FIFA: Hell to host 2026 World Cup

Breaking news: Fifa say Hell will host 2026 World Cup

Fifa dismiss concerns over soaring temperatures and lack of football culture in Hell as bid leader Lucifer pays tribute to 'role model' Sepp Blatter

Hell will host the 2026 football World Cup after a Fifa report found “no reason” to overturn the controversial underworld destination’s successful bid.

A 666-page report seen by The Telegraph concluded that Fifa had acted ethically in awarding its showpiece tournament, and suggested Lucifer be compensated with “a really nice wristwatch, one with diamonds and everything” for having been put through an “unnecessary and upsetting” grilling. ...

See the whole "damned" story here, courtesy of The Telegraph.

Kicking Back Comments: ROTF LMAO!!

Up, Up, and Away

Emirates drops FIFA sponsorship over corruption allegations

Emirates is dropping its sponsorship of FIFA, becoming the first backer to abandon soccer’s governing body after allegations of corruption linked to voting on World Cup hosts and the group’s presidency.

Emirates, the world’s biggest international airline, said it won’t extend the contract that began in 2006 and concludes this year. ...

See the whole story here, from National Post.

Kicking Back Comments:

It warms my heart to see companies like Emirates (and as rumored Sony) taking action  by severing ties with FIFA as a premiere sponsor. What is sad however is companies like Samsung are ready and willing to fill the voids that are created.

While Visa and others has (to me) just made some noise about being ethical, blah, blah, blah, they apparently need Sepp doing a perp walk and splashed all over TMZ before they take action.

I hope I'm wrong, and as details about the corruption from the "Blazer files" come to light, these companies rethink their position.

Giving Rats a Bad Name Since 1996

Soccer Rat! The inside story of how Chuck Blazer, ex-U.S. soccer executive and FIFA bigwig, became a confidential informant for the FBI

New York City's Blazer, a former member of the FIFA Executive Committee and a top boss for CONCACAF, gathered information on some of international soccer's most powerful figures.

The most crucial Olympic ring of the 2012 London Games was a simple keychain, wired for sound and presented to top international soccer executive Chuck Blazer — a cooperating witness for federal law enforcement agents.

The corrupt and corpulent Blazer, once the sport’s No. 1 powerbroker in the United States, is alleged to have collected untold millions during his 20-year reign — running up a staggering $29 million in credit card charges to help fuel his extravagant lifestyle, which included a pricey Trump Tower apartment for his cats. ...

See the whole article from the NY Daily News here.

Kicking Back Comments:

I have to say honestly that while Mr. Blazer may get absolved of his legal crimes for this assistance I have no love for a man, any man, who steals so much, from so many, while parading around saying its all of the good of The Game.

His ends of trying to catch the equally corrupt thieves at FIFA do not justify the means of his own stealing. Particularly in the face of such arrogance as this.

Now part of me feels for the man as well as he has recently been diagnosed and is undergoing treatment for colon cancer. In fact, some reporting went too far in tracking Mr. Blazer down to a medical facility were he was being treated for the disease.

That said, it's not as if Chuck is the benevolent, albeit bumbling hero Jack Ryan (played by Chris Pine) in Shadow Recruit, who tries to infiltrate the bad guys by going under cover. He very simply got caught, and in order to survive, had no other choice it would seem than to help the investigation.

He reminds me more of a Walter White of Breaking Bad fame where his current job just was not able to support his family and as such turned to a life of crime to create the life style he wanted. 

I hope he helps the FBI to get all the corrupt elements of FIFA ... then Mr. Blazer himself has to pay back each and every cent he stole in the name of The Game.

Fantasy I agree, but a worthy one.

Well I'll Be A Monkeys' Uncle

Police Say Ticket Scam Involved a FIFA Official

Brazilian police have arrested 11 people on charges of illegally reselling tickets to World Cup matches, and police allege that the source of the tickets is a senior official at FIFA, soccer's international governing body.

