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Editorial May 2011
Soccerphile Editorial - May 2011
Four more years of FIFA farce
"FIFA lives by its principle of fair play," said Jack Warner after Russia and Qatar were awarded hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup respectively.
There's a delicious irony in the fact Warner's involvement in the bidding process was considered so dubious by the FIFA ethics committee, he's now one of two high-ranking officials suspended indefinitely by the world game's governing body.
The other is Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam, and his suspension threw the recent FIFA presidential elections into turmoil.
With Bin Hammam the only challenger to incumbent Sepp Blatter before the corruption scandal broke, the much-maligned Blatter ultimately won an uncontested election dogged by bribery scandals and widespread allegations of corruption.
Warner's suspension came in the wake of evidence from CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer, who alleges he saw the Trinidadian offer gifts to Caribbean delegates in return for a vote for Bin Hammam, with one official later handing reporters a brown envelope containing $US40,000.
Bin Hammam pulled out of the race before he was pushed, stating in a press release "I will not put my personal ambition ahead of FIFA's dignity and integrity" and announcing his decision to step down less than 48 hours before the crucial vote.
The Qatari made vague allusions to a conspiracy, claiming the allegations against him were timed to cause maximum damage to his presidential campaign, although Blatter himself was also hauled before the ethics committee.
The latter emerged from the grubby affair with another four-year term in office, yet even the seemingly teflon-coated master of machinations must be reeling at the damage done to FIFA's credibility by the sleazy affair.
Blatter has already pledged to "clean up the corruption" in FIFA's midst, yet the irony is not lost on an incredulous global press that the Swiss heavyweight is the man who has overseen much of the corruption taking place under the auspices of his own regime.
The sad truth is world football is doomed to another four years of folly with Blatter at the helm, and the only consolation is the firestorm of disapproval this election farce has conjured from an increasingly agitated British press.
FIFA may look down with disdain on the English powerbrokers so crushed by their inability to bring the World Cup back to the game's spiritual homeland, but the power of the British press and the financial clout of the Premier League may yet play a role in reshaping FIFA politics.
Already major sponsors such as Coca Cola and Adidas have listed their concerns over the ongoing FIFA crises, although the latter have also pledged to continue their support of the embattled governing body.
And while the "tsunami" of allegations Jack Warner threatened to unleash in the wake of his suspension have so far failed to eventuate, the influence of a probing British press - lead by indefatiguable investigative reporter Andrew Jennings - could finally be starting to chip away at the seemingly inherent culture of deceit clogging the corridors of power.
Even if Blatter serves out another four years in office it's clear the World Cup bidding process must change, and transparency must return to an organisation which has been tarnished by repeated blows to its credibility under the wildly unpopular Blatter.
Much of the clamour for change has come from the English-language press - not surprisingly, since three of the countries most damaged by the allegedly fraudulent World Cup bidding process were England, the United States and Australia.
With many member associations reliant on the largesse of elected officials, it comes as no real surprise to see some of them lash out at the press for their investigations into FIFA's shonky dealings.
"We always have attacks from England which are mostly lies with the support of journalism which is busy lying rather than telling the truth," said FIFA vice-president and the head of Argentina's Football Association Julio Grondona, and his scathing critique was echoed by a number of his own colleagues.
Trusting FIFA to clean its own house is clearly not a viable option, and Blatter is no doubt desperate for the glare of the media spotlight to fade away from his crumbling house of cards.
He may have stealthily nabbed another four years in power, but the tide could yet turn amidst growing resentment towards FIFA and its cadre of shady officials.
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