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English >> Real life soccer
FIFA Corruption (63)
He's a walking punchline. The views he expresses publicly are so controversial and ignorant yet nobody can do anything to stop him.
This guy is a representative of one of the World's largest corporations. This guy proves time and again that he stick his foot in his mouth. If a major company like Microsoft or Mcdonald's had this guy as their president, people would be boycotting their products until he was removed from power. The difference is, Blatter doesn't really have to sell anything to the public.
As long as he's providing the smaller soccer Nations/regions with attention and bribes, he'll never lose the elections. It's kind of amazing that San Marino can have the same power as England in this process. I get the idea trying to empower everyone but look at how it has damaged the credibility of FIFA.
@Bright You're not wrong that Blatter has no evidence against him in this scenario. He is in charge of FIFA though so it is his responsibility regardless of whether he knew. Based on his past transgressions, its safe to assume he is guilty of being a greasy low-life business man.
If you'd like, I can run down all of the accusations against him in the last 10 years. He's got a laundry list of missteps.
FIFA is a corrupt organization and it's run by a corrupt leader with corrupt representatives. I have not the slightest clue as to what could be done to change things.
This guy is a representative of one of the World's largest corporations. This guy proves time and again that he stick his foot in his mouth. If a major company like Microsoft or Mcdonald's had this guy as their president, people would be boycotting their products until he was removed from power. The difference is, Blatter doesn't really have to sell anything to the public.
As long as he's providing the smaller soccer Nations/regions with attention and bribes, he'll never lose the elections. It's kind of amazing that San Marino can have the same power as England in this process. I get the idea trying to empower everyone but look at how it has damaged the credibility of FIFA.
@Bright You're not wrong that Blatter has no evidence against him in this scenario. He is in charge of FIFA though so it is his responsibility regardless of whether he knew. Based on his past transgressions, its safe to assume he is guilty of being a greasy low-life business man.
If you'd like, I can run down all of the accusations against him in the last 10 years. He's got a laundry list of missteps.
FIFA is a corrupt organization and it's run by a corrupt leader with corrupt representatives. I have not the slightest clue as to what could be done to change things.
When there are over 100 countries with no chance of making the World Cup, but they still get a vote in where it will be held, there is just way too much incentive for corruption. Here in Nicaragua; why wouldn't our representative take a bribe to vote for a given location? We won't be there wherever it's held. So our rep would be an idiot to not take a bribe for his vote. That doesn't mean he did, but no one would be surprised if he did.
A solution would be finding a way to only let the nations with a realistic chance of making the finals have a vote in where it will be held.
A solution would be finding a way to only let the nations with a realistic chance of making the finals have a vote in where it will be held.
@Mr. Glass Completely agree with your first paragraph. What your suggesting would help but it's not the answer to solve all of FIFA's issues.
Where the world cup is played is only a part of what FIFA does, corruption has spread well beyond that. It involves television rights, media rights, where every continental cup or special tournament takes place and who is involved, etc.
Where the world cup is played is only a part of what FIFA does, corruption has spread well beyond that. It involves television rights, media rights, where every continental cup or special tournament takes place and who is involved, etc.
This is an interesting article on why Africa backs Blatter and all the good FIFA (not Blatter) has done. Blatter may have been doing some good, while heading up a lot of bad but FIFA does not need Blatter to continue that good work. FIFA does need an overhaul.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32928984
An interesting paragraph is this one:
"And it has been Mr Blatter who has pushed the programme. He, both as Secretary General and then as Fifa president, helped encourage the boom in football - and raked in billions of dollars from media and marketing as a result"
So while on the face of it FIFA is doing good work, it is not all driven by altruism. This is what has enabled the supposedly non profit FIFA to amass a fortune in "reserve". A billion dollar reserve. There are a lot of wealthy FIFA officials benefiting from their good deeds and a lot of dirty money changing hands as a result.
And there are dissenting voices:
"Here's a voice from Zambia, former administrator Simataa Simataa:
"A lot of things have been done using Fifa money - the perception is that its Sepp Blatter's money. But this should be done anyway, whether Mr Blatter is there or not.
"It is about more than just projects, it is about constitutions, about rules, about ethics - and all those I've mentioned have declined under the leadership of Sepp Blatter."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32928984
An interesting paragraph is this one:
"And it has been Mr Blatter who has pushed the programme. He, both as Secretary General and then as Fifa president, helped encourage the boom in football - and raked in billions of dollars from media and marketing as a result"
So while on the face of it FIFA is doing good work, it is not all driven by altruism. This is what has enabled the supposedly non profit FIFA to amass a fortune in "reserve". A billion dollar reserve. There are a lot of wealthy FIFA officials benefiting from their good deeds and a lot of dirty money changing hands as a result.
And there are dissenting voices:
"Here's a voice from Zambia, former administrator Simataa Simataa:
"A lot of things have been done using Fifa money - the perception is that its Sepp Blatter's money. But this should be done anyway, whether Mr Blatter is there or not.
"It is about more than just projects, it is about constitutions, about rules, about ethics - and all those I've mentioned have declined under the leadership of Sepp Blatter."
So Glass You're saying that bribing is good? Don't forget that bribe has 2 parts: taking and giving. If You think that taking bribe is good, what about giving it? Should all sport events than be held in rich countries which can offer big bribes?
I know You say Nicaragua will never held WC, but just imagine that suddenly You have ellection standing against... Let's say the same Qatar? And You see Your country loosing the voting due to bribes. What then?
