Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have finally been charged with fraud by Swiss prosecutors over a payment of about £1.35m to Platini, and both now will go on trial.
The media in Britain is reporting this a little, but interestingly they have omitted one very salient point from the case in their reports, owing to their continuing attempts to make it appear that Fifa is a nice, jolly, clean and uncorrupt organisation so that it keeps its rights to broadcast world cup matches.
So, since they won’t tell you what’s going on, here’s our thoughts…
The charges against Blatter and Platini relate to the case that removed Blatter from his role as Fifa president and ended the campaign by Platini, (then Uefa president), to succeed his chum as head of Fifa. The essence of the case was a typical Fifa scam, in which Blatter and Platini conspired for Platini to be paid an extra salary from Fifa funds for working as a presidential adviser in Blatter’s first term, from 1998-2002. The point was that the salary was asked for and paid long after the work was supposed to have been undertaken, and was paid because Platini was running into financial difficulties. There were no records showing an agreement for Platini to do the work or to receive the money.
The Swiss are quite clear that the concealment of the third meeting between Lauber and Infantino constitutes, in particular, a serious violation of the duty of office.
Interestingly the statement put out as the resignation was accepted said, “We need a strong prosecutor in the fight against money laundering, organised crime and terrorism.” He seemed to be thinking of Fifa.
Thus the new case in which Blatter and Platini will be prosecuted for fraud will give a chance for Blatter and Platini to spill the beans further in relation to Lauber who met as attorney general of Switzerland met Infantino in secret.
Of course, the English media still ignore this, but Infantino is now in further trouble and the kowtowing that the FA does to Infantino and Fifa in its present guise could well be a total waste of money, and ultimately a supreme embarrassment. The rest of Europe knows what is going on, but the poor dear FA, who restrict themselves to the English papers, haven’t got a clue.
Mind you, maybe I’ve got this wrong. Maybe the English papers aren’t suppressing the story. Maybe they simply don’t realise the implications. But when the Blatter – Platini – Lauber affair gets going in court, there could be some amusing revelations.
- You might also enjoy the piece that started it all: Switzerland take a greater interest in Fifa – at last.
I can’t see a time and date for when this piece was published on your website. I presume that it was p;aced here in the morning of 2.11.21.
It is now 8.30 pm UK time and no comments, not even from a regular commenter on your site.
What does that say about interest in the subject?
I for one am glad you publoished it. Thank you.
I plan to search for published news on this subject where I live. I sense that the UK is not the only country where news of corruption in football is ignored.
Charles, although I would agree that the number of comments on a subject is of importance, I don’t take that as a guide as to what we publish. And in this case I think most of the people who have read the piece have read the earlier commentaries on the Fifa scandal, and just note this event as one more small step along the way.
I’m sure that Infantino is rubbing his hands with joy as attention is temporarily diverted from the issues affecting the current FIFA stewardship. He knows that the media don’t have it within them to do their own legwork or ask any meaningful questions.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer actually went to Edinburgh to attend COP26.
Media. What is it good for?
Speaking about English media missing the point, here is an article from the BBC which seems to be blaming Football fans for their impact on the climate.
It doesn’t mention TV scheduling, or lack of transport options late at night for away games. In fact, the media aren’t mentioned at all.
The food vs. greenhouse gas emissions chart is also quite strange. No mention of rice. The vegan narrative has taken a bit of a hit there.
I blame the fans
I remember when the US FBI went after the FIFA thugs and revealed that the organisation had somewhere close to three billion (I think dollars) in their coffers. Enough to payoff every football association around the world. That’s a huge sum of money. Why wasn’t the money used to help local FA’s as it was supposed to? We all know why; to line the pockets of UEFA AND FIFA officials and bribe the national associations. There was a time when the World Cup was just that. I got suspicious of the the thieving bastards when all of a sudden it became the ‘FIFA World Cup’, FIFA being emphasised. That was it for me. Journos had to acknowledge ‘FIFA’ like it or not as that’s the official name.
I follow the Euros & World Cup to some extent because I love the game but I’m really only passionate about Club football, mostly the EPL and most particularly Arsenal Football Club. Like AW and others I don’t like the way national teams use the players seemingly without regard to their health, the needs of the Clubs they work for and the long term health of the sport. The clubs train players from a young age, (I hope) seeing to their educational as well as as athletic needs. It’s a large investment.
What if England call up Ramsdale, Saka and Smith Rowe for absolutely meaningless friendlies and one or more come back injured or totally knackered. Do they indemnify the club for the players lost time and possibly lost points? Of course not. It’s a one way street. The funds these matches generate go to the FA. Are they building new grounds in areas that need them? Helping the lower tier clubs? Training managers and referees?
We know the answers.
Climate change is a complex business. FIFA change is an absolute joke! Theft of funds and misappropriation of everything football is not easy to recover.