Fifa's Castle Starting To Crumble?

Fifa president Sepp Blatter is being investigated by US officials as part of their inquiry into corruption at the world football body, US media say.

The news came hours after Mr Blatter announced that he was stepping down from his role.

US prosecutors launched a criminal inquiry last week, with seven Fifa officials arrested in Switzerland, part of a group of 14 people indicted.

Two days after the arrests, Mr Blatter was re-elected president of Fifa.

However, he said on Tuesday that it appeared the mandate he had been given "does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world".

Mr Blatter said: "Fifa needs profound restructuring."

'Rampant corruption'
The BBC's Nick Bryant in New York says that several US officials told the New York Times that they are hoping to gain the co-operation of some of the Fifa figures now under indictment on charges of racketeering and money laundering to try to build a case against Mr Blatter.

In announcing the US prosecution last week into what she called the "rampant, systemic and deep-rooted" corruption in world football, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch did not address Mr Blatter's position directly.

But she did say that this was the beginning of the investigation, not the end.

She also called for a new start at Fifa.

Our correspondent says it is primarily the US investigation that has plunged the world football governing body into its most serious crisis.

Earlier the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, who is involved in the US prosecutions, all said they would not comment on the Blatter resignation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32986950

Sounds like the noose may be starting to tighten...

 

so.. everything we already knew for a decade yeah

 

Well, yes. But at least something appears to finally be happening. Lets hope everyone follows through on this and there are some actual proper consequences.

 

No I meant the corruption of Baltter and FIFA we already knew for years, not the other bits of your post

 

So basically as we all thought last week, the canaries sang

 

Hopefully. The lyrics could be interesting.

 

If things go as we expect/hope, how can the Russia and Qatar competitions remain morally viable? Or even commercially viable with sponsors not wanting to be associated with the Corrupt Cups?

 

I don't understand the problem with Russia hosting the world cup. I can see Qatar being a problem because of the fact it would disrupt the domestic leagues & tournaments but Russia wouldn't.

 

The next 3 years being a constant stream of articles about how it's bent as ****?

The continuing sanctions between Europe and Russia? Russia is already in #meltdown with politicians being banned and all visitors from the UK already need to go to London to have their fingerprints scanned before travelling there.

 

1) Russia is a shining example of a non-corrupt country, Putin's support for Blatter in the last couple of days was based on Blatter's nature as a sound human being and it was not at all suspicious that Russia got rid of all the computers that were used for its bid.

2) Russia's excellent political relationships with major countries and it's welcoming attitude to people of all types and persuasions.

To be fair, though, people seem to be focussing more on the Qatar world cup than the Russian one.

 

Yeh but it's far too political now. If the WC is taken away from Russia now, the situation you've described becomes a whole lot worse. I think all of these things are driving us towards another cold war anyway. This would just fuel that.

 

David Cameron supported Blatter too. Does that mean England shouldn't be allowed to host a World Cup?

To me it just seems to be a case of the United States and England not getting what they want so its toys out of pram time. The English bidding team & most of the country were prepared to brush corruption under the carpet when they though they were winning the hosting rights for the world cup. So were the United States.

And to be fair to Russia, I'm sure a lot more countries would stand up politically to the US-UK-EU circle jerk if they had Russia's military strength.

I know they have a terrible record when it comes to discrimination but look at how the dailymail and a lot of this country treats foreigners, tell me we are any better than them really. We can sneer at them from far and think we are better but 4 million people here voted UKIP, that was basically 4 million people voting against foreigners. How can we look down at others and claim to be a forward thinking modern country when the polls clearly show otherwise.

 

Precisely. Good that Blatter's gone, but had he and FIFA given us 2018 none of this (including the Sun/Mail vilification) would ever have happened. He'd be avuncular "Uncle Sepp", the wise and sagacious operator who knows all the tricks, but does the right thing. Now he's seen to be as bad as Murdoch, but unlike Louise mensch's sugar-daddy, Blatter doesn't own the FBI.

Humbugs and trebles all round. Got the time on you, Greg?

 

Stepp Blatter's registration is damage limitation because there is skeleton in his cuboard.
FBI, INTERPOL etc all after him. Let's settle out of court.

 

Who gives a **** why the investigation happened?
Point is, it was needed, if it took England being shafted for it to happen, then fair enough.
As for your points about UKIP, I would have to agree, we have far too many Right wing nut job groups in this country.
Like Britain First and Knights Templar, who lie and spread bullshit about foreigners (most notably Muslims) in order to push their racist agendas.

But as far as saying toys out of the pram. You act as if FIFA and Blatter didn't deserve this, and by jolly **** they did, its long overdue.
Of course it will take the smiting of a large power (England, US or whoever) before action is taken, otherwise no one gives a ****, thats always been the way.

As for Russia.........their time will come....believe me.

But you will never make me feel an ounce of sympathy for Blatter or FIFA.

 

I think you will find that the EU UK US went into #meltdown first and banned Russians and seized assets and put sanctions in place.

Also, the EU is desperately looking to get out of these sanctions, especially Germany who are essentially the EU anyway

Every WC award was bent. Qatar is the worst case of corruption ever, not a footballing nation, no infrastructure no fit for purpose stadiums nothing, and 5 million degrees heat in the summer
One might think that if one had enough money one could have won a bid to have the world cup on the ****ing moon

 

Well at least there is more atmosphere there than at *insert opposition ground name here*.

I'll get my coat!

 

Thats what I mean, Blatter was an idiot.
That was a bung too far. I mean really, was it worth gaining the extra few million Qatar were offering over England and the US, now he will most likely die in prison.
Its the audaciousness of it.
We all know corruption happens, and sometimes a degree of corruption in these large organisations is unavoidable.
But don't take the piss.
At least award it to a country that has suitable weather for playing the ****ing game, and has atleast some football history, infrastructure, stadiums or anything remotely resembling the requirements for hosting the biggest sporting event on the planet!!
Stupid decision by Blatter and his cohorts.

 

Thats a good point, Qatar offered more, that's the truth, they all played a corrupt game so it annoys me when people start whinging when they lose

Blatter will never be extradicted to the US for trial. He has too many places to go and live that have no extradiction, and plenty of favours to call in. I seriously doubt he will ever end up in a US courtroom

 

I dont give a **** if England get it or not tbh.
Have very little interest in International football, only really watch the WC tournament proper (cant remember the last time I watched England play outside of a WC or Euro tournament, dont even watch the qualifiers).
I have always known that World cup hosting privileges are handed out this way, it is who has the biggest brown envelope, and has been that way since FIFAs inception.
But you have to play it sensibly.....did they really not think that as soon as Qatar was announced people would be like....

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The weather makes it impossible to host the damned tournament out there. If I were FIFA i'd have been like
"okay, we can take the £75 million England are offering and host the tournament there, pacifying Europe and UEFA who have been openly hostile towards us in recent times, and we can throw them a bone OR we can take the £120 million the Qatari government are offering, and host the tournament in 120 degree heat, forcing ALL European leagues to reschedule their seasons, and hope the Qatari's can knock together a dozen world class stadiums on time, with as few deaths as possible........"

"But Sepp, we cannot possibly chose Qatar, it would be far too blatant that we are choosing them for monetary gain, and not through any merit or quality of the facilities they have on offer. Besides we are all millionaires anyway, whats an extra £2m each split between us going to do?"

Blatter: "**** it, I want a third swimming pool in my Monaco mansion....QATAR!"