soccer

Blatter: FIFA will root out corruption, regain soccer's trust

25 Comments
By ROB HARRIS

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25 Comments
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Kind of surprised that with the size of the alleged corruption and from news reports how long that it has been going on as well, that this is not a headline article and is relegated to the sports section, it's political, national, crime, and sports, perfect for top billing......come on JT

8 ( +8 / -0 )

What a joke. UEFA should leave FIFA until Blatter is gone

7 ( +7 / -0 )

So why has he done nothing about it to date?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

"So why has he done nothing about it to date?"

He manages to avoid any blame AND tries to take credit for the indictments. You can only hope he's sweating under the collar now that someone could potentially rat him out.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Hear that? The final whistle on Septic Blatters ruinous reign of international Football.

But the Toxic Sepp won't go quietly be prepared for the longest, and most drawn-out enforced step down in any sporting organizational history. There will be the obligatory staggering from side to side clasping the "FIFA World Cup Trophy", the wimping speeches of self righteous indignation blaming all n sundry, the English FA and media will be up villain of the piece. Above all marvel at the final 'death scene' drawn out over the next five years.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Of course Blatter is the source of the problem, he is either incompetent or complicit. Most likely both.

He will win of course the election as the regions are on the dole that he has created and do not want to give up that money. Meanwhile the beautiful sport suffers. Best case is that one of the indicted in order to save prison time gives up Blatter and a new leader is appointed that is an total outsider.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Talk about someone who had it coming to them. No wonder Blatter has not visited the US for the last five years. Those who have been arrested will be singing like canaries to avoid big jail time and it won't be long before Blatter is in the dock. And good on America for bringing this to a head and making arrests and shame on the other football federations around the world that chose to either turn a blind eye to this or worse, participate in it. FIFA has been a corrupt body for decades. I hope it collapses and a new body is formed. At while we are at it, let's cancel the Qatar corrupted world cup.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

FIFA is totally corrupt, with president Blatter leading the way. The man has no shame at all and you can be sure that, far from co-operating with investigators, Blatter has his shredder working overtime.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

“The president is not involved,” De Gregorio said. “Of course he is the head of FIFA but he is not involved'......And De Gregorio manages to keep a straight face.

Absolutely turbotsat any oficiando of the beautiful game know for the last 3000 odd years its Fussball. Seriously if the debate was relevant to the thread I would be more than happy to accommodate you...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@itsonly

The phrase is "filthy lucre".

"Filthy luca" is entirely different ; )

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Many thanks Lucarasi I have just defamed one of Don Giovani's trusted advisers....I take full responsibility and step down....

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The chutzpah is remarkable. More or less Blatter and FIFA's defence amounts to saying

"The arrest of our own top officials and the related revalations of how rampantly corrupt and rotten to the core our organization is just proves how effective we are at dealing with our own corruption. Really, trust us on this. The more corrupt we are shown to be the more it proves how good a job we are doing at not being corrupt."

2 ( +2 / -0 )

People have tried to tackle FIFA corruption in the past and have failed. FIFA have a cash pot of over a billion dollars and Blatter will spend every cent of that before he will allow himself to lose a milliwatt of his power. A few token "bad apples" will take a fall but nobody of significance.

I'm not celebrating until Blatter is gone and FIFA is replaced with a new body run by new people.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The US justice system is harsh and unforgiving, something the perpetrators should have considered before crossing it.

On reflection all n sundry were to arrogant, greedy and considered themselves untouchable to even hire attorneys and accountants that could have offered advice than wiring filthy luca through US accounts could potentially put you in a cell betrothed to chopper Harris. Sorry but C'est la vie

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sorry lucabrasi for unforgivable spelling of your name...

Sponsors appear to be pulling the plug Visa has finally cottoned onto the death toll in Qatar, courtesy of The Washington Post, but needs to think about it first...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

That a interesting and under current circumstances a fair proposition dcog9065, however ultimately result in more harm than good to the international sport. Uefa 54 associate members contribute 13 teams to the World Cup family. FIFA by definition comprises CONCACAF (North/Central America), CONMEBOL, AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa) and OFC (Oceania).

Off the top of my head the last couple of winners to the WC tournament have been UEFA members, Uefa exit would precipitate splitting football/soccer family in two. Russia would be forced to quit UEFA and join another Football Confederation if the 2018 World Cup is to continue in its current guise.

The most effective way of restructuring would be for Blatter to step down with immediate effect, all 24 executive committee (the remaining members not under lock n key) follow Blatter lead and resign on mass. Then a process to rebuild the International games 'blattered' reputation a can begin.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think people kind of forget today's arrests are only the beginning of a much wider probe into FIFA itself.

Emboldened by the actions of the US Department of Justice and Swiss legal authorities, we could soon see legal action taken by other countries on behest of their national soccer associations (e.g., Germany's DFB and Brazil's CBF), and that will be the end of Sepp Blatter's rule at FIFA.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I gotta love how these crooks get to go from sleeping on soft beds in a 5 star luxury hotel to sleeping on 10cm thick mats in concrete cells. And if they are extradited and convicted in America, that will be the environment some of them may have to endure until the ends of their lives. Unlike Japan, America seldom punishes white-collar criminals with suspended sentences. Not only will they serve time if convicted, but for every dollar they collected in bribes, Uncle Sam will probably fine them at least two.

And that is just the beginning, if the FBI proves that executives within FIFA were complicit in corruption, or simply allowed it to occur without trying to stop it, well, FIFA will have to take out a mortgage on it's beautiful headquarters to pay the fines. No doubt accounts have already been seized, and more will be soon.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Blatter: FIFA will root out corruption, regain soccer's trus

He could start by retiring, and stripping the 2022 World Cup from Qatar. Award it to Australia perhaps?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Football is easily the best sport humanity has ever invented --- chasms created by wealth and power are nothing to the game's players and legion of fans the world over.

Even the lowliest ( in terms of GDP ) of nations still could produce teams worthy of respect during competitions and has a respectable share of best talents in different leagues playing in various climes.

Such is football's allure that rooting for another team besides his own local brand is not uncommon, thus as a football fan myself, I could not resist to point out that the game has a new hero: Loretta Lynch, the American AG responsible for bringing out corruption indictments against FIFA's band of tulisanes hence the arrests.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Those who have been arrested will be singing like canaries to avoid big jail time and it won't be long before Blatter is in the dock

I'd rather see it done with hard evidence. Maybe Blatter deserves it but the idea of the US being able to subject anyone, anywhere, to their plea-bargaining based justice system, which is not allowed in many countries, is frightening.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

i only hope that none of my tax money goes to blaster and company

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Mr Blatter you are real man!

Fight for football independent from US State Department!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/11632848/Sepp-Blatters-blather-about-transparency-exposed-as-his-colleagues-are-turfed-out-of-bed-by-police.html

Sepp Blatter's blather about transparency exposed as his colleagues are turfed out of bed by police, Telegraph,

FBI’s staggering list of charges against Fifa must finally bring to an end odious culture of corruption that stretches back more than two decades and is noblest gift America could give game

And all we ask in return is that you all henceforth call it by its proper name, "soccer".

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

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