Sportswashing/general FIFA sordidness Thread

[PMLF]

1 hour ago, Peter G said:

There's a sliding scale really.

Like there's countries that are just a myriad of issues like Qatar and there are countries that have issues like England/USA but they wouldn't be conceived as a generally accepted culture in those countries - I think that makes sense?

 

1 hour ago, InigoPatinkin said:

I think it's also worth pointing out that yes, all states are relatively bad. Not all states are aggressively using football as a means to continue to do bad things, which is a distinction we should definitely recognise and adapt to. 

I think there has to be a minimum standard to make the tournament/event safe for all the people attending it. Russia in 2018, China when they hosted the Olympics, Brazil in 2014 & 2016, etc all managed to do a good job without harming the people attending those events.

So far it seems Qatar may not do a good job keeping things safe during the tournament. I also don’t know if they can handle the amount of people going there.

[thomyorkessoul]

It's going to be an enormous ****show and I can't wait to watch it all fall apart.

[Smallen]

 

[arenaross]

Is he OK? 

 

 

[decapitated]

 

[Coulthard's Jaw]

That must be the most offensive speech a senior sporting administrator has ever made  scenes

[Rob1981]

Whatever they pay Barney Ronay, it is not enough.

[pearcey_90]

I’m sure I said it in a thread few years back (might be the World Cup proposed increase), that Infatino is as bad as Blatter. Just gets away because Blatter was corrupt, but what Infatino has done and been saying since he’s been in charge is wild. Awful guy.

[pearcey_90]

I will buzz hard if this World Cup is the turning point that brings FIFA down. 

[Rob1981]

3 minutes ago, pearcey_90 said:

I’m sure I said it in a thread few years back (might be the World Cup proposed increase), that Infatino is as bad as Blatter. Just gets away because Blatter was corrupt, but what Infatino has done and been saying since he’s been in charge is wild. Awful guy.

Genuinely think Infantino is worse. Deep down Blatter always knew he was corrupt, Infantino seems to have no self awareness whatsoever. Just completely tone deaf.

[pearcey_90]

Just now, Rob1981 said:

Genuinely think Infantino is worse. Deep down Blatter always knew he was corrupt, Infantino seems to have no self awareness whatsoever. Just completely tone deaf.

Yea, this World Cup is making him worse. Had Blatter as worse, but he’s making a serious run for it and showing no sign of slowing down. 

Guy is so going to ensure World Cup goes to Saudis for 2030 if he’s around in 2024.

[bigdunk]

[decapitated]

29 minutes ago, pearcey_90 said:

I will buzz hard if this World Cup is the turning point that brings FIFA down. 

I'm only on part 1 of the FIFA documentary on Netflix (watching the rest this afternoon), but given how much they rely on Sponsors for funding its certainly possible if unlikely. The beer ban, and generally rubbish delivery of promised facilities in Qatar has already been a public relations disaster. If they outdo Atlanta 1996 in terms of botching a sporting event then some sponsors might concur that their money is better spent elsewhere and the money taps are turned off.

 

23 minutes ago, pearcey_90 said:

Yea, this World Cup is making him worse. Had Blatter as worse, but he’s making a serious run for it and showing no sign of slowing down. 

Guy is so going to ensure World Cup goes to Saudis for 2030 if he’s around in 2024.

https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-soccer-sports-africa-rwanda-c89066f388ee489eaa391eb5f8234023

Quote

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — FIFA president Gianni Infantino is getting four more years in charge of soccer’s governing body after no candidate stepped up to challenge him.

FIFA said Thursday the 52-year-old Swiss lawyer was the only person to enter the race by the time the deadline passed overnight — exactly four months before election day on March 16 in Kigali, Rwanda.

Infantino won a five-candidate race in 2016 to replace Sepp Blatter and was re-elected unopposed in 2019. He’s now set to stay in the job beyond the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Infantino’s upcoming re-election to the $3 million-per-year job may not be his final term in office. FIFA rules allow him to run again to stay in power for another World Cup cycle until 2031.

A quirk of FIFA’s statutes means the first three years of Infantino’s presidency — when he completed an unfinished term started by Blatter — does not count against the 12-year limit agreed to in reforms passed during a prolonged corruption crisis before his first election.

Outside of soccer, one political threat to Infantino’s leadership is an investigation by two special prosecutors in Switzerland into his three undocumented meetings with then-attorney general Michael Lauber in 2016 and 2017 during American and Swiss federal investigations of soccer officials.

