Thursday, May 28, 2015
Sepp Blatter, Step Down -- Michel Platini, Do Your Duty
FIFA's Sepp Blatter is now at the head of an executive committee most of whom are convicted, under indictment or targeted for questioning in a US Department of Justice legal probe that alleges money laundering, bribery and kickbacks in connection with the awarding, management, televising and sponsoring of football World Cups. The Swiss Department of Justice has now joined in the probe as it relates to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. Brazil has suspended its federation president. EUFA, the powerhouse federation that directs European football, has called for a six-month delay in this week's FIFA meeting and election of Blatter to a fifth four-year term. Major sponsors - Coca Cola, Visa, McDonalds - are calling on FIFA to regenerate itself. Nike is alleged by the DOJ of agreeing to pay $160 million over 10 years for FIFA sponsorship rights. The 2010 South Africa World Cup is alleged to have been awarded partially as a result of bribes. Only the African and Asian football confederations have spoken up in support of the re-election of Blatter -- that in itself could raise, at the least, questions about their ethics and management practices. ~~~~~ Dear readers, UEFA is the logical leader in ridding football of FIFA as currently constructed. UEFA president Michel Platini is a former football player of legendary stature. He was president of the French Football Federation. He has never been touched by scandal or the innuendo of fast-dealing. One hopes that Michel Platini is honest -- because it is time for the countries and regional associations that form FIFA to ask UEFA and Platini to guide football out of the swirling cesspool of major charges of corruption that it has become. It is also time for Michel Platini to step up to the task that destiny has assigned to him, with the help of UEFA. And -- above all -- it is time for Sepp Blatter, if he has the slightest glimmer of regard for the sport of football, to resign. For the future, if not the love, of the beautiful game.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
And why shouldn't FIFA have corruption in the forms of kickback, money laundering,
ReplyDeletebroadcast contract favoritism, etc. It is a business after all that has as its product a grand sport, with illustrious history with a few mild bad spots.
Baseball has had many scandals, American football is experiencing another right now. Professional basketball nickname is scandal. Golf has remained untouched except for its individual plates private life scandals.
But for FIFA the problem lies in its President and his inner circle of operatives that have been in charge far, far too long. So long in fact that they believe and operate the Association as if it were their's vs the fact that the game, the various leagues, the popularity, the vast sums of money that flows into FIFA belongs to the spectators who go to the matches, arches in TC, buts the sponsor's products and services.
Within this whole mess of volition and corruption lies the well intentioned fans money. Which has been spent an embezzled at the pleasure of Mr. Sepp Blatter.
The game is healthy - it's Mr. Blatter who is disgustingly I'll.
As in corrupted politics and business, so it be in sports... follow the money, it will always lead to the seat of the corruption and decay of the institution.
ReplyDeleteWhat has been going on in the FIFA for years under the guidance of Mr. Blatter and just now coming to light will undoubtedly leave a black mark on the sport for years to come.
The monies that are thrown at all sports today by the multitude of corporations from food to financial, sports equipment, etc. are all to blame somewhat as the corrupt FIFA and Blatter.
Why is anyone shocked by nefarious actions in professional sports, it simply going to happen? The more money in the ‘till’ the more inclined some people (who are most likely dishonest) will be to help themselves.
ReplyDeleteBabe Ruth only ever had ONE contract that paid him more than $100,000.00 USD. In today’s professional baseball The Babe would be in the $25 million a year category. Lou Gehrig largest contact was for $98,000.00 USD. Arnold Palmer added 2 extra Tournaments to his schedule one year so he could possible win more than $100,000.00 USD in one year.
The dichotomy to this is todays big name athletes feel under paid at $15 Million a year. And they demonstrate less respect for the sport than the players who made the game so lucrative for them.
The Commissioner of the NFL made a sweet $20 Million dollars.
My point is simply the money that is in professional sports today has cast a shadow of disrespect for the fans and the Corporations that pay the bill. So when a a Sepp Blatter gets caught with his hands in the cookie jar it simply give a Michel Platini the opportunity to set the ship upright again and return the game to the fans – mostly the young fans who follow sports and find heroes in their youth.
Maybe there will be a sudden crack in the voting blocks that are assumed to be rock solid for Blatter
ReplyDeleteSepp Blatter claims he is a 'servant of football', not a 'dictator' of Fifa.
ReplyDeleteI think he protest far too much about what he says he not ... and far too little on what is demonstrable that he has accomplished for "Football"