Sepp Blatter resigns, FIFA ExCo members face extradition
- Thread starter ThePrideofShiner
- Start date
The most corrupt candidate came in second place the reformer came 3rd, the likely moderately corrupt White guy won.
Meet the new boss mostly the same as the old boss
@Cellar-Door summed it up nicely.
To take a wider view, the important thing to understand is that FIFA's problems can't solved at this level because FIFA's problems stem from the electorate of elections like these - the generally corrupt individuals leading the national FAs of each of FIFA's 209 member associations.
Remember, CONCACAF is a corrupt joke because it is perpetually run by corrupt hacks from small Caribbean FAs. FIFA suffers from the same issue -- the World Cup and other competitions generate a TON of revenue, which is given out in grants and "development" and embezzled locally in return for political support at these elections.
And of course while the "bigger, more serious" countries are less likely to be as corrupt, there's plenty of dirt in those FAs too.
The DOJ investigations are glimmer of hope, but only a glimmer. The basic structure of the organization is set up for corruption.
As they should, though, right? I have only a layman's familiarity with FIFA history, but haven't the last 20 years been about the developing world basically sucking players' time and money from the actual money-making, more-upright, more-professionally-managed leagues in UEFA? I mean, some confederation had to win power here, it's not like they were going to elect a total outsider.
But a huge chunk of the players and the TV money comes from outside of Europe. FIFA would be incredibly rich even if none of the Euro leagues existed.
Am I conflating something? I thought Havelange and Blatter and all their cronies rose to power and maintained it by basically leveraging the more-numerous-in-votes poorer countries, handing them money with no oversight, and basically weighted the power of world football away from Europe. And that this resulted in, among other things, shitty timing and more intransigent rules on international breaks, less cooperation with clubs, poorer management of tournaments, more money generated from european players being diverted to poorer countries' FAs (to continue buying their votes), and of course corrupt awarding of the world cup itself.
Infantino may be no revolutionary and certainly no saint, but if I've got that right, then I've got to imagine that his tenure may lessen the tension between the core of club football and its periphery.
Infantino may be no revolutionary and certainly no saint, but if I've got that right, then I've got to imagine that his tenure may lessen the tension between the core of club football and its periphery.
Kind of but not really. Yes they bribed the little countries, but they also had the support of Asia which is a massive money maker, and Africa which adds a good amount of money and a lot of the best players.
A Euro dominated FIFA won't put as much money into the hands of those people. Instead it will funnel money to private for profits, and return to the old colonialist strategy of 5 countries with money dictating what everyone else should do based on what is best for them.
Tokyo Sexwale is dirty, but at least he's an honest to God anti-apartheid hero.
FIFA, Embracing Role as Victim, Seeks to Collect Millions in U.S. Case
FIFA hasn't run out of chutzpah.
FIFA hasn't run out of chutzpah.
Same old, same old.
"Despite a year of scandal and turmoil, not a single FIFA sponsor ended its affiliation with the organization. McDonald's, Coca-Cola and the rest...."
New major sponsor is the Wanda Group, sponsor through 2030. The group is run by Sepp Blatter's nephew.
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/fifa-says-it-s-changed-then-signs-deal-with-company-employing-sepp-blatter-s-nephew-031816
"Despite a year of scandal and turmoil, not a single FIFA sponsor ended its affiliation with the organization. McDonald's, Coca-Cola and the rest...."
New major sponsor is the Wanda Group, sponsor through 2030. The group is run by Sepp Blatter's nephew.
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/fifa-says-it-s-changed-then-signs-deal-with-company-employing-sepp-blatter-s-nephew-031816
Beckenbauer's turn to be "investigated by the FIFA ethics commitee" over the 2006 WC.
The men now under investigation by FIFA’s ethics committee include two former presidents of the German soccer federation, Wolfgang Niersbach and Theo Zwanziger, and Mr. Beckenbauer
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/sports/soccer/fifa-opens-ethics-case-against-german-soccer-officials-including-beckenbauer.html?_r=0
The men now under investigation by FIFA’s ethics committee include two former presidents of the German soccer federation, Wolfgang Niersbach and Theo Zwanziger, and Mr. Beckenbauer
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/sports/soccer/fifa-opens-ethics-case-against-german-soccer-officials-including-beckenbauer.html?_r=0
These FIFA-led investigations are adorable. Guessing they bring the targets into some Swiss chateau for a long weekend, get drunk and swap corruption stories for long enough to appear serious from the outside before handing down a wink-wink punishment that will eventually be lowered, overturned, and whitewashed from the record books.