It is currently unclear how that case, which is being overseen by the Swiss parliament, is proceeding or how much jurisdiction it has over Infantino as a private citizen who could be accused of having sought an advantage from a public official. He has denied all wrongdoing.

Infantino’s current term in office, which started in June 2019, saw FIFA dip into its $2 billion-plus reserves and oversee emergency legal measures to help stabilize soccer through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The global health crisis almost entirely shut down World Cup qualifying games in 2020. The final tournament in Qatar starts on Sunday.

Infantino did not get approval for the biggest idea in the current presidential term — doubling the number of men’s World Cups to every two years in a planned overhaul of the calendar for national teams. That plan was blocked last year by the continental soccer bodies of Europe and South America, UEFA and CONMEBOL, who teamed up to threaten a boycott of a biennial World Cup.

Tensions persist between FIFA and the two traditionally powerful continents, though they declined to propose or publicly support a challenger. Candidates need pledges from five federations and to have been active in a formal soccer role for at least two of the past five years.

Infantino has shored up his voting base in the 54-member Confederation of African Football, which has been led since March 2021 by his close ally, South African mining magnate Patrice Motsepe.

The 2026 World Cup in North America, the first with 48 teams instead of 32, will hugely raise the tournament records for attendance and revenue for FIFA, which is on track to earn nearly $7 billion in its four-year commercial cycle tied to the World Cup in Qatar.

Infantino has consistently staked his presidency on raising FIFA’s income to steer more money toward federations worldwide. He wants other countries to close the gap on Europe and South America, which have provided every team to play in all 21 World Cup finals.

Europe and South America will field competing bids to host the 2030 World Cup, which is set for a vote by FIFA members in 2024.

Ukraine was added in October to the co-hosting bid by Spain and Portugal, while 1930 host Uruguay is part of a centenary celebration bid with Argentina, Chile and Paraguay.

Infantino still needs to pass an integrity and eligibility check carried out by a FIFA-appointed review panel chaired by a judge from India, Mukul Mudgal. That should be a formality in the weeks ahead.

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by decapitated

[Rob1981]

Jesus.

[decapitated]

17 minutes ago, bigdunk said:

That is a straight up racist microaggression, isn't it? 

[Tony85]

16 minutes ago, decapitated said:

That is a straight up racist microaggression, isn't it? 

I assumed he thought because he worked for the NYT he'd be in America?

[GunmaN1905]

56 minutes ago, pearcey_90 said:

I will buzz hard if this World Cup is the turning point that brings FIFA down. 

I just want absolute organizational shambles and a match being postponed or cancelled. Would bring the entire thing down.

[CFuller]

FIFA are just beyond parody at this point.

[The Golden boy]

It's always a wet dream of these organisations to get North Korea involved in any bids involving South Korea.

[decapitated]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11449663/Catering-workers-left-outside-stadiums-SIX-HOURS-no-food-water-World-Cup.html

Quote

Over 200 Indian catering workers hired for the World Cup's opening game between Qatar and Ecuador were left stranded outside the Al Bayt Stadium for six hours without any food or water this afternoon. 

Sportsmail spoke to several of the workers, who have been recruited as cashiers by catering company Qatar Star Services, outside the £650million new stadium with many unhappy at their treatment and working conditions.

The group of 205 men and seven women were collected from their accomodation at 9am this morning and dropped off the 60,000 stadium borth of Doha at 10am, but were not admitted to the ground until 4pm. 

The workers told Sportsmail that during their long wait they were given no food or water and did not have any contact with their supervisor, but were simply told to wait until his arrival.

All of the workers have signed a month-long contract with Qatar Star Services for the duration the tournament, with the company demanding that they work every day. 

Accommodation and one meal-per-day is also provided in addition to their wages.

One of the workers told Sportsmail: 'We are all cashiers, but cannot get into the ground. They are not ready for us. We've been here since 10am, but cannot go inside until 4pm. We are just waiting for our supervisor. We've had no food or drink, nothing.'

Sportsmail spoke to another group of 20 female staff from the Phillipines, who had been employed to sell merchandise in the stadium. They were left to wait outside for three hours without any food or water.

In contrast senior members of Qatar's ruling Al Thani family arrived in a helicopter before being driven into the stadium.