Sepp Blatter and FIFA Corruption

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

It seems like it has become a fashionable "in thing" to hate on Blatter and vote against them. I like this man's aims for world football, he clearly has an ambitious aim to make all nations equal. This man has pumped money into African/Asian countries to get them to par with European/South American sides. I can only respect his efforts. Since Blatter has stepped in, the performance of Asian/African has drastically improved in World cups. While these western European nations may have this view of Blatter, it is far from what other nations in the world think of him.

It's not exactly Altruism at it's finest is it. He gave all the money to the African nations to secure votes. It's hardly a fashionable '' in thing'' to question someone's motives especially when the F.B.I. arrest half of your underlings. It reminds me of the lyric from White Riot by The Clash (R.I.P. Joe Strummer Chelsea fan) '' All the power is in the hands of people rich enough to buy it''.

[Muzchap 8,964]

It seems like it has become a fashionable "in thing" to hate on Blatter and vote against them. I like this man's aims for world football, he clearly has an ambitious aim to make all nations equal. This man has pumped money into African/Asian countries to get them to par with European/South American sides. I can only respect his efforts. Since Blatter has stepped in, the performance of Asian/African has drastically improved in World cups. While these western European nations may have this view of Blatter, it is far from what other nations in the world think of him.

And the same could have been achieved without bribery and corruption

Blaster is a cancer on football - he needs to be eradicated...

[iceman 329]

some of you aren't even aware, that our club involved in this scandal

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

some of you aren't even aware, that our club involved in this scandal

What scandal is that then mate?.

[iceman 329]

What scandal is that then mate?.

voiting for Qatar/Russia

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

voiting for Qatar/Russia

What are you on about? What has that got to do with Chelsea

[iceman 329]

how or who, is better to say, found money for organize the application of Russia?

[We Hate Scouse 10,260]

how or who, is better to say, found money for organize the application of Russia?

Russia has 108 billionaires and you make a baseless assumption that it's our billionaire.

I'm going to start calling you KEVIN WOODFURNACE

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

how or who, is better to say, found money for organize the application of Russia?

Well fair enough mate just say it Roman ha ha. Yes you could well have a point there.

Vladimir Putin tells Roman Abramovich to pay for World Cup 2018

Chelsea's owner is expected to invest heavily and take a key role as Russia hosts football World Cup

Roman Abramovich, left, with other members of the Russian delegation in Zurich last week. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

Tom Parfitt in Moscow

Sunday 5 December 2010 00.07 GMT Last modified on Tuesday 3 June 201415.20 BST

Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea football club, is to take a leading role in preparations for World Cup 2018 after Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin indicated he should "open his wallet" and help pay for the championship.

Abramovich, who already bankrolls the Russian national team, was a prominent member of Moscow's delegation to Zurich, where Fifa last week awarded Russiathe right to host the competition.

While he usually shuns publicity, the tycoon could be seen grinning and embracing other members of the delegation, including Arsenal and Russia midfielder Andrei Arshavin.

Abramovich, 44, is expected to stump up millions of dollars as the country embarks on a £2.4bn plan to build 13 new stadia and renovate three existing ones. A further £7bn is needed to improve tourism infrastructure, in particular to build affordable hotels for fans.

Putin said after Russia's win that Abramovich could ease government spending on construction for the World Cup by investing privately. "I don't rule out that Mr Abramovich may take part in one of these projects," Putin said in televised comments. "Let him open his wallet a little. It's no big deal – he won't feel the pinch. He has plenty of money."

John Mann, a spokesman for Abramovich's holding company, Millhouse Capital, confirmed the businessman was willing to contribute "in partnership with the state". Last month Forbes magazine rated Abramovich as the 50th-richest man in the world, with an estimated personal fortune of £7bn. As the tycoon's wealth recovers from a bruising during the global financial crisis, the stage now seems set for his apotheosis as the saviour of Russian football.