Rio de Janeiro police officials didn't name the FIFA official and said they are still working to determine his identity. FIFA said it is cooperating with the investigation.

Police said the accused obtained tickets meant for sponsors, nongovernmental organizations and national teams. The tickets were then illegally resold for several times their face value. Police estimate that the accused netted about $100 million from selling the tickets. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of WSJ.

Kicking Back Comments: So while innocent until proven otherwise, we now see another Blatter, Philippe Blatter, principle at Match AG and nephew to Sepp Blatter, possibly implicated in this as well.

What an odd coincidence eh?

FIFA meets Barry Manilow

For those who may not understand the reference (I am showing my age) please go here for the video.

It is in reference to some recent news out of Brazil where FIFA has been implicated in a ticket scalping operation apparently run out of the FIFA headquarters and hotel ... wait for it ... the Copacabana.

You can't make this stuff up folks.

The Guardian provided this gem at, World Cup 2014: Fifa official linked to $100m ticket scandal – police.

Aside from the silly song reference, and my knee jerk reaction of "who didn't think there was scalping going on?", was the ultra covert, black ops code name the Brazilian PD had for their sting ...

Operation Jules Rimet.

Wow ... who would have ever guessed.

It would need to be something way more Tom Clancy, like "Operation Blue Balls" in reference to the FIFA logo, or maybe "Operation Swiss Cheese" referring to FIFA's origin.

Then again maybe I am overthinking a bunch of FIFA suits using a middle man to sell tickets at 8x their face value and finding another way to screw the people of Brazil.

FIFA of course when faced with this news came up with a stunning rebuttal ...

"Maybe it's not from FIFA ..."

Again, you can't make this stuff up folks.

“Lots of luxury and little heart”

In Brazil, Jeers and Cheers for Government and FIFA

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Brazil reaffirmed its reputation as a powerhouse of global soccer in the opening match here of the World Cup on Thursday, setting off street parties around the country, but its widening political fissures were also on display for an international audience.

Thousands of fans inside the new stadium made obscene jeers against both President Dilma Rousseff and FIFA, the organization that oversees international soccer and the World Cup, reflecting anxieties and discontents of an economic slowdown, spending on lavish stadiums and reports of corruption involving FIFA itself. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the NYT.

Kicking Back Comments: With the FIFA EX-CO largely calling for Sepp to step down ... I hope he enjoys his final World Cup as FIFA boss. It would seem clear the Brazilian people largely will not.

Can @Sony Provide Us Help?

Qatar 2022: Fifa sponsor demands 'appropriate investigation'

Fifa is under growing pressure over its controversial decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

One of its main sponsors, Sony, has called on the governing body to carry out an "appropriate investigation" into claims of wrongdoing during the bidding process.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Times has published new allegations based on a leak of millions of secret documents.

Qatar were awarded the right to stage the 2022 World Cup in December 2010. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of the BBC.

Kicking Back Comments: While I am very curious to see what an "Appropriate Investigation" looks like, I have at least some hope that if other sponsors get on board with this, we have a shot at a revote, and one that it will likely go to the UK, US, or Japan ... any of these would be great to see.

Let's see what their other sponsors are going to say.

What's the Point?

What is the point of Fifa now it has damaged the World Cup?

Did you know that the last time the World Cup was held in Brazil, in 1950, only 13 teams took part? England flew there: the flight took 31 hours, stopping in Paris, Lisbon, Dakar and Recife, and when the squad landed in Rio de Janeiro three men in gas masks stepped on to the plane and sprayed everyone on board with pesticide.

I didn’t know that, I admit. Not all of it, and certainly not the pesticide bit, so let me heartily recommend Nick Brownlee’s new book Viva World Cup which boasts the above paragraph as an intro. It is a mix of historical facts and arcane trivia, just the thing for whiling away those empty hours waiting for a game to start by taxing your friends with a few not-so-general knowledge questions. ...

See the whole article here courtesy of the Guardian.

Kicking Back Comments: This great article asks my favorite question ... why? In this case the actual question is why continue to go on with FIFA if it is unable to represent The Game with integrity?

