By Walter Broeckx
Apparently there has been some kind of Fifa tournament going on or has just finished in Brazil. At first I thought I had slept for more than a year and that is was already 2014. But no it was 2013.
Now I wonder when will it ever be enough for FIFA? When will they look at the interest of footballers in the first place and not at their own bank accounts? Can someone explain to me what the interest is for having some of the best football players in the world to play 12 months in a row? To play without ever being able to take a good rest?
But it probably will bring big money to FIFA so they will not give a f*ck about players getting injured in the next months. After all they don’t need to pay the wages of those players. Another big Fick Fufa to you.
As a result it also might affect the season preparation of Arsenal. Because we have for the moment 2 players who are still in Brazil or are flying home for the moment. And as we should give them some rest it is certain that Monreal and Cazorla will not be on the plane when we fly to Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan. And who knows there could be others who will not be able to be there as we have heard some rumours about a possible signing from one of the teams involved.
In a way it is a blow for our preparation and certainly is something that will harm the group feeling and bonding on the trip. So we might only be seeing Cazorla and Monreal playing for the first time in the Emirates cup at the start of August. All thanks to Fifa and their tournaments.
On a side note about this confederations cup. The thing is that apart from some 12 minutes when in bed last night…I didn’t look at the games at all. One thing is for sure. Fifa is doing all they can to cure me from my football addiction I used to have in the first 50 years of my life. Now I don’t give a f*ck anymore when F$F$ is playing a tournament and tries to run the health of the players in to the ground.
What I did find interesting is the fact that for the first time as long as I can remember, a large part of a country is rising up against FIFA and their acolytes. And those acolytes are mostly the government of course. I think it is great that people came on to the street and protested about the money that has been thrown around to build new stadiums for a F$F$ party of a few weeks.
Brazil loves football and is crazy about it and about their national team but on the other hand people look at the state of affairs of their own country and see that the money could have been used for better things. Like for houses, hospitals, schools, public transports, …. But instead the authorities from Brazil decided that it would be better to give it to F$F$.
So the protesters get my full approval. But I must say that I don’t approve the looting of shops and such things. Protest against government, against F$F$ is all fine but don’t go and start to behave like thieves. Because that is what it is. People who have done such things have put themselves in the same place as F$F$. I just want to be clear about this. I wholly support the protest and protesters, but not the looters.
And talking to someone who lived in Brazil for more than a year not long ago I can understand them even better. This person was living there as her father worked there for a while and so was living the good life one might say. But she could see the big difference between the rich and the poor people in Brazil. And she could testify that there are big problems in the Brazilian society. And that many ordinary people have a lot of needs for such things as better medical care, better houses, better schools. And most of all to make it all affordable for the average Brazilian. She lived in a protected environment but even then you can see through it and see the poverty and need that exists.
So I can all too well imagine lots of people, although crazy about their national team, asking: why should we spend $15 billion of public money in to a 4 week organisation. Couldn’t this money been used for schools and hospitals? It sure could. And next year F$F$ will walk back to Switzerland with and estimated $4 billion profit in their coffers. $4 billion profit tax free. Of course tax free. As usual when F$f$ is around. F$F$ don’t pay taxes.
So is there anything good about F$F$ at all? I really don’t know what in fact. They will suck all the money out of a country regardless if they can afford it or not. They will run football players in to the ground for their own benefit, regardless the health of those football players. They take their money and don’t pay taxes.
And above that the most serious crimes of all: they disrupt the pre season preparations of Arsenal. The final nail in the coffin one could say. So I really cannot see anything good coming from F$F$ to be honest. I just wished they would disappear and never come back again. And I would hope that common sense would come back to football and that players get a normal good rest, and that teams could start their preparation with all the players they have under contract.
But those things will be the least worry for the big ones at F$F$. They will now probably just be counting their $$$$$$ and laughing at us. Laugh at us poor sods who see them doing all those things while they know they are the untouchables in society. In an animal farm they would be the most equal amongst equals…
1 July Anniversaries
- 1 July 1968: William Naismith “Billy” Blyth died
- 1 July 1953: Alan Sunderland born in Mexborough
- 1 July 1966: Flint McCullough joined from Millwall
- 1 July 1977: Kevin Stead signed on free transfer from Tottenham
The books…
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal FC: crowd behaviour at the early matches
- Royal Arsenal: from the Common to the Manor. Coming next.
The sites from the same team…
- Referee Decisions – just what are the refs up to this season?
- The Arsenal History Blog from the AISA Arsenal History Society
- School sports minibuses: providing your child’s school with a bus
Cannot really disagree with a word of it.
The ever-reliable Swiss Ramble has just had a pick through FIFA’s finances for anyone who wants a closer look at the numbers.
You’ll know the conclusions already, but seeing the numbers in black and white is a lot more shocking.
