the world's best clubs, the strongest economies, and the most lucrative television audiences are in countries that want Blatter out
FIFA's $5.72 billion in revenue from 2011 to 2014 included $4.23 billion from last year's World Cup in Brazil — of which $2.43 billion was generated by television-rights sales and $1.58 billion from marketing agreements.
The majority of FIFA's money came from deals in Europe and the US, where governments — other than Russia — are pressing for reform.
Visa has threatened to "reassess our sponsorship" if changes are not made. The Coca-Cola Co. expressed concern, saying the controversy "tarnished the mission and ideals" of the World Cup.
"They do have tremendous leverage, but it remains to be seen whether they have legal grounds to abrogate their deals," said former CBS Sports President Neal Pilson, who runs a media-consulting firm.
UEFA President Michel Platini, the former French national team star, did not applaud Blatter after the election. He said before the vote UEFA would be "open to all options" if Blatter gained reelection, and UEFA will meet in Berlin ahead of the Champions League final on June 6.
Europe supplies 13 of the 32 teams for the World Cup (plus Russia as the host in 2018), and UEFA holds eight of the 25 voting seats on FIFA's executive committee. Blatter said after his victory that FIFA "must have a better representation of the confederations and the number of members" on the executive committee. "We need more respect for the Oceanian confederation," he added.
"The Solomon Islands are going to have a spot? But Germany, nah, not so much?" Ganis said. "Sepp Blatter can get 140 votes from the Trinidad and Tobagos of the world, these island nations whose FIFA representative is one of the wealthiest persons on the island in part because he's the FIFA representative. And he'll be able to hold onto power as long as he wants in part because of the voting process."
FIFA could be headed toward an internal fight, much as college sports in the US went through last year when the NCAA — the body that oversees competition — agreed to give its five-biggest conferences greater autonomy.
"FIFA World Cup" is trademarked, but if UEFA boycotts the tournament or breaks away from FIFA, and it is backed by the US and South America's top powers, the World Cup would be about as interesting as the African Cup of Nations or the Asian Cup.
Blatter downplayed the possibility.
"They need FIFA, and FIFA needs UEFA," he said Saturday.
But would television networks and sponsors pay all that money for an audience to watch 97th-ranked Malawi play No. 99 Qatar?
What if UEFA told European clubs — which have the best players from around the world — to ignore FIFA's regulations and refuse to release players to national teams for World Cup qualifiers?
"This isn't over by any means," England Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said.