There is another way of course. To leave FIFA and begin again. Start fresh and give The Game the honor it deserves.

More and more associations are hinting that way, but who would jump first?

Super Romario to the Rescue!

Romario launches another FIFA attack

Brazilian congressman and former soccer star Romario has launched another attack against FIFA, calling president Sepp Blatter ''a thief'' and secretary general Jerome Valcke ''a blackmailer.''

The comments from the former Brazil striker came at congressional hearing promoted by a tourism and sports commission on Tuesday.

He continued his attack against Valcke with a post published on his website on Wednesday, saying the FIFA official isn't the ''best person to do business'' with Brazil ahead of the 2014 World Cup. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Fox Soccer.

Kicking Back Comments: Still waiting for FIFA to "officially" comment on this one.

Just read the article =)

Fox Sports' Simon Hill questions Sepp Blatter's Qatar confession and lambasts FIFA's flawed process

SO, what we all knew has finally been made official. Good old Uncle Sepp (Blatter) has admitted that handing the World Cup to Qatar was a "mistake." What took him so long?

What irks though, is Blatter's sheer audacity in trying to turn the tables on those who bid - in good faith - by claiming that the 2022 World Cup should now just switch from summer to winter to alleviate that mistake.

He's even attempted to shift the focus away from his moribund administration towards Europe (and for Europe, read England in particular, the nation whose press led the charge against FIFA largesse), by trying to suggest that a seasonal switch shouldn't be hijacked by "European self-interest." ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Fox Sports.

Kicking Back Comments: Can I get an "amen" for Mr. Hill?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

FIFA now considering November World Cup

FIFA is now planning to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November rather than January, a source at the governing body told kicker. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has confirmed that he intends to ask for the tournament to be held in the winter as temperatures in the Gulf state can reach 50°C during the summer.

Critics of the decision to award Qatar the tournament flagged from the outset that conditions would make hosting the event at the traditional time impossible and have called for the bidding process to be reviewed. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of ESPN.

Kicking Back Comments: This is going to wreak havoc across the European leagues. I wonder of Qatar still would have won (assuming a fair bid) if this fact would have been disclosed BEFORE the vote was taken.

If I had to guess, I would bet, it would not have.

Can we review this process please? It continues to stink to the heavens.

Another great one liner from Sepp

Sepp Blatter blasts Brazil protesters

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has urged protesters flooding the streets of Brazil to stop exploiting football to express their anger against the government, maintaining that the country is benefiting from investment ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of several cities in the last week just as the world is focused on Brazil for the Confederations Cup, which serves as a test event for the World Cup. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Fox Sports.

Kicking Back Comments: Best Line of the article:

"I can understand that people are not happy, but they should not use football to make their demands heard.'' Said Sepp Blatter to Brazil's Globo Network.

What a dastardly idea Sepp! Using football for your own gain or to promote an agenda! How outrageous!

I really wonder some days if he can go home, and look himself in the mirror.

Sex was the price to fix a match ... and lose a FIFA badge

Match fixing: ref Ali Sabbagh and assisstants get jailed

Lebanese football referee referee Ali Sabbagh was sentenced with a six months’ improsonment today for match fixing. His assistant referees were sentenced with three months jail time, says Channel News Asia.

The referees all pled guilty on the first day of trial for accepting free sex from a gambling-linked global syndicate. In return they were supposed to rig a match between Asian Football Confederation Cup match (second international level for club teams, like Europa League; JtH) on April 3 between Singapore-based club Tampines Rovers and India’s East Bengal. Right before the match the match officials were pulled out and a new refereeing trio was appointed. ...

See the whole story here, from Dutch Referee.

Kicking Back Comments: How pathetic is this? A good "blow by blow" account is here and details just how awful this was.

Honestly I can't get me head around this. A referee works a lifetime for a FIFA badge to get the opportunity to referee at the highest levels, and yet is willing to breach everything that badge stands for, for a one night stand with a prostitute.