Link for the interested: http://swissramble.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/fifa-world-cup-everybody-wants-to-rule.html
Well said Walter. In addition to looting and thieving, I would add violence as a big “no-no” as it disrupts society and people’s everyday life, oh sort of like FIFA tournaments as well, the irony…
Walter, while I agree with you 100% about the financial greediness of FIFA, our own FA are really no better.
Totally meaningless “friendly” internationals continue to infest our seasons.
I’ve said many times that the game of football, once played for contest and little else has now become a global business, where the love of money has overtaken the love of the game.
Witness the MONTHLY pay of top UK players now approaching £1 million!
Another nice one. Off focus: Please could you arrange for clicks on links to open another tab. In that way, we can have both pages open. Thank you.
could you please elaborate on the rumour of a player signing from one of the teams involved?
Lanz — not sure what browser you are using, but for me, just right-click the link and you should have options to do that.
This way, people have both options available (a lot of the time it does my head in that a site forces a new tab on a link when I just want to click-through).
That said, the confed cups was entertaining and allowed Brazil to play some competitive games.
Still, all seems farcical.
Samrat,
rumour has it that reports say that Arsenal is on red alert to table a bid for Julio Cesar, keeper from Brazil and for the moment still QPR.
“So is there anything good about F$F$ at all? I really don’t know what in fact. They will suck all the money out of a country regardless if they can afford it or not. They will run football players in to the ground for their own benefit, regardless the health of those football players. They take their money and don’t pay taxes. And above that the most serious crimes of all: they disrupt the pre season preparations of Arsenal.”
Walter,
Say again, which is most serious crime of all?
Bob, I think Walter said/wrote that with his tongue very firmly in his cheek didn’t he.
Dear Walter,
As I live in a third world country, I can argue with you about the people’s aspects about national football
Powerful self-centered government of us, controls clubs by injecting money to a few clubs that usually placed in the capital city, local teams are not well organized and poor, they are managed by some people selected by political bias
League is under the control of mafia who will buy referees, managers and players!
Stadiums are usually almost empty, you may find some crowd in particular games, between big teams of the capital sity. However, even in those games crowd is controlled by well trained leaders!
And despite all these facts, we have more than 20 sport newspapers and magazines that most of their topics and articles are about football!
Football is our opium!
Football is how our government controls peoples emotions and motivations!
With football, they deviate sights of poor people from their miserable condition, political scandals and every thing
We all remember the effect of world cup championship on the history of Argentina
At last you find it a win win situation for every one:
Poor people with national proud!
Government with happy population, despite all difficulties
And FIFA with all money you mentioned!
@Walter Well if you had taken some time to watch the games you might have noticed the high intensity and remarkable quality of football. And more importantly how much pride the players took in representing their countries. Perhaps, they didn’t get the Untold memo about not getting injured in the ‘meaningless tournament’.
On this inspiring note please do tell me why these friendlies in Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan are the best way to prepare for the season and not just a $$$ grabbing scheme by Arsenal?
And above that the most serious crimes of all: they disrupt the pre-season preparations of Arsenal.
Walter, do you seriously believe that this Asia tour is the best way to prepare for the season??? Is it not disrupting our preparations for the season???
Furthermore, Cazorla and Monreal only played against Tahiti. They had no other appearances.
I live in Brazil and the disgusting aspect of the preparations for Confederation Cup and the World Cup is our government. They have been using the construction\upgrade of the stadiums as a way to make money for the next general election in 2014.
The WC in Brazil will cost more than the last three World Cups added together many said some years ago. The politicians were not happy with these numbers and decided to add more billions to the overspending fiasco.
Brazil will be left counting the cost of hosting this tournament.
In Brazil, the violence grows, the education and helth-care system is in a shambles and our president is giving billions to Cuba, Venezuela, Sudan and her fellow corrupt politicains (including the ex-president LULA).
I don’t agree with violence in the protests. Just a minority of the demonstrators took part in the violence. However, things cannot be so peaceful. Brazil won’t change through election, unfortunately. So, there must be a certain dose of violence (I’m not advocating murder and destruction) but a violence aimed at the corrupt politicians. By that, I mean to turn their lives difficult, embarrass them. Throwing eggs in their faces, calling them thieves an so on…heck, even writting something nasty on the wall of their houses.
All of you must know many countries in South America are under the so called left populist models. Argentina, Venezuela, Bolívia, Peru and Brazil. In Brazil, we have a light version of Chávez’ regime.
Our government took all the money the country made through a stability in economy in the last decade and threw all away with pharaonic projects (World Cup and Olympics included) and corruption.
Until the late 70s, Argentina had the best economy in S.America. Now the economy has been colapsing under these populist governments (the Kirchners were/are terrible) to the point the country was surpassed on economy by Colombia.
Now, about the Confedaration Cup. Yes, it was a waste of money but from a football perspective I enjoyed much more than the last Conf. Cup(2009) and WC in 2010. There were very good games to entertain us all.
