This is a really good article on why Africa tends to support Blatter (and it isn’t the hookers and blow):
The rest of the article details how Blatter continued Havelange’s policy to expand FIFA from just a European old boy’s club and spread the benefits African and Asian countries. And, of course, Blatter not only promised an African World Cup - he delivered it. That South African WC was worth it’s weight in votes.
This stuff NEEDS to be taken into account when determining how to get rid of Sepp. Simply saying, well it’s just bribes for hookers and blow trivializes the entire thing - and falls right into what Sepp wants you to believe is happening, btw.
Those are some really fantastic links, the Guardian ones. I think they indicate that looking for UEFA to be a white horse here is just a ridiculous notion.
I dont think many are looking at UEFA this way. Some of the links that you responded too were legitimate criticisms of UEFA and European football; some of them were nonsense. Does the state of Spanish club football really have anything to do with this issue? The fact that European clubs do business with Arabs, oil money and wealthy Asians is also of little concern; it’s when this money is corrupting that it should be a concern.
I also believe European clubs and officials are more likely to get caught. We have a relatively free press here, along with a relatively incorrupt judiciary. European corruption will more likely be dealt with by the national powers that be than those in developing countries.
What about when it seems that European football associations were the main backing votes on the executive committee to award the 2022 WC to Qatar? It seems that business with Arabs and oil money becomes far more interesting, does it not?
While your post definitely has comedic content as is, may I make a couple minor suggestions to bring it more into line with sane opinions? Simply insert “yet” in the first sentence (after “NOT” or “charged”, your choice), and “authorities do no yet have all the evidence they’d like to prove that” (between “appear” and “had”).
(Maybe someone could do a sit-com about a Blatter that is somehow unaware and disapproving of the massive corruption at FIFA? A Clouseau-esque character, continually puzzled by the strange votes of the executive council, curious -but not to the point of asking – about all the strange comings and goings by mysterious middlemen, and bemused by the bags of cash and gold bricks lying around FIFA offices. )
Now this is the Daily Mail, so take that into account, but it seems to indicate that France and Spain were among the 18 UEFA countries who voted for Sepp Blatter:
The Mail indicates that it may be due to substantial investments Qataris have made in both those countries.
Pointing fingers at Sepp Blatter and saying, “Bad man”, is not going to put Blatter in prison. Or cause him to step down. As I understand it, the U.S. has been investigation FIFA for several years. Loretta Lynch has been investigating FIFA for several years.
You can add the word “yet” if you think it makes your opinion sound sane (more sane?). I believe my post correctly stated the current situation.
Do you have any evidence of this? Im not saying you are wrong but a link to who voted for Qatar would be welcome. So far I know of only Platini(himself a dodgy shitebag).
FWIW, Europe has the highest representation in the executive committee by quite a few.
Though I guess Platini could be saying even if all 8 of Europe voted for Qatar, there were 6 others who also voted for Qatar (as if that would have excused anything). Though Platini does acknowledge, but does not refute, the general speculation that Europe was the one that voted for Qatar. So maybe not a smoking gun, but a good amount of smoke.
Fair enough. But Platini here is covering his own back. We don’t actually know who voted for Qatar other than Platini himself. Im quite willing to admit Uefa are not much, if any, better than FIFA. I do however believe that corruption in Uefa is more likely to be spotlighted by the press of European countries; and by the free judiciary we have here. Finally, “politics” is slightly different than downright corruption. Though they can be very close bedfellows.
I mean, you say that, but the corruption has been going for quite a while before the US and the Swiss (which, yes, is a European country, but definitely not a football power) did their daring arrests.
The UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy haven’t done anything about it for decades.
I did say Uefa corruption is more likely to be highlighted not FIFA. These arrests have so far got little to do with Uefa. The jurisdiction of these countires you mention are far more limited than the US. It’s all but impossible for these countries to act against FIFA. Plus, the charges of racism and vested interest against the US in this instance would have been far greater had any of these European countries aggressively pursued this case.