WC '22

[dando]

Qatar?!? Srsly?!? :saywhat: Is BE running FIFA now? :shakehead Average temp there in the summer is 116, but it's a dry heat. :gomer:

-Kevin

[extramundane]

FIFA is not corrupt. (http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/12/02/football.cup.corruption.llona/)

I guess that settles it, then. :gomer:

[Methanolandbrats]

The heat will add a new aspect to the game, now they can flop due to heat exhaustion instead of having to fake injuries every five minutes.

[opinionated ow]

and, rather hilariously, our government thought they were in with a chance!

[Gnam]

If you want the fruitycup finals, you have to act like you don't want the fruitycup finals. Tell them they can't come, and soccer balls with rain down from above. Make them play in Detroit. :D

[cameraman]

Interesting thing about the Qatar bid is all of the stadiums are within a mile or two of each other so the fans will be able to, ummm mingle after the matches.:saywhat:

[Methanolandbrats]

From a Gov website on Qatar

'"It is a punishable offence to drink alcohol or be drunk in public. Offenders may incur a prison sentence or deportation. Alcohol is, however, available at licensed hotel restaurants and bars, and expatriates living in Qatar can obtain alcohol on a permit system. You should not carry alcohol with you, including in your car (except to take it on the day of collection from the warehouse to your home)."

This should work out really well :rofl::rofl: Pretty much rules out fans from Europe.

[Don Quixote]

I wouldn't last a day in that country. :gomer:

[EDwardo]

Qatar?!? Average temp there in the summer is 116, but it's a dry heat.

Shouldn't be a problem. All they need to do is tow enough icebergs up from Antarctica and then they can air condition the entire country (4416 square miles).:eek:
http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/iceberg/berg-tow.jpg

Actually I heard a news report that the plan is to air condition all of the open air stadiums.

[Ankf00]

arab oil money, ugh.


wonder how all the women in FIFA are going to love their future destination spot.

[opinionated ow]

arab oil money, ugh.


wonder how all the women in FIFA are going to love their future destination spot.

It's probably like the UAE...a designated "western zone" where anything goes and so long as you stay in that zone you will be fine.

[emjaya]

Well, thank you, FIFA.


Now, if we can just get Qatar to go for the 2020 Olympic's.... :gomer:

Edit: Whoo hoo, they are going for them.

[Steve99]

FIFA will have to survive the Russian corruption in '18 before you have to worry about Qatar.

[TrueBrit]

From a Gov website on Qatar

'"It is a punishable offence to drink alcohol or be drunk in public. Offenders may incur a prison sentence or deportation. Alcohol is, however, available at licensed hotel restaurants and bars, and expatriates living in Qatar can obtain alcohol on a permit system. You should not carry alcohol with you, including in your car (except to take it on the day of collection from the warehouse to your home)."

This should work out really well :rofl::rofl: Pretty much rules out fans from Europe.

Gives the English team a ready-made excuse for not qualifying...Russia I can sort of get, but Qatar PROVES that FIFA is the FIA with an extra 'F'.

[chop456]

Players' union wants 2022 World Cup switched to Winter (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9310671.stm) :thumbup:

That'd make a great Super Bowl Sunday doubleheader. :D

[chop456]

FIFA is not corrupt. (http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/12/02/football.cup.corruption.llona/)

I guess that settles it, then. :gomer:

Ooooh, a counter!

FIFA is Corrupt (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9481461.stm)

Shocked. SHOCKED, I SAY!

[TrueBrit]

Ooooh, a counter!

FIFA is Corrupt (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9481461.stm)

Shocked. SHOCKED, I SAY!

I wish there was a chance of FIFA-free football, but then that's like asking for ethical politicians I guess...

[Ankf00]

can't beat 'em, join 'em. I guess :\

:gomer:

[chop456]

Presidential candidate Bin Hammam calls for FIFA reform (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9483666.stm)


Bin Hamman said that under the leadership of Blatter Fifa had been "choosing to run football how it sees fit, rather than doing so in a manner that is consistent with the governing body's proper procedures, which made it hard to get the public to believe in the organisation.

"A new atmosphere needs to descend upon Fifa; there needs to be an opportunity for new ideas to take hold and for the organisation to take a new direction."

No way. :gomer:

[The Doctor]

Presidential candidate Bin Hammam calls for FIFA reform (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9483666.stm)



No way. :gomer:

Translation: Now that we exploited the system to bribe our way into getting the World Cup, we demand change! And by change, we mean that we'll cover up the fact that we bribed our way into getting the World Cup!

