By Tony Attwood
The entity known as “Blatter” has of late made several things clear.
First, that no matter what the documents that the Times has obtained show in terms of corruption by Fifa, they will not be considered by Fifa. Not now, not ever. There is an investigation going on into the awarding of the WC to Qatar, but it doesn’t include the leaked documents. And won’t.
Second, the criticism of his activities and of Fifa has been racist.
Third, he will stand for another term as Arch Duke of the Races, or whatever title he wants to take, next time around.
Meanwhile the lapdogs of Fifa – organisations such as the FA in England, and their equivalents around the globe, all bow down to the almighty Arch Duke Blatter. No one is saying, “this is insane, he is insane it is all insane. Why are we doing this?”
Even the clubs are too frightened or too stupid to try and call a halt to it all. Yes, Arsenal and the other clubs that supply the raw meat for Fifa to chew up in its crazy activities complain about dates sometime, but that’s it. No one takes any serious action.
So how do we make sense of this all?
I’ve argued before that Fifa sees itself as a nation state and acts as one. When it comes into a city it pays no taxes, and demands that no taxes are levied on anything it does.
Indeed it goes beyond statehood since it argues that rules must be changed, and that the police and others must act in accordance with its wishes, that its officials must have their own car lanes, and that the lives of mere mortals be set aside for its all consuming whims. Football schedules are changed to meet its requirements. We all bow down to the Arch Duke. As we saw in South Africa, it retains the right to order the national police to lock up women whose clothing it doesn’t like.
And still we let them continue.
So Fifa is a super-state and is treated like a state. But what about the racial bit?
Blatter said that the attacks on the arrangements for Qatar are racist. But Qatar is not a race. So which is the race that is being racially abused? Presumably Arch Duke Blatter – being Blatter is a racial identity rather like being Caucasian or Afro-American.
So in Blatter World we have a situation in which any criticism of the Arch Duke is a criticism of the race of Blatter, and is thus a moral crime. He clearly is now above all criticism and suspicion. Arch Duke is probably not a high enough rank for him. Imperial Highness might be better. Your Godliness is how he is to be addressed.
Of course we have had the timid little commentaries from the multi-billion dollar corporations that feed Blatter’s new Racial Future, but that is all. They are still funding the monster. In case you have forgotten who they are, here are the details…
The Fifa sponsors
- Coca Cola
- Adidas
- Hyundai
- Emirates
- Sony
- Visa
The WC sponsors
- Budweiser
- Castrol
- Continental
- Johnson & Johnson
- McDonald’s
- Moy Park
- OI
- Yingli
So think on this – every time you buy a Bud or a Coke or a McDonalds you are supporting Blatter and his Race. By writing this I am now guilty of enticing racial discrimination and am guilty of an offence in the UK.
In any sort of sane world, Race Blatter would be put off onto an uninhabited island and given a beach ball to kick around. But we have left sanity behind a long time ago. Now the FA, the British Prime Minister and all the cronies and hangers on are thinking about the chance of BIDDING AGAIN for the whole stupid, corrupt system.
Today we looked at the chance of Carlos Vela coming back to Arsenal, noting that he has refused for years to play in all these silly little games, and all I can say is “Good on you, Carlos. Whether you come back to Arsenal or not, you’ve taken a stand against insanity.”
Just by stopping bidding we could really have done something in England to encourage people to become engaged in sporting activities by building more and more pitches and grounds for grassroots football. But it seems we can’t even do that.
Just how far the bowing down to the statue of the Great Almighty Maniac Blatter has gone can be seen by the fact that when the BBC did its duty by the people of the UK and by its charter, by coming out with all the details of how corrupt the bidding process was for Qatar to win, the Prime Minister and his lackies all criticised the BBC and sided with Fifa. That simple fact speaks volumes.
Yes, that is the sort of government we have, the sort of FA we have, and sadly, the sort of players we have at Arsenal. They all go along and join in. All we need is the players for any country to say, “We love our country, and want to play for our country, but we will not bow down to Fifa and what it does,” and we’d be there.
But they don’t.
This is total and utter insanity, and it only continues because everyone lets it continue. The fans, the players, the clubs and the countries. One day, someone, somewhere will stand up and say – this guy is a maniac. We must stop.
