Sepp Blatter and FIFA Corruption

[Magic Lamps 11,436]

You really need to study History .. Football was played in the "toffs " schools ,, and by the VERY posh Corinthian Casuals .

The real working class game was Rugby League ,,

Sure? I am pretty sure, Rugby League only became the working class game when Rugby was divided into Union (for the upper middle class and above) and League. Before, Rugby was played in the - also posh- grammar schools whilst football, which everyone could play with just a ball and no deeper knowledge of the rules was played predominantly by factory workers and their children. Even though you are right, the origins of football are very posh, but quickly it became the working class's game.

[Fulham Broadway 16,382]

....quote name="zolayes" post="920005" timestamp="1402356014"]You really need to study History .. Football was played in the "toffs " schools ,, and by the VERY posh Corinthian Casuals .

The real working class game was Rugby League ,,

You really need to study History .. Football was played in the "toffs " schools ,, and by the VERY posh Corinthian Casuals .

The real working class game was Rugby League ,,

Football was played between one village/town and another way before it was legislated and codified at public schools. The schools also started to wank about with egg chasing, rugby so beloved of the middle classes, then, as Magic Lamps says, it spawned the rugby league derivative.Perhaps you need to learn history

[Fulham Broadway 16,382]

Adidas Visa and Sony now 'disgusted' by the bribery -thats three of the six big sponsors. If they pull out that will worry FIFA.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Adidas Visa and Sony now 'disgusted' by the bribery -thats three of the six big sponsors. If they pull out that will worry FIFA.

Multinationals care about human rights? Maybe they want to sponsor the subsequent inquiry

[Muzchap 8,964]

Adidas Visa and Sony now 'disgusted' by the bribery -thats three of the six big sponsors. If they pull out that will worry FIFA.

Sony have a 6 page Anti-Bribery policy! The Japanese really don't like this stuff... They operate on a Meritocratic position - best option wins...

Sponsors do have power - if they pull out, it could get very bad, very quickly for FIFA...

[Muzchap 8,964]

Multinationals care about human rights? Maybe they want to sponsor the subsequent inquiry

I know it sounds hard to believe, and of course I will defend them, but Sony really do. They have tons of regulations around it and I'm constantly bombarded with training videos and newsletters etc.

Ethical business is tougher than non-ethical - I do admire Sonys stance, but it is tough if the competition don't want to play via the same rules... E.g. Royalties, we always pay them up-front, some competitors never pay them... Makes a big difference to the bottom line...

Hopefully, one day it will pay off and the shareholders remain calm

[Roquila 1,335]

Almost everything that has to do with Russia or Arab extremists is fishy in my opinion. Women rights(none at all), Gay discrimination, Corruption and Slavery are just a few things that come into my mind that totally describe the former or the latter.

Call me a Racist or a Religion hater, i don't care.
I care about people. They're dying.

Take your wife and daughter to the World Cup in Qatar, it'll be fun.
Your wife wears a skirt - Will probably get hit by stones.
Your daughter showed a bit of cleavage - Shame on you and your family, she's a slut, our women here only wear ninja clothes and they don't even show an ankle. Oh, and then she will probably get raped because the cleavege is like an invitation.

You're gay? You enjoy football? World Cup held in Russia is the place for you.
Take your gay partner and get stabbed in public.


Almost all of my friends are Muslims, they dont really bother me. I have no hate against Muslims. I hate the extremists.

I play a lot of online games with Russians, i don't hate them. I Enjoy my time with them.

It's not about where you're from or what your religion is, it's about Who you are. And if you(in general, not pointing out to anybody) think that slavery is good then get your head checked or just jump off a cliff.

How can someone enjoy a World Cup held in Qatar when they know that too many people already died building these things. Hjp said that things are better now. That's good but it doesn't change the fact that too many died already.

/rant over.


EDIT: I forgot the most important thing.
Blatter is a twat.

[Liquidator 5,176]

I think Alex probably has his ban hammer at the ready...

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Alright, I think we've had enough racist, xenophobic, extremist and pro-slavery posts to last us a while....