Russia's oligarchs are finely tuned to Kremlin intimations that they should support patriotic national projects: analysts say they are keen to avoid the fate of oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who has spent seven years in jail on charges of fraud, and is due to be sentenced in a second trial this month. The charges against Khodorkovsky are widely perceived as being trumped up in revenge for him supporting Russia's beleaguered political opposition.¬

Putin showed off his imperious treatment of big business in June when he threw a pen at billionaire metals magnate, Oleg Deripaska, and ordered him to sign a contract to save an ailing factory.

After the roller coaster 1990s, when Abramovich built up his business empire through a series of opaque auctions of state-owned oil fields, he appeared to have inoculated himself from Kremlin criticism by becoming governor of the remote Arctic region of Chukotka, where he invested huge tranches of his own money.

But he provoked anger when he bought Chelsea in 2003, leading critics to say he was neglecting his homeland, where many football clubs struggle with ageing facilities. Putin hinted on Thursday that the tycoon had still to fully atone for the purchase. "Mr Abramovich worked for several years as the governor of Chukotka," he said. "He didn't do too badly. Not many people know him from that point of view. Mostly they say he's the oligarch who bought Chelsea football club. In Russia, that's met with both positive and negative emotions."

Abramovich, meanwhile, claims he is simply a fan of the game. In the past his Sibneft oil company sponsored the former army club, CSKA. And in 2004 he established a national football academy that has built 70 artificial surface pitches for schools across the country. The academy also paid for new training facilities for the national team, and forked out about £1.6m annually for former manager Guus Hiddink and his staff.

Russian media reported yesterday that Abramovich was to invest more than £500m to build a new stadium on the edge of Moscow. The 44,275-capacity arena would be the "best equipped" in the world, they said. Mann denied the claim, but hinted that other plans were already in the pipeline.

Several other Russian investors are expected to finance construction for the World Cup. Lukoil, the country's largest oil company, is building a stadium for Spartak Moscow, BTB bank for Lokomotiv, and the Gazprom energy giant for Zenit in St Petersburg.

Euphoria at winning the right to host the World Cup continued in Moscow this weekend. Many Russians had perceived an unjust campaign against their country in the British media, and were jubilant that it backfired and possibly hurt England's chances.

Alexei Sorokin, chief executive of Russia's bid, told the Sovetsky Sport newspaper yesterday that the English delegation was the only one to snub the winners after victory. "Gentlemen should know how to lose," he said.

In a separate interview, Sorokin saidthat Prince William had offered "polite and laconic" congratulations

[iceman 329]

Iggy Doonican

you did it

Russia has 108 billionaires and you make a baseless assumption that it's our billionaire.

I'm going to start calling you KEVIN WOODFURNACE

i live in that territories my bro.

and keep going to call me acording my profile

Kevin is unique

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

well, fuck

Platini, are you ready to withdraw?

[Special Juan 27,092]

The most protected individual you will ever see.....His soldiers have taken the bullets and he lives again.

[kobematabryant 400]

Good for African/Asian and Central/Southern American football that Blatter won. Bad for European football that Blatter won. You simply can't please everyone.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

So, all European nations will not participates in WC? That will makes Copa America Ver. 2

[kobematabryant 400]

So, all European nations will not participates in WC? That will makes Copa America Ver. 2

Hope that means lesser able Asian and African sides like China, India, Egypt, Congo can compete. Would be amazing.

[Madmax 9,219]

India? I'm not sure we'd qualify even if there was an Asia - only 'World' Cup.

[We Hate Scouse 10,260]

So, all European nations will not participates in WC? That will makes Copa America Ver. 2

Of course they will it was just idle threats

[Fulham Broadway 16,382]

Good God. Another 4 years with the toxic dwarf at the helm of FIFA.

Two good demos outside fifa hq as it was going on. One about allowing Palestinian players to travel and compete, and a mass 'die in' with full size graves for the 1200 workers worked to death in Qatar.