Who's really at fault for World Cup fiasco?

This is without a doubt the greatest analogy in the history of writing.

Imagine that a really nice and good looking guy came to your house and said "let's make a deal, we're going to make a party here, it will be huge and people will want to build stands , you can even make money out of it - and you've got 4 months to get ready" , everyone in your family is cheerful, except you, you tell your father to get to know this guy better and read the contract he is signed, your father tells that you are athe only one against it and all his friends know the guy and some even did host one of his parties and he accepts the offers. then dad sleeps for 3 months, the people who would build the stands tell that they won't be ready in time , they tell the money dad gave them was only enought to build a wooden sword and that they his money, then nice looking guy comes and say, look on the 4 days of party I'll own your living room and your bathroom ok? then your siblings and your mother notice you were right and when the food and toilet paper run out they begin to yell at father then dad do his math and he notices that nice looking guy overestimated the money you will get, but will have his share nice guy says that it was a mistake to trust father, your house is sort of ugly and your family is really annoying for almost ruining the party then dad's friends say to him that's not really about the money, it's about showing how nice your family and house is then the party happens nice guy goes away with a bag of money, and you are left with nice new wheels for your cars and a few useless stands on weird places

http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/05/28/dark-side-world-cup/

The choice of Brazil as the next venue for the WC was the result of combination of several factors, including FIFA's lack of moral standards and the existence of a populist, demagogue government in Brazil. Some have criticized Brazilians for not having protested against the event when Brazil voiced its intention to host it. However members of government, including the President, promised that not a single penny of public money would be used. The lies, plus the chaotic situation of public services, mainly in health and public safety, are the main factors that are encouraging people to protest in the streets and threat to disrupt the games.

Fuss when they look at who they are deciding on these kind of things should be taken into account. These are the issues with going to countries that are second world at best.

Brazilians protesting against the WC, eh? Don't those uninformed bogans know soccer, sorry football, is the greatest thing known to mankind? I invite all Brazilians to the Roar soccer, sorry football, tab to have passion for the game explained to them.

Blatter, Blatter, Blatter....you people don't understand the basics of business, don't you?!. Just like any CEO of any corporation only follows orders of the shareholders, Blatter only follows orders. They are people BEHIND the curtains of the FIFA. Billionaires! THEY make the major decisions, not Blatter! He's only the face.

Encourages folks to think of the middle east as something other than a war zone? An event for those in the region to attend? Bringing the world in with all its quite challenging and potentially constructive social differences compared to the host country? Cross cultural learnins and such...

What sort of positive legacy could holding a WC in a place like Qatar possibly leave ?

"So you’re just lazy or apathetic about how FIFA manages it’s affairs?" BOOM! You've finally caught up.

So you're just lazy or apathetic about how FIFA manages it's affairs? What a cop out. One, if you were truly apathetic about it... you wouldn't bother posting long-winded haughty comments on a sports website. Two, those comments wouldn't present such a consistent & staunch defence of everything FIFA does. Three, if you didn't care, you certainly wouldn't feel the need to "counter-attack" the AFL like you do in almost every post (on most threads for that matter) - as though such a reference is vaguely relevant to the discussion at hand. (It's also unfailingly curious, given your strident insistence that you have no time for the AFL competition). So, no Fuss. You can't claim that you've "come to a stage in my life I no longer care." It's very clear that you do care - a lot - about FIFA and its influence...you just don't have the courage to talk about it honestly.

Is there no limit to how far Demetriou's poisonous tentacles can reach..?

Towser excellent post and excellent suggestion. Right now, as we speak, there are half a dozen countries who could host the WC tomorrow at minimal cost. The message to everyone else would be: reach a similar standard of infrastructure via a natural progression (growth in league, clubs, finances, etc) - and your country too can join this elite group and be considered as a worthy host. That is far more preferable than forcing developing nations to plonk billions of dollars into sporting infrastructure merely for the self-aggrandizement of local politicians. Of course, we'll never get there because the individual members of FIFA skim too much money personally - which is another story again, and another reason why your suggestion is such a good one.

Absolutely! :) Also cronyist shopping centre owners who have a habit of using govt planning processes to similar effect.

FIFA's continental rotation policy meant that South America were going to host the 2014 World Cup, with Argentina, Colombia and Brazil showing interest. Even though it seemed Brazil were preferred (even with infrastructure issues), it seemed they had no stadium suitable to host the World Cup. What was this stadium criteria? FIFA's criteria on stadiums: http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/football_stadiums_technical_recommendations_and_requirements_en_8211.pdf - seems fan safety are paramount, amongst food, facilities, VIP and media... While Brazil bid to host the tournament back in 2006, FIFA had the final veto on whether to award the hosting rights. Should the government had vetoed the CBF proposal, or should FIFA looked more closely at the country and took responsibility to not award Brazil the hosting rights and opened up the bid to outside CONMEBOL in 2007? If FIFA set strict criteria on stadiums, then the question is how many countries already have those facilities available now (bid submission) to host in around 8 years time? How many more can actually afford to upgrade or construct new stadia? Will any country be likely to spend on stadia in an effort to meet criteria to make a bid to host (and possibly not get chosen)? I don't think any one entity can claim all the blame, but FIFA may need to think more responsibly in it's selection of host for 2026 and beyond imo.

"If you can morally in your own mind justify anything involved with a FIFA decision or indeed football generally ,well that’s your business" It's not about moral justification. It's a question of accepting the reality of how things are. If I don't like how things operate, I should get involved and change how things operate. Alas, I've come to a stage in my life I no longer care. I'll live my life according to my set of morals, but I've given up caring how others choose to conduct their affairs.

including miners, bankers and industrialists of all shapes and sizes.

This may be difficult for you to understand from your battleground fortress, but this discussion has nothing to do the neighbours house vs "my" house. That said, I'm talking to the guy who abused Andrew Jennings as a drunk on the Roar...so the form is all there.

Vaguely relevant? Are you kidding me? Everyone knows Demitriou and his cronies are the ones controlling the stadiums in Brazil just like they did with Australia's WC bid.

It's surprising that we can't talk honestly about FIFA, without someone feeling the need to say "yeah well the AFL is bad too!"...as though that is vaguely relevant to the discussion.