Let's NEVER 'discuss' this again. Topic locked.

[Fulham Broadway 16,382]

Newsnight tonight -this very subject, FIFA Corruption

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Uh oh, people aren't going to be happy.

Fabricated information was used by UK-based Sunday Times to level corruption charges against Qatar’s successful bid to host the Football World Cup 2022, a former top official of the FIFA has said.

Michel Zen-Ruffinen, former General Secretary of FIFA, told INSIDEWorldFootball.com that he was certain that the information he had received from a European source [football official] was a fabrication, referring to the rumours of vote collusion in the race for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting rights.

“Today, I am certain that the information I received from a European source [football official] was a fabrication,” said Zen-Ruffinen in an exclusive interview with INSIDEWorldFootball.com.

The former General Secretary of FIFA is critical of English journalists who misled him. “They portrayed themselves as marketing consultants who worked for a non-European bid [fair to assume it was not an Asian bid] and offered me a consulting agreement that I signed after reviewing the credentials they showed me. It was a proper setup and of course I never got paid for the work I did,” he said.

“The alleged Spain/Portugal and Russia/Qatar collusion, which was published in The Sunday Times was a fabrication, of that I am certain today.”

The European member of a bid team, who offered him the information on vote collusion did so with the purpose of him sharing it with ‘marketing consultants’ (who were journalists) had fabricated that story, IWF said. “That European now works for a major media empire.”

Regarding his source, Zen-Ruffinen said: “There were allegations of collusion coming from all over the world. Those rumours were not credible.”

“One of the persons (who was representing the marketing agency of the bid committee) I spoke to has gone back to the Press,” he told INSIDEWorldFootball.com, exposing the conspiracy behind the Sunday Times campaign.

The collusion story was published by The Sunday Times in 2010 after a so-called sting operation and it caused much a stir in the soccer world. The Spain-Portugal and Qatar World Cup bids were subjected to an investigation by FIFA’s ethics committee following allegations that they agreed to trade votes but they were cleared of any wrongdoing after no evidence was found.

According to Zen-Ruffinen, he was approached by the marketing agency of a bid committee with an offer of appointment as a consultant, which he agreed to after due consideration. He said the information he collected from two sources- one in Africa and the other in Europe—was misused by journalists who posed as employees of the marketing agency. He said his conversation was recorded without his knowledge, which is an illegal practice in Switzerland.

Explaining the setup, the former senior FIFA official said in the first place he was provided with “fabricated information” which was used as source for the Sunday Times story.

“That was a time when people were exchanging information as two bids, one for the 2018 and the other for the 2022 World Cup were being decided at the same time.”

On the recent allegations raised by The Sunday Times, Zen-Ruffinen, who left FIFA in 2002, said until clear evidence is provided, bribing charges should be stopped.

http://www.gulf-times.com/Mobile/Qatar/178/details/396066/%E2%80%98Fabricated-info%E2%80%99-used-to-malign-Qatar%E2%80%99s-bid

[The only place to be 11,313]

Uh oh, people aren't going to be happy.

Any other sources for that story apart from a newspaper called 'Gulf Times' whose chairman is Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah??

[hjperdeath 2,226]

I understand. Too many words at the same times. Baby steps. Uh oh.

American sources. Still mad that no WC for them either..

http://www.insideworldfootball.com/world-football/42-news/14822-june-10-2014-interview

But then again it's them. The video might be Photoshopped guys. His voice could be Hammam's.

[The only place to be 11,313]

I understand. Too many words at the same times. Baby steps. Uh oh.

American sources. Still mad that no WC for them either..

http://www.insideworldfootball.com/world-football/42-news/14822-june-10-2014-interview

But then again it's them. The video might be Photoshopped guys. His voice could be Hammam's.

So any reputable sources?

[hjperdeath 2,226]

So any reputable sources?

Nothing other than an interview with the guy himself. I'm sorry.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Nothing other than an interview with the guy himself. I'm sorry.

That would be the former Secretary General of FIFA....I'm amazed that this leading light in the world of free media, the Gulf Times, is the only news outlet going with this story.

