In the book “Five Ring Circus”, the International Olympic Committee was revealed to be a shamelessly self-serving organisation. The FIFA Ex-Co may be giving them a run for their money.
Last week’s decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar would be the same as the IOC deciding in 1993 to give the 2000 Olympics to Tashkent (who pulled out before the final decision but for comparative purposes is the best example I can think of).
FIFA have in effect given the world’s biggest event to a country based on an idea and a promise, for that’s all Qatar had. Every other bidding nation for 2022 had significantly more infrastructure and planning already in place.
It sure looks to me like FIFA have been bought. No other expanantion is feasible to me. However, the FIFA Ex-Co will be convinced that they are being bold, they are annointing a tiny nation with the biggest responsibility in world sport, they will be convinced that their decision proves the egalatarian and wide-thinking vision of their sport.
My sport. A sport I’ve played and coached since I was 6 years old, given countless hours of my time on training pitches and as the body wore down, in physio centres. An all-consuming passion that grabbed me from an early age and never let go, which I was lucky enough to get paid to do for a while.
But not just my sport, for it’s the sport of millions worldwide, many of who had an emotional stake in the events of Zurich, December 2nd.
I wonder how many of those supporters feel now like I do, that their worst fears have been confirmed, that the apple appears to be rotten to the core.
FIFA answer to no-one. How obvious has that been in the last few months?
The arrogance of their decision is amazing. When Sepp Blatter pulled Qatar’s name out of the envelope, there was stunned silence for a moment where I was watching. I simply did not expect that the Ex-Co would expose themselves in such a way.
If I was honest with myself, I expected that the USA would have been pulled from that envelope. That would have been disappointing, but not the kind of numbing shock I felt with Qatar.
Blatter made a mealy-mouthed statement about learning how to lose. He now heads a committee that look to have lost the last vestiges of integrity and respect, and it will be a lesson I think he will never learn from.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Matt Hummels, a veteran of Dortmund's 2013 Champion League's loss, was instrumental in his side's win over PSG, delivering a header five minutes into…
PSG created chance after chance but unfortunately, the crossbar and post stood between them and a win on a luckless night.
Death, taxes and PSG messing it up in Europe. But the story shouldn't be that Paris have again failed again on the biggest stage…
With the Australian Professional League’s rumoured financial problems, it is important that fans know the truth in regard to where football currently stands.
Cameron Burgess scored the winner to confirm Ipswich’s status as a Premier League club.
A referee wore a camera for the first time in an English Premier League match as Crystal Palace beat up Manchester United 4-0. Footage…