The truth is we don’t need Fifa. Not at all. We can play internationals if we really must do, without Fifa.
Fifa is a corrupt monster run by an idiot with delusions of being a racial motif supported by corporations whose dream of money has taken them way beyond any sort of sense.
Are we really the only people saying, “stop”?
- 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
Marina Hyde was saying the same in today’s Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jun/11/sepp-blatter-fifa-qatar
We live at a time that where ever you look football is corrupt and at the moment it seems impossible to bring it to an end.
Then we have ‘the experts’ who droll out the obvious as if it was ‘pearls of wisdom’ as per tonight on BBC Radio 5 ‘The best way to play in the heat is to keep the ball.’ I ask you!
In England we have ‘pundits’ and commentators who ignore what is happening/has happened with a message presented as ‘fact’.
We who love the game and love Arsenal but have no football influence live in despair.
Tony,
What a depressing outlook on the governance of the professional game, particularly when our own weak and feeble FA seems to be one of the hangers-on of such a corrupt body as FIFA.
The answer can only come initially from clandestine meetings between a few of the major footballing nations. Three or four is all it would take to decide joint action with added support. Then some secret canvassing before a major secession of domino proportions
As you rightly said Tony, we don’t really need FIFA. But it would help if, instead, we could have an honest zenith we could trust.
Our media are so crass and myopic that they just do not give a flying F*** about all the corruption, cheating, and bias in the game. As long as there vested interests are safe and secure, they’re happy.
Basically, all this corruption nonsense is just getting in the way of the real news, which is of course, how great Barkley and Stirling are !
Tony, in all fairness, Greg Dyke and Van…(sorry, I can’t remember the rest of his name), the Vice or Deputy of Dutch FA, really criticised Blatter yesterday. They gave the impression, in no uncertain terms, that he should not think of standing for the next FIFA election. I think it is the beginning of something.
Tony,
I agree that FIFA is corrupt but it did not become corrupt after giving the hosting right to the 2022 world cup to Qatar. It has been a corrupt entity before England spent £21 million trying to get the shady organisation to give her the right to the 2018 world cup.
Too many of the western (especially European) critics of Qatar went beyond FIFA’s corruption in their attack of the country and their way of life (most of which I am also against with by the way). The western critics of Qatar need to understand that about 3/4 of FIFA membership don’t see things the way they do and many in these countries are resentful because they feel like they have always been talked down to.
Sepp Blatter is tapping into this resentment with his latest remarks about racism. And guess what? He got the backing of the African and Asian delegations!
To be clear, I am not in support of Qatar as host of the 2022 world cup but it is not because of “usage of slave labour” and the high summer temperatures. If countries can only host events when they satisfy the political ideologies and climatic expectations of all the attending nations then no country will ever be able to host any worldwide event ever.
Jambug
I know you don’t like the media but they’ve been onto this for quite a long time via BBC, Telegraph, Times, Huffington Post & Guardian.
In fact Blatter is bleating about the UK media.
I think they’ve been doing a pretty good job for quite a long time exposing the FIFA corruption.
This investigation is not exclusive to Untold Arsenal, by the media that you hate so much.
@Bootoomee
You make some valid points.
Quite a few countries have criticized the approach of the British press. You do well to remind us that England too has tried to use influence and money to win these lucrative international sporting competitions.
I am an avid follower of untold. I have never felt compelled to contribute until now. I am afraid I agree with Mr Blather. If ever an international sporting event is awarded to the developing world the western media is falling over itself to discredit the decision and allegde some kind of bribery corruption or some underhanded dealings. Germany got the world cup ahead of southafrica. Western media said nothing. Up until the world cup was held in sa the western media had us believe Germany was ready if sa failed. Up until now they want us to believe Brazil will be a flop. Sorry western media is racist
All it would take to sink his holiness is for UEFA to leave FIFA. That would cause the main sponsors to run a mile.
Pat,
Thanks.
May I add that the vitriolic attack of Qatar by the British press stems mainly from sour-grapery. Had England won the right to 2018 world cup, the animosity towards Qatar for 2022 would not have been this intense. Yes there would have been some complainers as always but the whole nation (except for a few like Patrick Barclay) would not be shitting on the sovereign nation of Qatar for achieving what England failed at.