Incredible.

But also an affirmation, referees are only too human.

 

FIFA Ethics ... Still A Joke

Blatter Says FIFA Congress Must Enact Changes to Prevent Crimes

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said soccer’s governing body must enact changes to allow the sport to continue the fight against corruption even as some former advisers question the group’s reform plans.

The ruling body’s 209 members will vote on proposed changes this week at FIFA’s annual meeting on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius this week. Blatter said the process follows an “extensive consultation process” that started in 2011, the year when the Zurich-based body was forced by stakeholders including sponsors of its $5 billion World Cup to reform following graft allegations.

“We have a democratic process in place, we follow it,” Blatter said in an interview with FIFA.com. “Between 2011 and 2013, I made a lot of effort to take this reform process as far as I could, but it is now up to the FIFA Congress to decide on these measures.”

Former advisers have criticized FIFA, which Blatter has headed since 1998, for not doing enough to crack down on corruption. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Bloomberg.

Kicking Back Comments: It is well summarized in this quote:

"Alexandra Wrage, president of Trace International, a non-profit organization in Canada that provides anti-bribery compliance advice to multinational companies, left the advisory group created by Blatter to suggest reforms. She claimed the work was the “least productive project” of her career."

Sounds about right.

Ex Post Facto?

So for the law geeks out there the clause, from COTUS Article 1, Section 9, Clause 3, states (in the most coarse terms) that an adjudicating body can't go back and change the consequences for a crime after the fact.

Like everything else, it is way more complicated than that, but you get the point.

So I was reading that Bin Hammam has been banned by FIFA, for a second time, after being held "not guilty" by CAS (in a 2 - 1 vote).

Take a peek at this article from Business World. Of particular note was the following:

(The first life ban) was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July, but FIFA handed out another life ban on Monday and said he would never be active in organized football again.

I had to laugh at this. So Bin Hammam gets "cleared" by CAS, and FIFA turns around and as soon as he walks out the proverbial door, slaps him with another life ban. Nice.

Why ever would they do that?

This suspension was not in connection with bribery allegations during the election campaign but for "conflicts of interest" while he was president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Now this one was just about laugh out loud funny. How many conflict of interest issues have other members of FIFA, like Sepp, been involved with? Clearly we must be talking about something current, right?

"That report showed repeated violations of Article 19 (Conflict of Interest) of the FIFA Code of Ethics, edition 2012, of Mohamed Bin Hammam during his terms as AFC President and as member of the FIFA Executive Committee in the years 2008 to 2011, which justified a life-long ban from all football-related activity."

So if I'm reading this right, FIFA banned him for life, again, after banning him the first time, and having that overturned by CAS, and based on conflict of interest violations that occurred in 2008 to 2011, yet were only considered conflict of interest violations in 2012.

What?

How seriously can we take these clowns at FIFA?

Really ... I know this is a harsh statement, but come on. Is there a procedure to be followed? This one is such an incredible stretch that it loses all sense of credibility.

Listen, do I think Bin Hammam was caught up in some unethical behavior? My sense is yes, without any evidence, but there is enough smoke circling around to get a picture. Even CAS in their ruling hinted at what they thought was unethical behavior. (Not that I hold CAS in any high regard after the Contador affair ...)

BUT ...

FIFA has to play by the rules here. Clearly they wanted Bin Hammam out, and if I had to guess it was because he had the audacity to challenge Sepp for the presidency. How pathetic is that to take retribution out on a previous opponent by banning him for life, twice, for some procedural, fabricated, rubbish.

How seriously can we continue to take FIFA?

Now is there anything stopping FIFA legally from doing this? Nope, and I recognize that. They can do it.

I also recognize that it is nonsense, and they should really be embarrassed by their conduct.

I suspect they will not be.

Emirates to fly the FIFA coop?

Emirates airline gauging FIFA anti-corruption moves, public mood before extending sponsorship

LONDON — Emirates airlines wants evidence FIFA is eradicating corruption and the scandal-hit organization’s public image is improving before renewing its sponsorship.

