# Can someone explain to me this FIFA thingy? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 28, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076 "2015-05-28T22:06:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/81 "2015-05-31T16:55:51Z")
Not to mention travel costs. To get better, you have to play better teams. That means travelling to tournaments, with all the players, coaches and other team support. That’s pricey, especially if the competition is sparse in your area, so you have to travel farther. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/82 "2015-05-31T17:27:01Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > I agree with you that a lot of the revenues FIFA makes is being spilled on corrupt officials who skim their share. But it’s not _all_ of it. The question is: If you have the choice between (1) the status quo, where some of the money is pockted by corrupt officials but a significant share is actually invested in developing football in poorer countries, and (2) a system of the kind UEFA seems to be having in mind, with a larger share being diverted to wealthy associations in Europe and South America - which of these two options will result in larger amounts being put to good use in poorer countries? I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that this is, in spite of all the losses to corruption, option 1. So there is a perfectly legitimate reason (even if it is, I agree, presumably not the main personal motivation for functionaries from poor countries) outside corruption to stick to the status quo. > > I would, in fact, disagree with this, at least if we’re measuring “inexpensive” by reference to developing country standards. Of course you can play football on any open pasture in any African village. But if you want to have a proper pitch that’s maintained and kept in shape, then you’ll have to invest a little. Even a couple of million a year can make a big difference there in a developing country. The thing is though that much of the slack from the withdrawal of FIFA funds(if this in fact were to happen) would be taken up by clubs throughout the world. Any decent sized European club worth its salt is scouring Africa for young talent. Many of them would fill the role taken up by FIFA. Whatever FIFA seem to be doing in Africa and the Caribbean has so far been pretty poor in it’s results. African football has went backwards in recent years. This despite greater coaching, nutritionalists, scouts etc. If you want money spent on African football then the current route under FIFA is certainly the way to go. If you want to see better standards in African football then the benefits of the FIFA route are less clear cut. Im from Scotland. There also seems little correlation in my country between professional coaching at young level and a conveyer belt of successfull adult footballers. I may be going off topic, but it is a bugbear of mine. I see and hear of money being spent on youth football; it’s results are so far less than impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/83 "2015-05-31T17:32:08Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I suspect that photo might be from another year. There was at least one time where Sepp was the only name on the ballot. I was wrong and you are correct. I checked some more and the picture I showed was from the 2011 election. So while it is an image of a real ballot, it’s not an image of this year’s ballot. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/84 "2015-05-31T17:39:05Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](#): > > The thing is though that much of the slack from the withdrawal of FIFA funds(if this in fact were to happen) would be taken up by clubs throughout the world. Any decent sized European club worth its salt is scouring Africa for young talent. Many of them would fill the role taken up by FIFA. Whatever FIFA seem to be doing in Africa and the Caribbean has so far been pretty poor in it’s results. African football has went backwards in recent years. This despite greater coaching, nutritionalists, scouts etc. If you want money spent on African football then the current route under FIFA is certainly the way to go. If you want to see better standards in African football then the benefits of the FIFA route are less clear cut. European clubs have scouts all over the world. But for the scouts to actually do their jobs, there needs to be some sort of infrastructure that brings young talent forward and gets them to the attention of the scouts. Its not the young teenagers the scouts are looking for, its the people with proven ability in organised football, the older teens and recent youth graduates. If these guys are not getting gametime because their clubs/representative sides are strapped for cash or non existant, then it does not matter if the guy is a combination Messi/Ronaldo, he is never going anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/85 "2015-05-31T18:32:24Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > European clubs have scouts all over the world. But for the scouts to actually do their jobs, there needs to be some sort of infrastructure that brings young talent forward and gets them to the attention of the scouts. Its not the young teenagers the scouts are looking for, its the people with proven ability in organised football, the older teens and recent youth graduates. If these guys are not getting gametime because their clubs/representative sides are strapped for cash or non existant, then it does not matter if the guy is a combination Messi/Ronaldo, he is never going anywhere. Also there comes a point where players do need proper equipment and proper organization to develop. I think it is fair to say it has been shown repeatedly that investment in youth football reaps rewards. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/86 "2015-05-31T18:50:41Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > European clubs have scouts all over the world. But for the scouts to actually do their jobs, there needs to be some sort of infrastructure that brings young talent forward and gets them to the attention of the scouts. Its not the young teenagers the scouts are looking for, its the people with proven ability in organised football, the older teens and recent youth graduates. **If these guys are not getting gametime because their clubs/representative sides are strapped for cash or non existant, then it does not matter if the guy is a combination Messi/Ronaldo, he is never going anywhere**. Yes, and the organizing of competative youth leagues costs next to nothing. These leagues do not require the professionalization of the game. All they require are boots, bibs and a playing surface; cccassionally hiring a minibus for transport. Again, im still waiting for this FIFA money to bear fruit in Africa. So far a lot of money has been spent with little to show for it. If Blatter and his defenders point to money going to developing countries as a “success” then I think it worthwhile to ask what is to show for it all. Im sure facilities have been improved(minus kickbacks etc). However, improving the final product in Africa has so far been an abysmal failure. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/87 "2015-05-31T22:19:02Z")