Why is it sour grapes once the 2018 world cup went to a european country it was never going to return to Europe in 2022.
I am no lover of the British press but they can not been acused of rasism or sour grapes for exposing the corruption that takes place when FIFA are involved.
And by the looks of it Qater are up to the necks in fifa’s little world.
Oh by the way what is more like racism printing the truth or workers been treated the same as slaves.
Taking passports working them to death using the police to control them.
No one should be buying budweiser products in the first place. False advertising. their ‘beer’ has no alcohol in them.
gunnerjoe
You’re right of course, as it was only ever going to Australia or USA in 2022 (other than Qatar), butt he media’s the boogie man didn’t you know!
If you were to believe some of what you read here, then would think that this is the only source of investigative journalism.
krazymunky
Not the genuine, original Czechoslovakian Budweiser I hope.
@Bootoomee
I believe from hearing part of Greg Dyke’s interview the racism claims were actually made by some people in the African confederation maybe those who were accused of accepting bribes in the released evidence? and just repeated by Blatter, so he didn’t really win the support of those two confederations because of this, he already has the support of them and possibly was using the claims to strengthen his backing with those delegations? or at least to attack whoever in the European confederation that seems to be making a play for his job (Platini?).
While there may be an element of racism to this whole affair I think it is mainly due to someone deciding now would be a good time to challenge Blatter for the leadership as the level of blatant corruption was so obvious in the Qatar bid to show major problems with the world cup bidding process and FIFA leadership in general.
The use of slave-like labor was being raised in the media before the world cup bidding began and opposing confederations and media seem to have latched on to it to strengthen their case against the idea of a world cup in these high temperatures or the radical change to their league schedule that would be required rather than any specific racial issues they may have with Qatari’s(?).
I’d personally strongly disagree with the idea that the way migrant laborers were/are being treated is not a valid reason to disallow a bid by Qatar (or at least for FIFA to enforce minimum working standards for employees working in building world cup infrastructure) as this workforce will most likely be directly involved in the construction of world cup venues and facilities whereas other countries human rights issues (which almost all countries have at least some of) are generally not so directly related to the world cup. The allegations are quite horrific if true and I don’t think it is right for you to imply they are differences in ‘political ideologies’ as you perhaps unintentionally do?
While the set timing of the world cup is unfair to countries with inappropriate climates at this time of year, the proposal Qatar put forward was to hold the world cup in midsummer and for so many delegates to vote for it requires either an unbelievable level of stupidity for them to not immediately see the problems with the bid or some ulterior motives that appear to be explained in some part by the evidence of corruption found already.
FIFA only really cares about money, so assigning racial overtones to their infighting is probably a step too far in my opinion and possibly even being used as a cover by Blatter to defend against the challenge to his leadership.
Sour grapes or not: Fifa is a disgrace, Blatter is disgraceful and should be removed.
He has been leading FIFA for 16 years or so and has been one of the top dogs for 33 years.
The longer he has been in charge the more rumours of corruption can be heard.
Now let us presume that he is as innocent as a newly born child and he himself has nothing to do with any corruption at all. Then this can only mean that he is not fit to run the organisation as under his nose the others are bribing each other and he is not aware. So the only thing that can be said is that he has to be removed as incompetent.
Now let us presume that he does know or even worse is actively part of the corruption. Then the only thing that can be said is that he has to be removed.
Bottom line: Blatter has to be removed. The only thing we can discuss is that he has to be removed because of incompetence or corruption.
It seems to me that there are two issues in this FIFA matter: corruption and the overweening power of FIFA that make it impossible to query it, much less rein it in and, on the other hand, the broadening of the tendencies and influences in FIFA to include Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, etc., regions where football is less developed and/or are economically disadvantaged.
The political game that Blatter has been playing for a while now is to play is to array the rest of the footballing world against the European block. It is a political cover that he and his co-travelers have been using to get away with their blatant corruption – just as with any despotic third world multiethnic leadership that equates an ethnic numerical strength with impunity, provided it benefits his ethnic cohort.
There may not be any hope for voting out Blatter or reformation from within unless the European group actually pulls out of FIFA. Any a new FIFA emerges from negotiations to reunite the two factions.
