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In 1973, Sepp Blatter was elected president of the World Society of Friends of Suspenders. The wacky group was formed to entice women to keep wearing suspenders and not switch to pantyhose.
There’s nothing on record to show how well the group performed on its riveting mission, but it’s a damn shame Sepp Blatter didn’t stay there.
Instead he met up with Juan Antonio Samaranch, the dictatorial IOC boss, and a solid friendship surfaced.
There’s plenty on record to prove Samaranch was anything but pure white during his 21-year reign – Blatter was a willing pupil.
Since Blatter took over from Joao Havelange as FIFA boss in 1998, the words bribery and corruption have been constantly in use.
Yet Blatter has survived 13 controversial years. He keeps saying to opponents: “I respect you, please respect me”.
Like it or not, you’ve got to give it to Blatter. He knows how to work the room, how to manipulate any situation. But to cover all of Blatter’s shortcomings, this column would be War and Peace long.
Let’s just stick to one of the worst nights in FIFA history – the executive committee’s 2018, and 2022, World Cup hosting decisions.
Recapping – England, Russia, Spain-Portugal, and Netherlands-Belgium were the contenders to host the 2018 World Cup, with England odds-on to win through.
The acknowledged home of football, with 20 world-class venues ready at a moments notice, England hadn’t hosted the Cup since 1966, the one and only time the men-in-white have been successful.
But England was humiliated, crashing out in the first ballot of 22 votes – Russia 9, Spain-Portugal 7, Netherlands-Belgium 4 – England just 2.
Russia went on to win comfortably with 13 votes to Spain-Portugal’s 7, and Netherlands-Belgium’s 2. Farcical.
Australia was given a good chance to host the 2022 Cup, with a track record of successfully hosting the 1956 and 2000 Olympics, the latter still recognised as the best organised in the history of the Games.
But Australia fared even worse than England – Qatar 11 votes, South Korea 4, the USA and Japan 3, Australia 1.
Qatar went on to beat the USA 14 votes to 8, despite the fact Qatar has to spend billions just to justify its existence. Farcical.
When asked if the Qatar decision was clean, Blatter said – “I believe the decision we took for the 2022 Cup was exactly in the same pattern, and environment, as the 2018 Cup, and there was no problem for the FIFA executive committee to act in that direction”.
It came as no surprise when the rest of the world didn’t believe a word of it at the time, and still don’t, as more and more evidence piles up to the contrary.
Last night in Zurich, Blatter faced a hostile media conference, baying for his blood.
“FIFA is not in crisis, we just have some difficulties,” was how Blatter described the mess FIFA has created – all thanks to Blatter himself.
He rules FIFA with an iron-fist, just as his good mate Samaranch ruled the IOC – two peas, same pod, same question marks.
And how is FIFA going to overcome it’s “difficulties”.
“They will all be settled internally, within the family, that’s what the ethics committee is there to do,” was Blatter’s blithe reply.
How convenient, settled by a committee that’s an integral part of the “difficulties”.
Farcical.
Worth repeating, his line: “I respect you, please respect me”.
Respect, Mr Blatter, has to be earned. You’re not on the first rung of a very long ladder.
Do the sport you say you respect a favour by by stepping down, and return to the World Society of Friends of Suspenders.
Or heaven help football, it sure can’t help itself.