I think **AK84** ’s example of Zambia has shown a ‘bearing’ of fruit. There is more to success of football in Africa than the results of CAF teams in the World Cup. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/88 "2015-06-01T02:23:51Z")
I thought [this](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2481782-former-fifa-vp-jack-warner-uses-article-from-the-onion-to-criticise-usa?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial) was funny. > [@](#): > > Jack Warner, the former vice president of FIFA, was among those arrested last week for his part in the scandal that rocked world football. > > As the BBC’s Rajini Vaidyanathan noted, the Trinidad official “is facing extradition to the US after his arrest on corruption charges.” > > Therefore, it is no surprise that he is not the biggest fan of the United States at the moment. > > His disdain led him to post a rambling, eight-minute-long video on his Facebook page (which he later deleted), in which he suggested America’s corruption clampdown was motivated by their desire to host the World Cup. > > To illustrate his point, he whipped out an article from the American media just after the five-minute mark in the video below. Basically, it’s an Onion article and he seems to have used it as justification that he was being prosecuted illegally, since it clearly demonstrates that the US is only after hosting a World Cup. 😛 I have to admit, there seems to be a lot of weirdness going on in all of this. I had no idea that this was such big business or that there were so many levels to all of this stuff about getting a World Cup in ones country. I guess I should have, intellectually, known that it is big business, but I’m not a big sports fan so I didn’t realize. I appreciate the explanations, though I have to say I still don’t get what all is going on. It seems that it’s mostly business as usual, despite allegations and accusations, and that a lot of folks think this is only about the US and UK(?) being pissed about not getting a World Cup in their countries. Is this going to change anything or just nothing to see here in all of this? ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/89 "2015-06-01T04:48:49Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Is this going to change anything or just nothing to see here in all of this? There’s a lot of vested interest in keeping things as they are, so I fully expect change will be frustratingly slow and there will be lot of trying to get away with making superficial changes without tackling the problem. However significant changes must happen as if they don’t the FIFA brand will only get more toxic, drastically reducing future sponsorship revenue. Also there is genuine motivation for the European federation (UEFA) to walk away and set up a rival federation. If that were to happen, it would be the end of FIFA. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/90 "2015-06-01T05:47:36Z")
> [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > There’s a lot of vested interest in keeping things as they are, so I fully expect change will be frustratingly slow and there will be lot of trying to get away with making superficial changes without tackling the problem. However significant changes must happen as if they don’t the FIFA brand will only get more toxic, drastically reducing future sponsorship revenue. Also there is genuine motivation for the European federation (UEFA) to walk away and set up a rival federation. If that were to happen, it would be the end of FIFA. Would never happen. Spain and France voted for Blatter. As did Russia and its allies inE Europe. Altogether 18 nations from UEFA voted Blatter. [QUOTE=Fuzzy\_wuzzy] Yes, and the organizing of competative youth leagues costs next to nothing. These leagues do not require the professionalization of the game. All they require are boots, bibs and a playing surface; cccassionally hiring a minibus for transport [/QUOTE] In Britain. Where there are several dozen field in every county and an excellent trasnport infrastructure. Where equipment is easily available at the local market. Can you think of a reason why this might not be true in some of the poorest nations in earth? ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/91 "2015-06-01T06:04:58Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > In Britain. Where there are several dozen field in every county and an excellent trasnport infrastructure. Where equipment is easily available at the local market. Can you think of a reason why this might not be true in some of the poorest nations in earth? Wouldn’t money be better spent on schools to train people how to build infrastructure to better supply the stores with local goods that people produce from learning how to better farm their land be a better use of funds than building a soccer pitch in the middle of a poverty stricken country? Luxuries like organized sports would seem to be low on the priority list of what these countries need. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/92 "2015-06-01T07:18:39Z")
Well yes, but I doubt even FIFA’s worst detractors would think that economic uplift is its job. Or improving local agriculture. I would disagree that organised sports are totally unneeded luxuries. It has been shown that organised sports can improve the lot of vulnerable young person by keeping them occupied when they might otherwise fall prey to various nefarious elements. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/93 "2015-06-01T07:25:22Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Very well said. A lot of these smaller football associations are scared to death that a new President will drastically cut down on football development and investment in third world countries in favor of increasing the money that goes to Europe and South America. The ideal would be an anti-corruption crusader who is committed and promises to continue and increase the funding for footballing infrastructure in poorer countries - but that person doesn’t seem to exist in the upper levels of football. No, they are not bothered about football development at all. They are bothered that another president will not fill their corrupt pockets with money that is originally designated for football development. That is a very different thing indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/94 "2015-06-01T07:25:29Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I would disagree that organised sports are totally unneeded luxuries. Partially unneeded? > [@](#): > > It has been shown that organised sports can improve the lot of vulnerable young person by keeping them occupied when they might otherwise fall prey to various nefarious elements. A job or school could do the same, methinks. But ‘opiate of the masses’ and all that. Soccer might be the a cheaper solution. Cheaper still could be handing out condoms. