As Infantino said to Crown Prince Salman or whatever "I have principles, and if you don't like them...................................................................................................................................well I have others" to quote Groucho Marx
@lardiman The West will always kowtow to the House of Saudi & their medieval culture - it’s what is known as Realpolitik
It's known by some other, rather less diplomatic words as well. I don't mind what they do in their own Countries. The age of Colonialism is over. Sovereign Nations can run themselves however they wish, as long as they are not backing terrorist groups that fly planes into skyscrapers and such like Or indeed even if they do. It's just a shame that supposed Guardians of the ideals of fair play in sport such as FIFA so brazenly sell themselves to exploitation. Sports-washing would not work if organisations like FIFA and the Premier League had some moral backbone. But ever more money is all they are swayed by. Never mind Human rights, gender equality, religious freedoms, free speech, workers' rights... Just sell your soul for a fat wad of cash. If CAFC was ever bought by a Gulf State or one of its agents I would be gone in a heartbeat.
Here's surprise of the day https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx298rz985eo Of course the pair of them never did anything wrong
The "Enhanced Games" https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/articles/c629996lnkro Olympics for Drug cheats. Endorsed by Donald Trump Jr. Why would any record set there mean anything? Apart from records set concerning how much your willy shrinks, or how many years you knock off your life pumping yourself full of steroids & hormones.
I don't think I'm happy about this at all. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cz0dj7rp421o Nemanja Matic and Ahmed Hassan have never said anything in public about their views on homosexuality, as far as I'm aware. Those views are their own private business. Or they were... until Ligue One decided all players were compelled to wear anti-homophobic logos on their football kits. Now, because of what Matic and Hassan did (covered those logos with tape) those two men have effectively been 'outed' as Homophobic. Which may not even be true. But that is the brush they are now tarred with. This is another example of Politics being imposed on football and footballers. Footballers in my view should not be forced to wear logos or emblems on their kit promoting things they are personally uncomfortable with or opposed to. They are being removed from a neutral position and being compelled to take sides. That is divisive and wrong in my view. Whatever views a person holds, they should not be forced to make their views public. Such actions take us into the realms of the Thought Police from Orwell's 1984.