TB (and others), what odds would you give at this point that Gulati is/was on the take? Whether he is actually the one clean guy in the entire world who's at that level, or if he's just the one evil genius amid a sea of evil morons, either way he stands out in his ability thus far to evade even suspicion, much less accusations.
Gulati outranked him in a number of respects, and may have facilitated his rise. What I love about the Chuck Blazer story is how over-the-top and cartoonish the brazenness of his corruption was. I mean, if I can borrow the word "flaming" from a less-savory context, Blazer was flamingly corrupt. At the very least, Gulati has a Moriarty-like ability to avoid being at the scene of the crime or connected to it in any way. At the very most, he may actually be an honest politician. Having sat in a classroom for a semester while he taught, he struck me as incredibly sincere and passionate about soccer's potential to positively impact the world, and gave the impression of being a true believer. I imagine, perhaps naively, that if the likes of Valcke or Platini were to teach a class twice a year (to say nothing of, say, Jack Warner), their cynicism would become apparent after too long. But then again I was 20 years old, and probably possessed a far higher opinion of my opinion than it deserved - and still may.
TB, and others here, are far closer to the long-term goings-on of US Soccer than I am. I'm kinda curious if we've got the one Honest Public Servant out of the whole bunch running our FA, or just the cleverest at disguising his conflicts of interest. It has to be one or the other at this point, right?
I am only speculating, but I suspect that Gulati is pretty clean. However, even if his hands are relatively clean it is not possible to be in his position and not be aware of the corruption all around him. Well, mostly aware - the extent of the Qatar WC corruption did seem to take him by surprise.
This article about the USSF's discomfort in front of Congress paints the picture.
Ultimately I think the problem with Gulati is not that he is corrupt, but that the size and scope of his position has outgrown his abilities. He's not truly a soccer guy. He's a superfan, as Bruce Arena famously called him back in 2006.
This article about the USSF's discomfort in front of Congress paints the picture.
That last paragraph is a total joke, of course. But thus far the only evidence points to the USSF operating as best they can in an obviously corrupt environment and there isn't yet much evidence that they partook. AFAIK, Blazer's corruption most stemmed from his role as General Secretary of CONCACAF.
Ultimately I think the problem with Gulati is not that he is corrupt, but that the size and scope of his position has outgrown his abilities. He's not truly a soccer guy. He's a superfan, as Bruce Arena famously called him back in 2006.
The Panama Papers have revealed that the founding member of FIFA's ethics committee, Uruguayan lawyer Juan Pedro Damiani (who owns a local club) had business ties with Eugenio Figueredo (former FIFA VP, now arrested and facing 15 years), and an Argentinian father-son tandem running a sports marketing business (shades of Jack Warner).
Neither Damiani nor Figueredo had a vote for the 2018 or 2022 bids, although at the rate this is going, they may have had ties with the late Julio Grondona, who did.
Neither Damiani nor Figueredo had a vote for the 2018 or 2022 bids, although at the rate this is going, they may have had ties with the late Julio Grondona, who did.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. UEFA raided by Swiss authorities based on info from Panama(!) Papers
Whatever, keep the pressure on FIFA but please don't depose Infantino for the Sheikh. He may be a company man and corrupt bureaucrat but at least I don't have any reason to believe he has promoted the literal torture of human beings.
That's one outcome, another is Prince Ali of Jordan wins. Who seems like he's not a monster, and whose half-brother (King Abdullah) might be the only sensible, modern monarch in that entire part of the world. The odds of that are low-ish but not so low that it wouldn't be worth re-rolling the dice.
Ha, right, FIFA's membership will vote for the reform candidate. Sure.
Yeah, the idea that FIFA will actually have reform is ridiculous because of how it is set up.
I don't think there is a single FA that isn't corrupt, it's just a matter of level.
I don't think there is a single FA that isn't corrupt, it's just a matter of level.
Julio Rocha former president of Nicaraguan soccer loses his appeal and will be extradited to the US for trial.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/sports/965625/fifas-rocha-loses-final-appeal-against-us-extradition
Three more defendants have entered guilty pleas. Former FIFA vice-president, Jeffrey Webb, Argentinean-Italian marketing executive, Alejandro Burzaco, and Brazilian intermediary, Jose Margulies.
That makes 18 of the 40 charged, so far.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/football/202065-fifa-corruption-scandal-three-top-officials-plead-guilty.html
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/sports/965625/fifas-rocha-loses-final-appeal-against-us-extradition
Three more defendants have entered guilty pleas. Former FIFA vice-president, Jeffrey Webb, Argentinean-Italian marketing executive, Alejandro Burzaco, and Brazilian intermediary, Jose Margulies.