I know You say Nicaragua will never held WC, but just imagine that suddenly You have ellection standing against... Let's say the same Qatar? And You see Your country loosing the voting due to bribes. What then?
He never said bribing is a good thing.
@Namejs He wasn't saying it was good. He was saying it is much easier to bribe the smaller Nations as they generally will be indifferent about where it is held.
It's easy for us to say, bribing is bad and these Countries should have a moral compass and not take bribes. It's a much different situation for these Countries who don't have a lot of money for their Federations.
When FIFA comes in and offers these Representatives money, power or whatever is important to them, I'm sure it might be hard to resist. It's pretty easy for these Nations to justify giving their vote (which they don't care about) in exchange for something that is very valuable to them.
Of course it's wrong to take bribes and/or give them however, the way things are, it's not very difficult to convince Nations to break the rules.
It's easy for us to say, bribing is bad and these Countries should have a moral compass and not take bribes. It's a much different situation for these Countries who don't have a lot of money for their Federations.
When FIFA comes in and offers these Representatives money, power or whatever is important to them, I'm sure it might be hard to resist. It's pretty easy for these Nations to justify giving their vote (which they don't care about) in exchange for something that is very valuable to them.
Of course it's wrong to take bribes and/or give them however, the way things are, it's not very difficult to convince Nations to break the rules.
Thanks guys for expanding on my point. This is a really complicated issue and I'm not sure there is a be all solution. What I do know is that for most of my life I have had a cult like interest in he World Cup. But that has changed over the past year or two.
... and let's not forget it's not countries taking bribes, it's greedy individuals taking bribes while the majority of the population of the country goes about their business thinking everything is above board.
If anything it makes the corruption worse. Take South Africa for example. So far there has been no concrete evidence released to suggest there was corruption involved in SA getting the 2010 World Cup but it has been suggested in some quarters (I, for one, think it was a good thing they got it - apart from those bloody vuvuzelas). So claims of corruption harm the country as well because it makes people wonder if they did get it on merit, if it was the presence of someone like Mandela who helped. So any corruption does a great disservice because it casts doubt in people's minds.
If anything it makes the corruption worse. Take South Africa for example. So far there has been no concrete evidence released to suggest there was corruption involved in SA getting the 2010 World Cup but it has been suggested in some quarters (I, for one, think it was a good thing they got it - apart from those bloody vuvuzelas). So claims of corruption harm the country as well because it makes people wonder if they did get it on merit, if it was the presence of someone like Mandela who helped. So any corruption does a great disservice because it casts doubt in people's minds.
Sorry for misreading than.
I can understand why WC was given to country like South Africa: It's large country that fighted of racism in recent history. I can't understand why from all Asian countries Qatar got WC in first place. They are building WC stadiums now, but after event they will be teared down, right? So the country itself spends a lot of money in getting WC, setting it up, running it and then even the infrastructure is dismounted. And they want us believe that that was fair and uncorrupted?
I can understand why WC was given to country like South Africa: It's large country that fighted of racism in recent history. I can't understand why from all Asian countries Qatar got WC in first place. They are building WC stadiums now, but after event they will be teared down, right? So the country itself spends a lot of money in getting WC, setting it up, running it and then even the infrastructure is dismounted. And they want us believe that that was fair and uncorrupted?
Not to mention the loss of human life building that infrastructure.
Among the companies already in the cross-hairs of the U.S. government for committing bribery are Hewlett-Packard HPQ -0.74% , telecommunications company Qualcomm QCOM -1.25% , farm equipment maker Deere & Co. DE 0.19% , cosmetic company Avon AVP 1.20% , casino company Las Vegas Sands LVS -0.43% and Koch Industries
Fairly recently our beloved Walmart was the subject of a justice dept investigation for the bribes they paid to expedite their entry in Mexico...am I or others outraged and boycotting their stores?
They are probably doing more good for jobs and shoppers in Mexico than not being there. Albeit self serving...
I can make the case that FIFA is doing the same, throughout history money is the grease that turns the wheel.
Yes it's a sleezy business that works.
Fairly recently our beloved Walmart was the subject of a justice dept investigation for the bribes they paid to expedite their entry in Mexico...am I or others outraged and boycotting their stores?
They are probably doing more good for jobs and shoppers in Mexico than not being there. Albeit self serving...
I can make the case that FIFA is doing the same, throughout history money is the grease that turns the wheel.
Yes it's a sleezy business that works.
They've done wonders for the workers in Qatar.
Did you watch the video I pasted a link for above? FIFA didn't exactly do wonders for the people of Brazil for 2014 either. Remember the protests against the World cup in a nation that loves football.
Did you watch the video I pasted a link for above? FIFA didn't exactly do wonders for the people of Brazil for 2014 either. Remember the protests against the World cup in a nation that loves football.
All very interesting reading.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32952078
However, I have some tendency to agree with Russia that there are also political motivations involved in this.
Calls for a boycott of the 2018 World Cup are, in my opinion, at least partly politically motivated by Western sanctions aimed at Russia. If they are concerned about the corruption, they should also be calling for a boycott of the 2022 World Cup, particularly because of the human rights issues surrounding the treatment and deaths of migrant workers in Qatar working on World Cup infrastructure there.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32952078
However, I have some tendency to agree with Russia that there are also political motivations involved in this.
Calls for a boycott of the 2018 World Cup are, in my opinion, at least partly politically motivated by Western sanctions aimed at Russia. If they are concerned about the corruption, they should also be calling for a boycott of the 2022 World Cup, particularly because of the human rights issues surrounding the treatment and deaths of migrant workers in Qatar working on World Cup infrastructure there.