Titch
I don’t think the western media are racist to point out the corruption of FIFA officials or the human rights abuses and slave labour issues in countries such as Qatar. Would I be racist to condemn the rape and hanging of young women in India? Am I racist if I point out that some African states (such as Zimbabwe) are run by regimes that care little for their people and use foreign aid money to line their own pockets? Is it racism to challenge the human rights record of China? I also condemn the actions of the western alliance in invading Iraq, the sabre rattling of Putin in Ukraine and pretty much everything this Tory led coalition does in my own backyard.
So I agree with Tony here; FiFA is a morally bankrupt organisation and Sepp Blatter is using racism as a political football and thus disgracefully ignoring the real issues here, which are injustice, inequality and exploitation of poor people throughout the globe. This is the man that said female footballers should wear shorter shorts. He’s a dinosaur and its time he retired.
The reaction from many here is why Blatter will always prevail. Scroll up and read Titch Makova’s comment. The arrogance of the West lecturing other parts of the world is irritating to the people living there.
Blatter wins every time because in a democracy the majority carries the day. The majority of Fifa delegation are those people that the western press love to call names. Many of these countries don’t like the ways of the West but you don’t see their media running campaigns of calumny every time a western nation is hosting a global event.
While I agree with the message of the Western media, their vitriolic and humiliating delivery are beyond the pale.
oldgroover.
Of course you are right.
I was really talking about the likes of SKY, Talkshite, and the Red tops. It is of course always dodgy, and wrong, to tar everyone with the same brush, so I appreciate you putting right on that.
But, the sad truth is until the ‘gutter’ press pick up on this with real conviction, as opposed to there usual token ‘tut tut’, nothing will change.
As for the criticism of Qatar over there winning of the bid, I agree it is pretty hypocritical. Basically a lot of folk are just pissed off that there ‘bribes’ weren’t as good as Qatar’s ‘bribes’, so they’ve ended up throwing Millions down the drain. Some sound like they want to do it all over again, if you can believe that !
The truth is, if it wasn’t for the fundamental problem of playing football in a desert in the middle of summer (a ridiculous oversight in anyone’s language)it would of all passed by with no more than the usual hand ringing and shaking of heads.
Don’t get me wrong I don’t like Blatter one little bit, but to see the likes of Greg Dyke preaching about morality and corruption frankly makes me sick.
jambug
Having said that, ITV’s Tonight has come under criticism (in today’s Mail) for setting up students piss ups for a programme about young drinkers broadcast in April.
Not sport related, but irresponsible/lying journalism.
I’m a big supporter of the media, but when something like this is uncovered I lose a little faith in it.
oldgroover
You obviously have got to know I have a hatred, verging on pathological, as regards to the media, especially the ‘popular’ media.
But I would never, I repeat never, want them gagged.
Sadly they are the epitome of a ‘necessary evil’.
Just imagine what politicians, the clergy, the police, big business, perverts, etc. etc. would be doing, and getting away with, if they didn’t ‘operate’ in the full knowledge that lurking in the shadows there’s a journalist that’s just as deviant, sly, and corrupt as they are !!
But that doesn’t change the fact that I HATE THE FUCKING MEDIA !
Tich
If you’re referring to the 2000 vote for the 2006 World Cup there was lots of world wide media reporting of the possible manipulation of the the vote by FIFA delegates after Oceana representative (who had indicated that was going to vote for England ) bottled it spectacularly saying that he had been put under “intolerable pressure”. I don’t think he ever did expand on that statement.
The German media suspected bribery and Blatter himself conceded that he had been naive to believe it was all legal and above aboard.
I’m not sure if I’ve got this last bit right, but wasn’t SA given the compromise position that they would get the 2010 tournament if they agreed to Germany having the 2006 one?
Jambug
Yes I have rather noticed your media hate and all three points for seeing that this the same media that exposes police corruption, phone hacking, toxic football blogs (I joke), expenses fraud by MPs, grooming of young girls for sex by Asian gangs, NHS fraud & corruption, etc. etc.
I’ll agree that they sometimes get it spectacularly wrong (Hillsborough) and ITV’s Tonight has used some questionable practices and there’s a universal hatred of Arsenal, but for good investigative journalism we have some of the worlds best.
oldgrrover
“but for good investigative journalism we have some of the worlds best.”