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/95 "2015-06-01T07:42:36Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Would never happen. Spain and France voted for Blatter. As did Russia and its allies inE Europe. Altogether 18 nations from UEFA voted Blatter. > In Britain. Where there are several dozen field in every county and an excellent trasnport infrastructure. Where equipment is easily available at the local market. Can you think of a reason why this might not be true in some of the poorest nations in earth? As has been said elsewhere on this thread, transport infrastucture is not the remit of FIFA. It’s soccer, at youth level youth teams play locally. The transport infrastucture is not really of much importance. People keep going on about equipment. At youth level equipment costs little. Not much expense is needed at all. Im quite willing to admit later in youth development, and when the cream of the crop have deen identified, slightly more money will be needed. THis can be done by clubs and/or FIFA money. Im still waiting for FIFA’s plan to improve the final product in Africa to show any benefits. All it seems to have done is benefit corrupt FIFA officials, corrupt locals and the professional soccer class. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/96 "2015-06-01T10:55:23Z")
How much more provincial can you get? Equipment is cheap in the UK. And cheap is a reletive term. Football shoes (for example) can easily cost as much as a months wages… abd that s presuming they are even available. In highly built up and small Europe sure you don’f need to travel far to play opposition. Hell you might share the same ground. In other countries playing local rivals can easily mean a drive of 50 miles across soke fairly rugged terrain. And lets not ignore climate and terrain. In most psrts of Europe almost any patch of land will be useable for sport with minimal work. In other parts of the world, the ground is rockhard and or broken and prone to be covered in foliage. It requires considerable effort to make it and keep it suitable for playing. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/97 "2015-06-01T13:01:57Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > How much more provincial can you get? Equipment is cheap in the UK. And cheap is a reletive term. Football shoes (for example) can easily cost as much as a months wages… abd that s presuming they are even available. > > In highly built up and small Europe sure you don’f need to travel far to play opposition. Hell you might share the same ground. In other countries playing local rivals can easily mean a drive of 50 miles across soke fairly rugged terrain. > > And lets not ignore climate and terrain. In most psrts of Europe almost any patch of land will be useable for sport with minimal work. In other parts of the world, the ground is rockhard and or broken and prone to be covered in foliage. It requires considerable effort to make it and keep it suitable for playing. You are talking a completely different game to me. I am talking of youth football, that is recreation football for children, some of whom will go on to greater footballing things. For this recreational football you need next to zero facilities, you dont even need a “ground”. Next to no youth football teams in even the wealthiest of countries require a ground. Some of the poorest nations on earth produced the greatest footballers on earth(and in abundance) without FIFA funnelling corrupt money into them. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/98 "2015-06-01T14:21:07Z")
This isn’t some kick-about. It’s organized youth teams and leagues which, yes, do require a ground. It requires organization of some sort. You can’t just see 3 on 3 in a street and go, ok, youth program. That just doesn’t make any sense. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/99 "2015-06-01T15:20:21Z")
Look ,the whole discussion about youth development is irrelevant. Blatter didn’t get re-elected to continue that program; he got elected to continue the cocaine/hookers/big bags of cash program. The development programs are necessary only so the individuals benefiting voting have a public excuse to support Blatter against those horrible Europeans who might trash international soccer by instituting financial audits and making decisions more transparent. Nobody voted for Qatar because it would help youth programs, after all. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076/100 "2015-06-01T15:48:46Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Look ,the whole discussion about youth development is irrelevant. > > Blatter didn’t get re-elected to continue that program; he got elected to continue the cocaine/hookers/big bags of cash program. The development programs are necessary only so the individuals benefiting voting have a public excuse to support Blatter against those horrible Europeans who might trash international soccer by instituting financial audits and making decisions more transparent. Nobody voted for Qatar because it would help youth programs, after all. Ha. Ha.Haha.Hahahaaaaaaa These would be the same Europeans [who are deep](http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/05/michel-platini-conspirators-2022-world-cup-bid-uefa) in bed with [Gulf Poetentates](http://www.emirates247.com/business/gulf-money-fans-make-football-clubs-recession-proof-2012-02-16-1.443373)and [Far Eastern businessmen?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Tan). [The ones who](http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/05/michel-platini-conspirators-2022-world-cup-bid-uefa) supported [Qatar’s WC bi](http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/20/michel-platini-politics-qatar-2022-world-cup)d (unlike Blatter who voted for the US)? Whose clubs [are such eye watering financial mismagemenst](http://www.businessinsider.com/twenty-two-spanish-soccer-clubs-have-entered-bankruptcy-protection-2011-7)stories, that the make the 2008 Bankers look honest? Which is why this whole process is a farce. They have arrested small fry. They are going after alleged bribery for Qatar 2022… when they are not going to find anything of significance, because the organizers were not stupid enough to offer them outright. When the actual “bribes” were paid years ago, when the Qatari royals (and their GCC buddies) started pouring in free money in the Euro leagues. A fact which precisely no one is touching because the guys yelling for reform do not want that tap shut off. Of course this process manages to mollify the idiots. “Yessir, corruption is bad, look at what we are doing, zyz, must go, the least likley corrupt bit of Qatar’s bid must be investigated”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-to-me-this-fifa-thingy/721076.md?page=6)