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Anorak News | Sure FIFA Is A Stinking Bed Of Corruption But Where’s The Evidence?

Sure FIFA Is A Stinking Bed Of Corruption But Where’s The Evidence?

by | 29th, May 2011

HATS off to Mohamed bin Hammam who has bravely, selfishly, and, dare it go unsaid, honourably, withdrawn from the FIFA presidential race moments before the election. It thus follows that in a field on one, noble Sepp Blatter will be re-elected as the FIFA president.

He will be the head of a grandiose body that promises:

For the Game. For the World.

The world is a place rich in natural beauty and cultural diversity, but also one where many are still deprived of their basic rights. FIFA now has an even greater responsibility to reach out and touch the world, using football as a symbol of hope and integration.

Hands up who wants to be touched by FIFA?

Blatter may ever add to a role of honour that is beyond parody:

Over the course of his varied career, Joseph S. Blatter has received many awards and distinctions:

  • The Olympic Order
  • Honorary member of the Swiss Football Association
  • Numerous awards from clubs, national associations and confederations
  • A knighthood (with the title of Dato’) from the Sultanate of Pahang
  • The ‘Order of Good Hope’, awarded by the Republic of South Africa
  • ‘Order of Independence (1st class)’ of Jordan
  • ‘Grand Cordon du Wissam Alaouite’ of Morocco
  • ‘Medalla al Mérito Deportivo ‘ of Bolivia.
  • ‘Grand Cordon de l’Ordre de la République Tunisienne’ of Tunisia
  • ‘International Humanitarian of the Year’ as well as the ‘Golden Charter of Peace and Humanitarianism’ from the International Humanitarian League for Peace and Tolerance
  • Recipient of the ‘American Global Award for Peace’
  • Recipient of the Rank of Grand Officer of Wissam Al Arch (Morocco)
  • Recipient of the UEFA Order of Merit in Diamond
  • Recipient of the Award of Merit from Yemen
  • Knight of the French Legion of Honour
  • Recipient of the ‘Order of the Two Niles’ from Sudan
  • Honoured in Djibouti as a ‘Commandeur de L’Ordre National du 27 Juin 1977’
  • Supreme companion of ‘Tambo’ of President of the Republic of South Africa: Thabo Mbeki
  • Ordre de la Médaille de la Reconnaissance ‘Commander Grade’ on behalf of the prime minister of the Central African Republic Célestin Leroy Gaoumbalet
  • Honorary Doctor of Arts, De Montfort University (Leicester)
  • Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth
  • Honorary Citizenship in Visp (hometown, Switzerland)
  • Honorary member of Real Madrid
  • Recipient of the ‘Tenth Anniversary Soccerex Merit Award’
  • Recipient of the ‘AFC Diamond of Asia Award’ 2006
  • Order of the National Olympic Committee
  • ‘Prince Yaroslav the Wise’ Order V grade in Ukraine
  • Order of ‘Dustlik’ (Friendship) in Uzbekistan
  • ‘Danaker’ in Kyrgyzstan
  • ‘Crown of Peace’ in India
  • Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa of the International Univerity in Geneva
  • Order of Francisco de Miranda – First Class, Palace Miraflores, Venezuela 2007, received from Hugo Chavez – President of the Republic of Venezuela
  • Diploma of Honorary Doctor of the Azerbaijan State Academy of physical culture and sport
  • Honor Diploma from Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan Republic President
  • Honorary Doctoral Degree of Business Administration in Sport Management, Bangkok
  • Honorary Citizen by Governor of Bangkok Apirak Kosayothin
  • Bahrain Medal of the First Degree
  • Honorary Membership of Swiss Olympic Association
  • Best World Sports award from the Graduate School of Business Administration of Zurich 2008
  • The ‘Wissam Al-Qods (Order Jerusalem)’ distinction, presented by H.E. President Mahmoud Abbas.
  • Davos Crystal for outstanding service and achievement in sport
  • Japan’s ‘Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun’
  • ‘Dostik’ Order from the President of the Kazakhstan Republic, Nursultan Abish-uly Nazarbayev
  • Recipient of the ‘Dove of Geneva’
  • “Golden Key recognition” trophy, Johannesburg, 5 July 2010
  • German FA (DFB) Honorary Membership
  • Order of Merit for Sports of the Republic of Korea
  • Necklace of Honour from the Ecuadorian Football Federation
  • Doctor of Science honoris causa from the University of Benin, Nigeria.
  • Dato’ Sri – First Class Grand Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang, Malaysia
  • Honorary Citizen of the Republic of Timor-Leste
  • Honorary Citizen of Guatemala City
  • Honorary Citizen of Managua, Nicaragua
  • Grand Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria in Silver

In other news, Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, FIFA vice-president Jack Warner and Blatter are due before FIFA’s ethics committee hearing over an alleged breach of rules. And what is football if not about rules? Without rules there is no sport. It is just a free for all. FIFA might be corrupt from top to toe, but its in-house ethics committee will make it pure.

Incidentally, Qatar has won the right to host the 2022 World Cup in the baking heat. FIFA gave the World Cup to a nation that boasts less football infrastructure than the Tourists V Waiters XI on a Tenerife beach. The 2018 World Cup was won by Russia, campaigning under the alleged banner “Back us or else”.

Says Hammam:

“I pray that my withdrawal will not be tied to the investigation held by the Fifa ethics committee.”

Amen to that. Mr Hammam says the accusations that he paid £40,000 to secure votes to head FIFA are “baseless”.

Sure the Sunday Times reports that it has seen evidence that Qatar bribed FIFA to win the rights to stage the World Cup. Sure Mr Hammam is the Qatari rep on the FIFA board. Sure Hammam is facing charges of corruption.

And sure the Sunday Times writes that the Qatar bid thought about breaking the rules:

A minute from the bid team meeting on January 4 2010 shows that Qatar at one stage proposed circumventing Fifa’s rules. The meeting was chaired by Ali Al al-Thawadi, the bid’s deputy chief executive.

The minute says Qatar was planning to announce up to three social responsibility initiatives. Al-Thawadi proposed: “If Fifa regulations prevent these initiatives then a way has to be found to do these under a different name (eg through the embassy or as the State of Qatar).”

But it is all myth and lies. There seem to be iffy people with private agendas around FIFA. Take care when listening to them lest you form the wrong conclusion.

Until we see the bloody dagger actually plunging into the heart of football, where is the evidence?

Anorak caught up with an Russian FIFA insider. We asked what he thought would happen next:

“Well, who knows? Life is full of uncertainties and hidden dangers. One minute you are investigating rich people for alleged bribery offences – the next minute you are eating polonium 210 through a straw, or dead. It might be good. It might be bad. It’s hard to say with such an empty tummy and so many mouths to feed at home. My wife, she wants a new car and a ticket to see Take That ride elephants in a private show in the back garden of her dream home in Marbella – the one with the electric bed and…”

Such is the way of the beautiful game…



Posted: 29th, May 2011 | In: Key Posts, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink

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