Nothing Out of the Ordinary for FIFA
"We will continue to work with the relevant authorities and we will work vigorously within FIFA in order to root out any misconduct, to regain your trust and ensure that football worldwide is free from wrongdoing." (pre-election)
"This gives me now the time because I was said to be responsible with what's happened. I take the responsibility and we have to build up now a better image of FIFA and I know how to do it."
"It was a very difficult congress due to the circumstances of these tragic events on Wednesday and Thursday in Zurich and what the media said around the world about FIFA.""I was identified to be responsible for what has happened. I take the responsibility and we have to build up a better image of FIFA and I know how to do it." (post-election)Sepp Blatter, FIFA president
"[We are] fully committed to creating a culture that promotes the highest standards of ethics and compliance and we expect the same from our partners."
Adidas, FIFA sponsor
Seven FIFA officials arrested, with charges against nine officials of FIFA along with five corporate executives, all charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies connected to 24 years of entitled corruption, in the process enriching themselves beyond imagination. Swiss prosecutors have announced that criminal proceedings are to proceed into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia, and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
The proceedings, needless to say represent "another case of illegal extraterritorial implementation of American law", according to Russia's outraged Foreign Ministry, representing a country the 2018 Cup was granted, over the U.S. bid. This brings sour grapes to a new level. Major Sponsors such as Coca-Cola, Visa and Adidas are aghast; they had no idea, NO IDEA, that their brand was involved, however innocently with corrupted malfeasance on such a grand scale.
They will rethink their sponsorship. Perhaps.
The European soccer body UEFA, had called on FIFA to postpone the Friday presidential vote since "the image of football as a whole" had been tarnished (!!surprise!!); perhaps a time-out might be useful at this juncture. They must not have realized that the inestimable Sepp Blatter at age 79, has lost none of his marbles, and certainly none of the gratitude of the South American and Asian soccer bodies whose vote for his continued presidency carried his day.
For he is the 'president of everybody', particularly those everybodies whom his generosity profited.
The fix was in, but the truth is out. The former chief of Britain's 2018 World Cup bid spoke before a parliamentary committee describing how FIFA officials demanded million-dollar payouts in exchange for votes. As for former FIFA executive Nicolas Leoz, he had all the filthy lucre he was happy to claim; what he wanted instead was a knighthood. When the English official responded it wouldn't be possible, he understood that neither would the games in 2018 be possible for Britain.
Mr. Leoz was one of the 14 FIFA men arrested in Zurich on Wednesday to answer for the American charges of racketeering and other offences. There are so many offensive offences casually overlooked as business as usual, that had it not been for the outlandishly inexplicable-but-for-bribes decision to grant the 2022 World Cup venue to Qatar, no such firestorm of 'we've-had-it' would have broken out into the world of the most popular sport going.
Qatar, a tiny country with no history of, let alone interest in football? A summer games choice in overheated Qatar? No football stadiums in Qatar ... no problem. Except for the thousands of imported slave labourers from poverty-stricken countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, labouring under intensively subpar conditions considered dangerous in any other part of the world, with reports of one death among the indentured workers every two days.
Labels: Corruption, Sports, World News
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, May 31, 2015
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