FIFA/UEFA Investigations

[SilverFox2]

I don't believe for one second Platini had a verbal contract. The very notion that millions of pounds at bandied about in this way is beyond belief.

The old Goldwyn ? quote that 'a verbal contract is not worth the paper its printed on' springs to mind.

Personally I think that all football associations from all countries were aware of the corrupt culture within FIFA but all of them treated FIFA as though it was a sovereign state and traded with them as such.
Governments would be aware of this (including the UK) so it was like dealing with say Saudi Arabia or even China where deals require normally illegal payments or require human rights issues to be ignored.
Now that the Swiss have changed their legal system since last April the safe haven has been destroyed so the real question is whether our Government and Greg Dyke misjudged how much of their multi million pound budget should have been spent if they did not grease palms because they must have known they would lose.

 

[Steve68]

The old Goldwyn ? quote that 'a verbal contract is not worth the paper its printed on' springs to mind.

Personally I think that all football associations from all countries were aware of the corrupt culture within FIFA but all of them treated FIFA as though it was a sovereign state and traded with them as such.
Governments would be aware of this (including the UK) so it was like dealing with say Saudi Arabia or even China where deals require normally illegal payments or require human rights issues to be ignored.
Now that the Swiss have changed their legal system since last April the safe haven has been destroyed so the real question is whether our Government and Greg Dyke misjudged how much of their multi million pound budget should have been spent if they did not grease palms because they must have known they would lose.

I am sure you are right. I think we all knew The FA might as well have saved all the faffing around and just set fire to the £25 mill in the centre circle at Wembley and have done with it. But they went ahead with it anyway.

God, I'm so tired of my cynicism being proven right by the world. One of the many problems with getting old. Apart from the hooliganism I miss football how it used to be in England. Settled squads, most teams able to realistically dream of success, tackling.

 

[SilverFox2]

I am sure you are right. I think we all knew The FA might as well have saved all the faffing around and just set fire to the £25 mill in the centre circle at Wembley and have done with it. But they went ahead with it anyway.

God, I'm so tired of my cynicism being proven right by the world. One of the many problems with getting old. Apart from the hooliganism I miss football how it used to be in England. Settled squads, most teams able to realistically dream of success, tackling.

The alternative is that they did not pay enough of their £25m budget to FIFA officials preferring to keep the majority 'in house' for whatever purpose.

 

[Steve68]

The alternative is that they did not pay enough of their £25m budget to FIFA officials preferring to keep the majority 'in house' for whatever purpose.

Yea. If you're going to bribe your way you have to go all in.

 

[supercity88]

Football certainly needs a Reformation. While my ire is focused on FIFA as the most pressing problem; UEFA and the FA would be second and third on my list. The latter for being stunningly incompetent.

To be honest, I miss the Olden Days before football was engulfed in a tidal wave of money.

I think we all do. Football has lost its soul. The pursuit of money has taken an edge off the passion of the game, though City wouldn't be where we are if commercial prospects weren't so high so we can't complain too much. FA Cup finals at 5.30pm where fans can barely make it home is an example of the farce of things. Make it a convenient time for those that attend not for those that can watch on TV.

 

[Steve68]

I think we all do. Football has lost its soul. The pursuit of money has taken an edge off the passion of the game, though City wouldn't be where we are if commercial prospects weren't so high so we can't complain too much. FA Cup finals at 5.30pm where fans can barely make it home is an example of the farce of things. Make it a convenient time for those that attend not for those that can watch on TV.

Yea. We are in a nice position but who knows where we might have been if Swales hadn't allowed Allison to do what he did. I blame them for the decades of calamity that followed. I guess I just liked that teams like Sheffield United could hold on to players like Woodward and Currie for a goodly time and lower league teams could hang on to good players.

And Teams like Forest could do what they did.

I'd love to go back in time and watch Lee, Bell, Summerbee and even Rodney again.

A hopeless romantic, me.

 

[purplenose]

I am somewhat confused as to what is to happen to the next world cup. Surely if it is found that there was foul play and Harry Redknappery involved Russia surely cannot be allowed to keep it can they? In reality a representative of Putin will have contacted Blatter and had a quiet word along the lines of "my president wishes to inform you that Russia WILL be holding the 2018 world cup, he wishes to advise you that by agreeing to this you will become a very wealthy man and gain some very good friends who can make sure your future health is not jeopardised".

The key thing here is of course the timescale required to relocate the tournament?

Given the current political goings on across the globe and the unfortunate turn of events in skies of the Ukraine, I do wonder if there will be nations who boycott the tournament.

 

[TonyM]

I think we all do. Football has lost its soul. The pursuit of money has taken an edge off the passion of the game, though City wouldn't be where we are if commercial prospects weren't so high so we can't complain too much. FA Cup finals at 5.30pm where fans can barely make it home is an example of the farce of things. Make it a convenient time for those that attend not for those that can watch on TV.

And league games on the same day as a cup final. Yuck!

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I think we all do. Football has lost its soul. The pursuit of money has taken an edge off the passion of the game, though City wouldn't be where we are if commercial prospects weren't so high so we can't complain too much. FA Cup finals at 5.30pm where fans can barely make it home is an example of the farce of things. Make it a convenient time for those that attend not for those that can watch on TV.

That, to me, was the ultimate insult to football and the fans that go to games.

The biggest sporting occasion in the domestic calendar being reduced to the warm up show for Britain's Got Talent or whatever shite they're showing at peak-time Saturday.

 

[TonyM]

I am somewhat confused as to what is to happen to the next world cup. Surely if it is found that there was foul play and Harry Redknappery involved Russia surely cannot be allowed to keep it can they? In reality a representative of Putin will have contacted Blatter and had a quiet word along the lines of "my president wishes to inform you that Russia WILL be holding the 2018 world cup, he wishes to advise you that by agreeing to this you will become a very wealthy man and gain some very good friends who can make sure your future health is not jeopardised".

The key thing here is of course the timescale required to relocate the tournament?

Given the current political goings on across the globe and the unfortunate turn of events in skies of the Ukraine, I do wonder if there will be nations who boycott the tournament.

Why move it from Russia. Everyone is scared of them for a reason. Let them have it. It's not like the schedules have to change or anything crazy. It's just the principles of being codded but I'd get over it to keep the peace.

If Qatar is going to be cancelled though it should be done so asap before they (the genuine ones) spend any more on it.