The Dubai-based carrier’s $195 million, eight-year sponsorship of world soccer’s governing body expires in 2014. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of The Washington Post.

Kicking Back Comments: I am actually surprised that other title sponsors are not being more public about this. You can see the full list of sponsors here, and given who is on that list, I would think others would follow suit regarding FIFA's ethics practices.

An American in Qatar?

Fifa to investigate new allegations over Qatar 2022 World Cup bid

Fifa has confirmed that the recently appointed chief investigator of its ethics committee will look into new corruption allegations surrounding Qatar's successful bid for the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar, which hugely outspent its rivals on its campaign to win the right to host the 2022 tournament in December 2010, had discussions about a $1m sponsorship deal for a gala dinner organised by the son of a Fifa executive committee member later banned from football for three years.

The Sunday Times, which conducted the undercover investigation that led to the Nigerian Amos Adamu and other Fifa officials being banned in the runup to the vote on the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, revealed that Qatar's bidding committee entered talks to sponsor a gala dinner arranged by his son, Samson, on the eve of the South Africa World Cup in 2010. ...

See the whole story here, from the Guardian.

Kicking Back Comments: "The investigator" the article is speaking of is Michael J. Garcia, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. My question is ... who picked him? He has some amazing experience based on his bio (I did find the time with ICE and Interpol interesting). Why him?

It looks like if given the proper authority he could do an excellent job. So why was he picked?

Ironic too that an American is looking into these matters. Why not name someone in the UK? They were equally as scorned as we were over the loss of a World Cup bid. An olive branch of sorts?

Makes me wonder ...

No Due Process?

Fifa tells Asiagate protagonist Sunday to cool it

BLACK Leopards' former coach Sunday Chidzambwa has been warned by Fifa that he faces further sanctions if he persists with a court action he brought last week.

Chidzambwa wants to clear his name in the Asiagate match-fixing scandal in his native Zimbabwe. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of sportive.co.za.

Kicking Back Comments: If true, this hardly seems equitable. Why would FIFA not allow the coach to go to a recognized court of sport like CAS? Honestly, why wouldn't he after a lifetime ban from the country?

Do as I say, again?

Resistance is Futile

FIFA corruption probe 'being resisted'

The man appointed to investigate corruption at FIFA has said the organisation has "skeletons in the cupboard" and that he has encountered resistance to his work.

Mark Pieth was brought in to chair FIFA's Independent Governance Committee (IGC) by Sepp Blatter, the president of world football's governing body. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of ESPN.

Kicking Back Comments: So while "Jenny from the block" wows folks at FIFA (yawn), Sepp and company remain hard at work resisting the ethics probe he set up.

It's all for show guys, we know this, right?!?

So, in fine Borg-esque fashion, Sepp is reminding his ethics appointee that 'resistance is futile' and there will be no cleanup of FIFA ... at least when Sepp is there.

Again ... yawn ... as this is no surprise to me.

Step 1 ... get rid of Sepp.

The rest will fall into place.

Well ... not quite what I expected on age limits

Blatter opposed to age limits for FIFA officials

BERNE (Reuters)- FIFA president Sepp Blatter is against age restrictions for officials in soccer's governing body although he would be prepared to accept a limit on the length of time they can hold office, he said on Wednesday.

The 76-year-old Swiss said he was also opposed to standing areas in soccer stadiums, placing him on a collision course with both the Bundesliga and the national league in his homeland.

"I'm in favour of limiting the length of time officials can serve but against an age limit," he told Germany's Sport Bild magazine. ...

See the whole story here, from moneycontrol.com.

Kicking Back Comments: And here I was thinking Sepp was saying that REFEREES should not have age limits if they can perform. But alas, the ever benevolent Blatter was concerned more about his fellow government officials.

I am happy to see he at least supports term limits ... which would take effect after he left of course.

There was nothing reported about you can only embezzle your weight in Swiss Francs. Maybe next Executive Meeting they'll get to that one.