The football industry is corrupt. You know this, we all know this. The nature of the institutions who govern the sport, combined with the enormous amounts of money the industry is now worth, is a toxic cocktail.
A few minutes ago the Fifa Ethics Committee provisionally banned Fifa president, Sep Blatter, Uefa president (and Fifa vice-president) Michel Platini, as well as Fifa Secretary General, Jermoe Valcke, for 90 days pending an investigation. Former Fifa VP, Chung Moon-joon has been banned from the game for 6 years and fined. Chung and Platini both remain candidates to succeed Blatter as Fifa president – yes, it’s that dysfunctional.
This may be the beginning of the end for football’s great Oligarch Administrators, who lived like Saudi princes, paid for by the money which slushes around the game, but it is far from assured that football is now on the right path. Blatter, the embodiment of everything which is wrong with sport and business to many, remains a hugely popular figure. Some of the games administrators, themselves untouched by corruption, shed tears when he recently announced his decision to retire.
The core problem is one of democracy. Fifa is a democratic organisation, which on the face of it sounds like a good thing, but democracy has its drawbacks. One member one vote affords the British Virgin Islands the same weight when it comes to exercising ultimate control as Germany. Apart from hosting the World Cup once every 40 years or so, Fifa can offer Germany little tangible support, but the governing body can metaphorically pave the streets of tiny nations with gold.
Fifa executives, and Blatter in particular, have enormous patronage under their control. Blatter is personally responsible for the decision to ‘support the game’ in many small nations and protectorates, by funding the construction of expensive stadiums and facilities. These amenities are great for the recipient nations, often well beyond anything the local FA or government could afford. Blatter has been The Great Facilitator to many far-flung entities. That patronage buys loyalty and genuine affection.
The problem is not limited to the Fifa executive. Administrators at all levels of the senior game enjoy control over a degree of patronage. Merely becoming an office holder at your FA makes you a dignitary of some sort. There will be an expense account, doors will open, facilities made available.
Football’s problem is that its structure made it inevitable that corrupt individuals would eventually take control. Cutting the head off Fifa will not be sufficient to change that, the way football funds itself also needs to change – and that would inevitably mean less money going to poor places in the world. If accountability replaces patronage, Blatter’s largess to underfunded Associations would end. The game would be cleaner, but there are 100 FAs with skin in the game who stand to lose, so assume nothing.
Take a look at the work of Joseph Gormley, a Scots-born artist in the US, who has raised over $170k for various charities. His is another great tale in the story of the Celtic support.
644 Comments- Pages:
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Fletcher has the Polish defence terrified. He’s wearing them down, Gordon, don’t even think about putting LG on that park. He’s fine where he is!
The Green Deila on 8th October 2015 8:31 pm
Anybody know what kodi stream I can watch the Scotland game on? Have been trying mksports but no joy so far?
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Use SportsDevil
https://seo-michael.co.uk/how-to-manually-install-sportsdevil-on-xbmc/
Andy Richie?
Some career I remember him at Morton where he scored about a ton.
Did he ever find the net for Celtic?
Green Deila- if that doesn’t work try Phoenix-Sports–live football.
About 6 links there!
Goal of the season so far
Player ratings in.
Hutton. 9.5. 9.6. 9.9 9.5. 9.0. Degree of difficulty 0.
Half Time Dublin Nil All.
Matt puts gloss on Scotland’s first half finish.
Poland good on the ball. Might have had two but after an early goal they got such a lift from that.
Making some very dirty challenges for me.
3 of them should have been booked in the first 10 minutes. I think the comments about Scots looking to batter them have been well blown out of proportion.
Lewandowski offside but not given.
Scotland battling.
I really think if we want to win James Forrest on the ball is a must. Made the equalizer. They are worried when he gets the ball.
Stay in the game, bring on Griff, wee Shaun and maybe even Rhodes and we can win this game.
Both Fletchers doing ok.
tictaewin on 8th October 2015 8:35 pm
Andy Richie?
–
The original free kick specialist. Thorn in the Sheep’s side back in the day.
Whit you mean English ..
Ole Caledonia is full a Matt’s ..
Anglophobs!!
:)
Neil McCann it’s all Scott Briwns fault
McCann blaming Brown for the first goal
Is that in the rule book you clown?
It was offside.
the_huddle – thanks, I have sports devil installed, any idea which stream?
Ex Hun can’t criticise ex- Huns, whether they are at fault or not really isn’t the point now is it.
C’mon now Bhoys, play the game, you know the rules.
Wouldn’t be dignified now would it.
The Green Deila on 8th October 2015 8:42 pm
the_huddle – thanks, I have sports devil installed, any idea which stream?
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I’m on Live Sports, FirstRowSports.eu, Football, Sky Sports 2
Beatbhoy
Fletcher, Forrest and Ritchie have the Polish defence seriously nervous.
Leigh Griffiths the winner!
Ha ha ha. Parallel universe time in the studio.
The opening goal was all Scott Browns fault and the benefit of the doubt should go to the striker even though he was clearly offside.
Rocket.
cv
EBT beneficiary McCann blames Scott Brown for moving forward and winning his tackle.
Meanwhile ex-hunny Whittaker lost the ball in the first place, ex-hunny Hutton ambles back behind the polish player he is marking and Russell Martin (not an ex-hunny but he has two surnames so is probably off-limits) makes a move to cuddle his CB partner Hanley, leaving Lewandowski on his tod.
But it’s all Scott Brown’s fault. Punditry of the highest (masonic) order.
Finding it hard not to throw something at those pair of closets on TV.Trying their hardest to blame Broony for the Poland goal.Nearly ignoring the offside in their haste to blame him.It was Broonys fault because he tried to win the ball high up.Unbelievable bias.
No mention from McCann about Whittaker running up a dead end filled with Polish defenders.
Meanwhile in Dublinagrad the panzer divisions are swarming through town. However as anyone who ever watched a war movie knows the trick to overcoming the panzer division is to lie in wait in foxholes and when they pass overhead attach your landmine and wait for shouts of achtung mein gott nein etc as the ole boche run for cover.
All going to plan so far
He can score a hat trick against Chelsea .. But fluffs two against Poland ..
WTF!!
Save Marshall
Naismith misses a sitter
the_huddle…magic got it. Thanks for your help! :)
Lewandowski misses a sitter
Goal apart, Ritchie is gash.
5yard passes or 25 yard passes, doesn’t matter to him, he can do neither.
Kilmarnock player put NI 2 up ..
Again .. WTF!!
Don’t know who their manager is .. But good show.
”Not much words to describe Ritchie’s goal”
Neil Bawbaggery NcCann
Sure NI’s keeper is the Hamilton keeper too ..
That’s unbelievable to get waifs and strays like that to the competition.
WITS.
You’ve been reading to many coaching manuals. ,;-))
Guys NI have an easy group due to Greek implosion
Why y’all listening to fanny McCanny – switch streams or summat, or are you all paying Sky? :-)
Broonie, showing the messiah who’s boss :)
3-0 NI .. That snooker player who used to play for that team called Rangers.
DBBIA
You’re an awfay Mhan
If Broonie does him one more time does he win a Kewpie doll or a coconut?
Yessssss!!!!!! The beard!!!!