[We Hate Scouse 10,260]

That would be the former Secretary General of FIFA....I'm amazed that this leading light in the world of free media, the Gulf Times, is the only news outlet going with this story.

Well the western media aren't going to publish it due to their "agenda" against an oil rich country hosting the games. LETS INVADE THEM!!

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Still knocking on an empty door.

http://www.gulf-times.com/qatar/178/details/396384/uk-media-reports-on-qatar-2022-triggered-by-jealousy,-hatred

Allegations by The Sunday Times against Fifa and Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 Football World Cup are "sordid and personal, not about football", a leading communications strategist has said.

In an interview with BBC Newshour, Michael Holtzman, president of BLJ Worldwide, said the conspiracy against Qatar 2022 was managed by "troublemakers who have no solid evidence" to prove their charges.

BLJ is an international public relations firm with offices in New York, Washington DC, London and Doha.

According to him, one of the reasons for UK newspapers to target Qatar may be Britain's "non-acceptance of a State which was its protectorate to have the honour of hosting the World Cup".

He said the allegations were not based on any facts. "Britain is unhappy of being the country that has invented the football but has not hosted the World Cup since 1966. This is one of the reasons for releasing these untrue accusations by the British newspapers against Qatar and its World Cup file," Holtzman said.

He also said the "surly campaign" against Qatar by The Sunday Times may have been triggered by jealousy as Robert Murdoch, media baron and the owner of The Times, was not happy with the great development and growth of beIN SPORTS , the widely popular Al Jazeera Sports channel.

beIN SPORTS has the exclusive broadcasting rights of the most important world tournaments and championships, including the Fifa World Cup, currently under way in Brazil.

"Another reason for the campaign is that Joseph Blatter, the Fifa president, is not happy with Bin Hammam who contested for the presidency and tried to dethrone him. This attempt was also not desired at that time by the committee which was considering the Qatar file."

Holtzman added that the call for investigations into the Qatar file was driven by certain people who could not accept the fact that Qatar, an Arab Muslim country, was going to host the World Cup 2022. But he said any such investigation will be in favour of Qatar. He mentioned that the "lynch mob mentality" of The Sunday Times was triggered by racism and hatred against Arabs and Muslims. "This racism, however is not direct, but a move to reflect negative concepts about the Arabs," he said.

Local Arabic daily Arrayah said Holtzman told the BBC that the Qatar file was presented and managed according to the best standards of impartiality and transparency.

Referring to The Sunday Times report that there were thousands of emails concerning the Qatar file, he said: "These electronic messages are not money put in an envelope as a bribe and are not an important issue. The whole campaign and attacks are organised by certain persons engaged in the media activities and businesses in Britain."

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But it's good to see them fight back. Should be proud of themselves.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/06/15/uk-soccer-world-qatar-gulf-idUKKBN0EQ0II20140615

Gulf states rallied behind Qatar following allegations published by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that a senior Qatari football official made payments to win the country's bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar has vehemently denied the accusations.

Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani of the Gulf Cooperation Council - which includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman - attacked what he called a "biased media campaign".

"The Secretary General affirmed the GCC's ... complete support in the face of all doubters and haters and everyone who is attempting to lessen (Qatar's) right to host this historic global sporting event," the GCC statement said on Sunday.

Qatar won its bid through "honest competition," he said.

If corruption was proved, Qatar could be stripped of the Cup, or at least face a challenge to its position as host either through a re-vote or other processes.

The World Cup has never been held in the Middle East before.

Qatar on Saturday defended its campaign and rejected the corruption allegations which it said were timed to coincide with an investigation by FIFA, world soccer's governing body, into the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup and the one before it in Russia in 2018.

The GCC statement will provide welcome support for Qatar. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain withdrew envoys from their neighbour in March over its backing of the Muslim Brotherhood in the region.

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More http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/06/14/uk-soccer-world-qatar-fifa-idUKKBN0EP14P20140614
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/qatar-bids-to-defend-world-cup-allegations-272176.html