Not here Madge. There was over 3 million at the 2010 World Cup and over 5 million in Brazil (understandable). Australia is NOT a Country where 'Soccer' is the predominant sport. We can gather 80,000 fans for the off season friendly matches and home games for the Socceroo's. Our FA Cup final could also draw 80,000 but the Australian Rules Hierarchy put a stop to that by refusing to allow their stadium to be used - 30,000 attended at a smaller stadium whilst 'their' stadium had a few thousand for their AFL game. There was talk of Government intervention to force the AFL to make their stadiums available but word had it that they would have got the 'big finger'! Money talks however and the AFL would probably have a price but it would be astronomical imo. Getting to and from these stadiums would be an absolute nightmare with our transport system which would need millions poured into it to make this work. The revenue from hosting a World Cup however would bring a much needed boost to the economy and would be a huge boost to 'soccer' in Australia. I honestly cannot see the AFL assisting another sport, especially 'soccer' but stranger things have happened.
Blatter's former advisor has said he wouldn't be surprised if votes for Russia and Qatar according to the BBC but wouldn't expect them to stripped of the competition.
It's never going to happen, politically it would be a catastrophe. A few whispers in a few ears at best. If anything it'll be the 2018 one under fire, the Americans aren't doing this for football, they're just trying to piss Russia off and probably to have a chain to dangle round Qatars throat.
I see that movie made by FIFA with Tim Roth playing Blatter (**** knows why) made a cracking $607 on it's opening weekend in the USA and received scathing reviews across the board. One of the reviews said it was "not merely ham-fisted, but pork-shouldered, bacon-wristed, and sausage-elbowed".
The actors were most surprised when they received their fees in $100 bills stuffed in brown envelopes....
If I'm going to watch Tim Roth in a film, I think I'll wait until The Hateful Eight comes out later this year.
ROME (AP) — Police in northern Italy say Argentine businessman Alejandro Burzaco, who was indicted by U.S. authorities in connection to the FIFA corruption case, has turned himself in. Bolzano police official Giuseppe Tricarico told The Associated Press that Burzaco turned himself in Tuesday morning. He was with an Italian and Spanish-speaking lawyer. Tricarico said Burzaco is currently in a jail cell pending a hearing later Tuesday on whether to confirm the arrest, as is procedure in Italy. Tricarico said Burzaco was "searched for across the world" after being named, along with two other Argentines, in the U.S. indictment. Burzaco is the president of sports marketing company Torneos y Competencias.
It would be a great mistake to merely blame 'foreigners' for this FIFA corruption. It would appear to have been facilitated by UK-based banks - HSBC and Standard Chartered - who look to have been funnelling dirty money/bribes via such British protectorates/overseas tax havens as the British Virgin Islands, the Caymans and Turks & Caicos Islands. The British Government should follow that old adage: 'DON'T **** ON YOUR OWN DOORSTEP' - and clean up 'our' act.
Doesn't anyone else see a pattern in all this? Call me a cynic or a conspiracy theorist what have you but there's too many links for it all to be a coincidence. Does anyone think the FBI just decided to clean up fifa for the good of 'soccer'? Because I certainly don't.
No, Bob. I reckon the Yanks have sussed out just how big a deal football is (after ignoring it forever) and they/their corporates want to get hold of it and control it. It's just a frigging big bag of money waiting to be grabbed. Isn't it - Coca Cola? Macdonalds? Nike? please log in to view this image
I thought the bloke involved in the Qatar bid was very good in his interview first thing today. He said it was made obvious to all bidders that the finals were up for sale. In those circumstances, do you blame those who pay the most, or blame those who demand the bribes in the first place.
Just another thought, IIRC the WC European qualifying group draw is normally held in the December two and a half years before the Finals. That means this December. Sounds a long way off but that means they have to decide what to do about Russia in the next 6 months. Hosts don't need to qualify...