Sperez,
where about’s in Brazil?
In a favela? or the upper part of town.
Sperez, the problem you now face is gaining credibility with those who basically will not give a fuck about you and your plight because you have been such a cunt to people who post in honesty, you will receive the same in kind.
Brazil deserves more than you can ever give.
I accept your plight but give you no quarter.
I accept your plight but give you no quarter.
Sperez, now you wish to be taken seriously?
Put it all in an article and forward it to Tony Attwood.
Andrei,
Why the tour?
The answer is simple: Chelsea and Man City.
without them we could be preparing like in the old days in the mountains of Austria playing some local teams
Bob,
tongue very firmly in his cheek as Mick said.
My plight? I don’t live in a favela. I could receive a good education (journalism graduate) and I never had trouble with health-care because my parents were responsible and worked hard to give their kids the best life they could.
Unfortunately, there are many people living in poor condition here in Brazil and the violence is terrifying.
Along with the terrible education/health-care system, corruption and violence are the biggest challenges we face. The current government (including Lula) did nothing to stop the escalating rate of crime and the Brazilian drug cartels are become more powerful. Not yet a parallel power but who knows what the future holds. We aren’t like Colombia in the 80s or Mexico nowadays but we may get in there with our selfish/corrupt politicians.
Our penal legislation is from the 40s for goodness’ sake and our Legislative doesn’t give a toss about it despite the high rates of violent crimes.
Brazil is the 6th largest economy in the world (has overtaken UK) but what it represents with many Brazilians going to hospitals only to die in the queues waiting for treatment.
It’s not my plight, Adam. It’s the plight of the poor Brazilians. This is more important than football.
By the way majority of the demonstrators in the Brazilian streets were from middle class. Most of them college students. But they want a more equal society.
And to add to this article I can tell that FIFA is a money grabbing whore but the main culprit here is the Brazilian government. The city where I live, for example, it didn’t host a single game in the Confederation Cup but will host WC games. There was a good stadium here and the original architect made an upgrading project that was accepted by FIFA. But what did the government decide? They decided to demolish the whole thing increasing the costs even more.
Adam, so anyone who doesn’t agree the everything under Wenger is great may be labelled as a c*nt?
I can see why AKBism is not taken seriously by many people.
But if you come to Brazil and want to treat your deluded mind please do not use the public Brazilian health care services. Your AKBism will only get worse. You’ll have to PAY for a better treatment to cure your disease once and for all.
By the way, the Brazilian press is stating Paulinho will play for Spuds.
Sperez,
I care for the people forgotten by your own.
But don’t try and feign injury. their cause is not yours.
Fuck off with your contempt of situations, you had a choice to bring this to our notice along time ago, only now do you choose to do so?
You think Me so unaware as to the plight of many people in poverty? you truly are a cunt and I don’t use the word lightly.
Now fuck off.
You are a useless piece of shit using this method to attain credibility.
I say again, FUCK OFF.
Sperez scumbag piece of shit.
You wish to talk to me?
Put your ramblings into an article and forward it to Mr Attwood.
I am fucking angry, you want to use a situation to gain?
Never have you mentioned this before?
Yet now, you wish to own it?
that people should feel on your behalf and rally to your side.
Well yes, we should embrace a struggle. But not on your behalf and not at your request.
You belittling piece of shit using this situation to curry favour. You absolute arsehole.
You may live in situe but you have no clue as to what is around the corner.
God, I’d love to get you in a dojo so I can kick the shit out of you, you fucking arsehole.
Sorry to others who read this, he has gone too far now.
‘you had a choice to bring this to our notice along time ago, only now do you choose to do so?’
Do you live in a cave? (I guess so, you still think Wenger is great).
The protests and the Brazilians’ demands as well as the overspending projects of the World Cup 2014 were widely covered by international media.
I’m not a keyboard warrior and don’t have the energy to insult people via internet.
You are not worth my time, Adam. In fact, you are not worth anyone’s time.
neutral corners, my friends, neutral corners.
We should save some energy for the Spuds, the Mancs X 2, and the Chavs, no?
Arsene in, arsene out, shake it all about, do the hokey pokey, it shouldn’t be what it’s all about
@Adam – i agree with your sentiments on Sperez!
Sperez – pls take your sob story to the Spuds site…we don’t need it…like you, your story too seems fake…now fuck off!!!
Sperez – you are not worth anyone’s time…you are vile and mean…most will agree with Adam than with you on this site…take your bullshit somewhere else…go now…
I must confess to being quite worried for Brazil – they have:
– The Confederations Cup this year;
– The World Cup next year; and
– The Olympics in 2016.
If their finances aren’t managed properly, I fear this could literally break their economy…
@Walter So it is a money grabbing scheme then. We will just blame City and Chelsea for that.