Indeed we do. But for every one of those there are 10 Durhams, Reedes, Howards etc. etc.
Jambug
10 Durhams? The world will end tonight!
I agree with Boo.
I agree with most of what you say Tony, but on this matter I just cannot.
@Walter
How are the other European countries covering the Blatter out campaign?
…..
Last I checked only English media made a big deal of it. And one dutch official and Greg Dyke and David Gill do not constitute all of Europe, far from it.
Me thinks it is your grapes and the UK is too afraid to take it out on Russia. So they attack the easy target. Qatar may now be a country but it certainly represents a cultural group, the Arab world. The Muslim world even.
Sav
It’s not getting too much world wide attention outside of the ones you mention. There is however the marvellous Last Week Tonight (from the US )rant by John Oliver which is all over youtube, and has appeared in URL links on here for two or three days.Very funny & well worth searching out.
Sav, FIFA’s corruption has been an issue since long before England’s WC bid was even thought of. Indeed Blatter’s predesessor Havalange was found guilty of accepting bribes and paid some money back, BUT as bribery wasn’t a criminal offense in Switzerland at the time (how fortunate for him and FIFA?) no criminal charges followed. Blatter was found to have known all about the scandal but FIFA refused to return any bribe money (surprise, surprise). Why not do some research? FIFA is as corrupt as they come. Half of their top people have had to go because of involvement in corruption (example: Jack Warner).
Just because some choose to play the corruption game rather than stand up to these criminals doesn’t make it right. Any decent individual stands up to such activities rather than trying to make excuses for those who line their pockets at every opportunity.
No one is in doubt about fifa’s corruption. No one.
The problem here is the holier than thou attitude of the Western press, especially the English media, whenever African or Asian countries are hosting.
It’s funny to see the head of the English fa getting righteous about corruption when the referees in his own back yard are grossly incompetent, bias or corrupt. What has he done about the terrible state of officiating in England? lf you ask me, I’d say that the state of officiating ought to be more pressing to Dyke than playing the global police on corruption in fifa.
I suspect that fans are more concerned about officiating in the game than socio-economic ideologies of ccountries that host events for 4 weeks.
Football is the world game and the world deserves so much better than the unbelievably limited Sepp Blatter and his tainted FIFA brand. FIFA needs root and branch reform- preferably abolition.
Complaints of corruption from the right wing Times is simply a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Very happy to point the finger at third world countries accepting bribes whilst the Murdoch owned print media in England is riddled with bribery and corruption.
Brazil vs Croatia…..is there anyone on the planet who now doubts the game is fixed at the highest level? I advise either boycotting the WC or making money from the sort of things we know full well are going to happen!
One match in and the refs are already at it.
@Mandy
Watched the match, some very strange ref decisions. Wouldn’t be surprised if Brazil win the cup if the rest of the refereeing is similar to that of tonight.
Agree bjt. Guess a bad result for Brazil would also seed the discontented in the streets and embarrass FIFA further, if that is possible.
I have nothing against Brazil, but have long thought this would be a fix in their favour, for the sake of what was once a sport, I hope a team comes along with the quality to defeat Brazil and their refs just to upset Blatter and co. England cannot do it, but maybe Germany or Spain can….seeing Per lift the cup would make this corrupt farce slightly more palatable, but I fear European teams will pay for UEFA going against Blatter. But we shall see.
But back to a much more important team….could this , if true be a very key signing in time?
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/383548/Arsenal-make-their-first-summer-signing-American-physio-Shad-Forsyth
Mandy
At last the Forsyth signing is confirmed. Very good news
Re the match night. I’ve had a quick scan of the on-line news and although most condemn the referee, no body other than Martin Samuels (Mail) suggests there’s an agenda and he cleverly puts the C word up there by saying the ref “was almost certainly useless, not corrupt”, but goes on to really slag FIFA for corruption and suggests the result was manipulated to ensure a Brazilian win, which we expected anyway.
Old Grroover, often wonder why the media are so loath to suggest something may be going on with refs…..are they part of the agenda? Is it a potential legal issue, or,do they genuinely believe some refs have not been corrupted or even criminalised? Because if it is the latter, those who believe it should not be journalists, they should be spin doctors.