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FIFA President Sepp Blatter, left, talks with Football Australia chairman Frank Lowy as they arrive at the opening ceremony for the 58th FIFA congress. AP Photo/Mark Baker
Apathy. It’s the one thing more than anything else that FIFA’s administrators thrive off as it allows those who engage in miscreant conduct to get away with such behaviour.
Last night at the FIFA congress, by voting first for the FIFA Presidential elections to go ahead amid an atmosphere of suspicion and corruption and second for Sepp Blatter himself, Football Federation Australia declared we’re ok with the status quo.
In fact it’s worse then that. With this act, Australia has become complicit in the rot that is hurting the game.
I ask you to remember how proud you were of the Socceroos at the Asian Cup in January this year and why you felt that way.
We proudly declared our support for the Socceroos, not just because they were winning but because of how well they represented us – with dignity, integrity and respect for the game and those who play it.
In Zurich overnight FFA showed none of those characteristics.
Chief Executive Ben Buckley revealed he had voted for the election to go ahead and to back the 75-year-old Blatter for his fourth reign as president.
Buckley insisted: “We didn’t believe there was any support for that position and that was obviously evidenced by the vote when it was taken when the proposal was put forward.”
The logical conclusion is that by voting for Blatter, FFA felt they could protect our own interests and keep alive a vain hope of securing hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup in any potential revote. How misguided.
If you’re not angry by this act then you’re probably wondering why it’s important.
FIFA has continuously shown an inability to reform itself. Now we’re meant to believe a man who’s been in a position of extreme power at FIFA for over 30 years will change the culture of an organization that few maintain their faith in. Not likely.
Australia, as a member of football’s global community, had a responsibility to safe guard the game by saying we’re not happy with how the game is being run and thus a chance to stand up for what we believe in has gone begging.
FFA not only failed to stand up for what we believe in, they’ve embarrassed us on the global stage.
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