That makes 18 of the 40 charged, so far.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/football/202065-fifa-corruption-scandal-three-top-officials-plead-guilty.html
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WC26 host vote will be in 2020 after a new four year process. In other words, only countries already capable of hosting need apply.
http://www.espnfc.com/blog/fifa/243/post/2868917/2026-world-cup-hosting-vote-postponed-three-years-until-2020
http://www.espnfc.com/blog/fifa/243/post/2868917/2026-world-cup-hosting-vote-postponed-three-years-until-2020
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Victor Montagliani was elected president of CONCACAF. He's notably not Caribbean (he's currently the head of the Canada Soccer Association).
Fatma Samoura of Senegal has been appointed as General Secretary, replacing Jérôme Valcke. She's a UN diplomat and has no prior experience in soccer whatsoever, which is probably a good thing under the circumstances. And of course, that she is a "she" is a notable change of pace for FIFA, too.
Annndd... they take ten steps back.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/14/domenico-scala-fifa-auditor-resigns-protest
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/14/domenico-scala-fifa-auditor-resigns-protest
It seems like the rule was put in place with decent enough hypothetical intentions--cut through the bureaucracy to remove the corrupt and evil as soon as possible as needed, but in practice we (and Scala) know how FIFA would use it.
Not that I would shed any tears over losing Eckert.
Not that I would shed any tears over losing Eckert.
Scala had credibility and a career/reputation outside of FIFA (as a successful pharma executive). FIFA needed him more than he needed FIFA (and its money). He couldn't be bought as easily. So of course they had to push him out.
"Infantino could face a provisional 90-day suspension, though a ban is also possible.
The news comes shortly after reports revealed that FIFA audit panel chairman Dominic Scala had resigned after clashing with Infantino."
http://www.businessinsider.com/gianni-infantino-fifa-reportedly-deleted-meeting-minutes-2016-6
The news comes shortly after reports revealed that FIFA audit panel chairman Dominic Scala had resigned after clashing with Infantino."
http://www.businessinsider.com/gianni-infantino-fifa-reportedly-deleted-meeting-minutes-2016-6
I'm shocked that the UEFA middleground candidate wasn't actually interested in high level reform...... SHOCKED,
I'm likewise SHOCKED that Sunil Gulati played a major role in attempting to get Scala to resign:
http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2016/05/31/released-tapes-shows-infantino-plot-remove-scala-not-ludicrous-fabrication/
The problem with reforming FIFA is that it's simply a collection of people from national FAs, all of which are corrupt to some extent or another. Some are more obvious in being basically embezzling slush funds. Others like the USSF and English FA are more about power and perennial high salaried employment for a small group and their families and associates.
I'm likewise SHOCKED that Sunil Gulati played a major role in attempting to get Scala to resign:
http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2016/05/31/released-tapes-shows-infantino-plot-remove-scala-not-ludicrous-fabrication/
The problem with reforming FIFA is that it's simply a collection of people from national FAs, all of which are corrupt to some extent or another. Some are more obvious in being basically embezzling slush funds. Others like the USSF and English FA are more about power and perennial high salaried employment for a small group and their families and associates.
Sunil is the same type of hack as the rest, and will continue to be one through his next 3-5 terms as president of USSF.
Swiss attorney general's office conducts another raid involving Blatter and Valcke investigation.
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/swiss-police-raid-fifa-headquarters-for-evidence-in-blatter-valcke-cases-060316
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/swiss-police-raid-fifa-headquarters-for-evidence-in-blatter-valcke-cases-060316
FIFA spokeswoman says:
The president of FIFA spends time ensuring that the proper protocol for storing meeting minutes is followed? Okay.
Went to same HS as Gulati, about a decade later. A band I'm in has a fellow member of his class, and we played one of their high school reunions where he attended. I did not know that until after gig. A less cool story - LOL.
FIFA says Blatter, Valcke and Kattner voted themselves $80 million in bonuses.
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/fifa-says-blatter-valcke-kattner-got-80m-over-five-years-060316
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/fifa-says-blatter-valcke-kattner-got-80m-over-five-years-060316
Argentina's FA has screwed up their corruption so royally, FIFA is now managing the Argentine FA on an emergency basis to show them how it's properly done.
Charges for Beckenbauer and three others
https://www.newsbreak.ng/2016/09/beckenbauer-niersbach-others-face-criminal-charges-germany-2006-world-cup/
https://www.newsbreak.ng/2016/09/beckenbauer-niersbach-others-face-criminal-charges-germany-2006-world-cup/
Bild allegedly has Michael Garcia's Qatar 2022 corruption report and will be publishing full details from Tuesday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40412928
The initial tidbits to have leaked are as juicy as you would expect them to be.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40412928
The initial tidbits to have leaked are as juicy as you would expect them to be.
