Post-Blatter: What is next for FIFA?
Morally bankrupt and undeniably corrupt are sweeping statements being broadcasted on social media, all major sports news outlets and pretty much the whole internet in regards to one of the largest sporting associations in the world over the last two years.
Longstanding football fans will not be shocked at any of these statements given that two days ago, Sepp Blatter (see Hitler), Jerome Valcke (see Himmler) and Michael Platini (see Tojo or Hirohito, dependant on your outlook) were given 90 days suspension from FIFA and footballing advocating ventures.
Sepp’s house of cards has crumbled and seemingly in slow motion, just like an art-house film metaphor. President since 1998 has seen 17 years at the helm of FIFA, one which he would’ve liked to see go on forever, like his predecessor Joao Havelange, a man who is acknowledged for the downfall and decay of FIFA and to an extent Sepp himself (insert something about Darth Vadar and Luke Skywalker).
Sepp has been found to have made illicit payments to Michael Platini for payments regarding TV rights which has led two those two and Valcke, whom is currently on leave due to an implicit ticketing scam, put on suspension for the next three months.
Since the pulling of wool over our eyes for years it began, for many, to change their maybe questionable thoughts on the ethics of FIFA and begin to ask question began during the announcements of the next two World Cups, Russia and Qatar.
Not even mentioning crime, war crime mongering and a league that is plagued with racism and homophobia, the real rage came against Qatar when seemingly excellent bids had come from Australia and the US.
Whilst we were beginning to see a change in the tide in somewhat now-distant memory, with Garcia’s ethics investigation that lasted 18 months it was quickly to be swept under the carpet by FIFA declining to release said report nor had any wrong doing by the kingpins of the Association been publicly announced.
Ironically, St Nicholas lookalike Chuck Blazer started the gift giving by getting arrested the FBI, turning informant like some Scorsese gangster flick and pointed out the main players and their implications (bribes) within FIFA.
The never dull Jack Warner was arrested in Zurich along with five others and subsequently found himself on bail, made it back to Trinidad and was seen partying hours after citing exhaustion. We’ve also seen one of Blatter’s main contenders to his throne, Chung Mong-Joon, caught up in a bribing scandal for his part in the World Cup 2018/22 bids and has been banned for six years.
To total up, of the 24 peoples representing the executive committee for the bid process, in which two were banned leading up to it, 13 are either banned or suspended and two are being investigated. These two, one being Issa Hayatou (who is looking a tad uncertain to continue due to health reasons) was censured by the International Olympic Committee for taking money from a sports marketing company whilst President of CAF.
Number two is Angel Maria Villar Llona who is a well-known Blatter loyalist and is being investigated for failing to cooperate with the ethics committee during Garcia during his is independent investigation. Ironically these two are the next “Acting” Presidents, given the duration as Presidents of their national FA’s.
If a stock market company was this broken and evidently scandal ridden, then it would be conceived as bankrupt and given to either independent administrators or receivers in aid to generate profit from whatever assets remained whilst doing so without any intervention by the current staff of said company.
But, FIFA loves a figurehead and remarkably, given the possible two acting Presidents, is still evidently in denial about the whole affair.
Sepp has until 26th February until a new President is elected, but breaking news this afternoon has stated that given the mass changes and suspensions in regards to who has been implicated means that it may even delay the electoral process to firstly deal with this mess it finds itself in.
Many journalists including leading Guardian Chief Correspondent Owen Gibson and many others, myself included, believe that the whole organisation needs a reform from top to bottom, just like a modern day reboot of a cinema classic, but just think Casino Royale reboot as opposed to an Italian Job reboot. But to be honest, I wouldn’t mind it if they did just “blow the bloody doors off!”
Featured image: All rights reserved by broadleak
