# Tell me about the Sepp Blather case **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-soccer-fifa\ **Created:** [July 19, 2022, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sepp-blather-case/968231 "2022-07-19T22:54:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sepp-blather-case/968231/1 "2022-07-19T22:54:51Z")
I was wondering if someone could educate me on the troubles and possible vindication of Football President Sepp Blatter. Did he do a good job? Is the sport really corrupt, or not? Was he deservedly vindicated? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sepp-blather-case/968231/2 "2022-07-20T00:20:52Z")
Some information from a trusted (or at least passionate) source: [FIFA and the World Cup: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - YouTube](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DlJEt2KU33I) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sepp-blather-case/968231/3 "2022-07-20T01:11:29Z")
Fun rewatch. As an American I had totally forgotten about the World Cup, but it’s apparently this year. So I got curious and googled. It would normally be wrapping up right about now (mid July) but it was 101° there today in Qatar. So they delayed it until November and December, when the average temperature will be 84°. Still pretty toasty, and the occasional summer heat spike to 100° isn’t unheard of that time of year. Looks like the US qualified despite losing their last game, and is in Group B with England, Iran and Wales. ---
**Author:** ![InfraBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infrablue/32/6366_2.png) [@InfraBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InfraBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sepp-blather-case/968231/4 "2022-07-20T17:32:21Z")
For more specific background about the Sepp Blather case: > **[‘You will hear from us’: Sepp Blatter fires warning to football world after...](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/hear-us-sepp-blatter-fires-133143738.html)** > > Blatter and Platini escaped criminal charges over a £1.7m payment I remember when it took the US Department of Justice, and the US’ outsider position in the global fútbol world, to expose the systemic corruption in FIFA. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sepp-blather-case/968231/5 "2022-07-20T21:17:27Z")
The British journalist Andrew Jennings (now sadly deceased) had more than a little to do with it: > **[Meet the man that exposed the Fifa scandal that toppled Sepp Blatter](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/andrew-jennings-meet-the-man-that-exposed-the-fifa-scandal-that-toppled-sepp-blatter-10294970.html)** > > 'These scum have stolen the people’s sport - they’ve stolen it, the cynical thieving bastards' ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sepp-blather-case/968231/6 "2022-07-25T17:02:15Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Did he do a good job? Is the sport really corrupt, or not? Was he deservedly vindicated? He (mostly) did a good job growing the game. The sport is not corrupt, but there is a lot of corruption in it. That is mostly a function of its broad appeal across the globe, which creates a lot of opportunities for corruption - i.e., your bribes go a long way in poor countries. Blatter is definitely corrupt. I don’t know enough about the alleged Platini payoff to know if he should have been convicted on this specific charge.