[chop456]

Re-elected Fifa president Sepp Blatter will not initiate an investigation into Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13674764.stm)


:rofl:

[chop456]

A corruption watchdog that was advising Fifa after a series of bribery and corruption scandals, has cut its ties with world football's governing body.

An official with Transparency International (TI) said two of its key recommendations had been ignored.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15996806

:gomer:

[chop456]

POW. :D

Sources: U.S. Justice Dept. to bring corruption charges against FIFA officials (http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/27/football/fifa-corruption-charges-justice-department/index.html)


Washington (CNN)The U.S. Justice Department plans to announce corruption charges against senior officials at FIFA, the world's soccer governing body, law enforcement officials say.

Up to 14 people are expected to be charged Wednesday based on an indictment in federal court in New York.

Arrests were being made overnight in Zurich, where members of the scandal-plagued organization were gathering for an election Friday that could give its leader Sepp Blatter a fifth term.

"We got an order from our federal justice department for the raids," the Zurich police department told CNN.

:laugh:

[dando]

http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/story/2468193/fifa-officials-arrested-over-corruption-charges

Footieball.... :gomer:

[NismoZ]

I think some of those guys ought to get 4-game suspensions! Or maybe TWO! Wonder how LOW the corruption goes?

[WickerBill]

Hope May 27 becomes known as the day football changed forever. For better, of course.

[Insomniac]

We'll have to see. Us and Europe are good at accepting fines and settling the matter with no changes.

[dando]

Is Bernie next? :tony:

[chop456]

Russia calls FIFA probe an 'illegal' application of US laws (http://www.cnbc.com/id/102711368)

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

[WickerBill]

Give 2022 to England, the birthplace of football. Maybe the US can try for 2026 or 2030, but my only quibble with this whole thing is that it is focused on Qatar, who "won" the 2022 WC ahead of the USA.

Regardless of where you stand on Blatter, the idea of playing football in one of the hottest city-states on earth is all sorts of dumb and dangerous.

[Tifosi24]

Give 2022 to England, the birthplace of football. Maybe the US can try for 2026 or 2030, but my only quibble with this whole thing is that it is focused on Qatar, who "won" the 2022 WC ahead of the USA.

Regardless of where you stand on Blatter, the idea of playing football in one of the hottest city-states on earth is all sorts of dumb and dangerous.

Using slave labor and working untold of them to death isn't a good idea either.

[Napoleon]

Using slave labor and working untold of them to death isn't a good idea either.

I just looked and could not find this anywhere with Google, but Chris Hayes of MSNBC last evening had this graphic showing the number of construction deaths in each of the last X World Cups, and it was jaw dropping how much higher it has been in Qatar. They have had more deaths then something like the last 10 WC combined times 200.

[cameraman]

The really annoying thing, to me at least, is there no difference between the soccer construction sites in Qatar and every other construction site in the Persian Gulf. They all have the same insane death rates, abusive practices and gross corruption. The people with the money in the Persian Gulf treat their workers like slaves, all of their workers, not just the stadium crews. The death rate has nothing to do with the maggots running FIFA, I wish people would stop conflating the two. They are two separate problems.

[WickerBill]

It does have something to do with FIFA if you are willing to consider that - like you said - FIFA knows this to be a problem in the Middle East, knows that Qatar would have to develop multiple new stadia, and awarded the World Cup to them anyway.

Agree though, this is a culture issue. I just detest that governing bodies are not socially conscious enough to take a stand against it.

[Tifosi24]

I agree, it has everything to do with FIFA. It's like saying your not responsible for giving a drug addicts drugs. If you know folks in the Persian Gulf like to treat their workers as sub-humans, and you have a problem with that, you don't give them a World Cup. I also did some quick digging today and, from what I can gleam, more workers (by a large margin) have died, already, working on these stadiums then the highest estimates of deaths from constructing the first transcontinental railroad.

[Andrew Longman]

And the builders of the US transcontinental RR considered the Chinese and Irish workers pretty much as sub-humans.

[NismoZ]

Blather reelected! NOW things 'll get done:rofl::laugh:

[Napoleon]

. . . and Sepp Blatter resigns.

[chop456]

So what's the motivation? Bigger golden parachute if reelected? Manipulating the successorship? Hellhounds on his trail?

[dando]

So what's the motivation? Bigger golden parachute if reelected? Manipulating the successorship? Hellhounds on his trail?

He was just re-elected.

[Napoleon]

So what's the motivation? Bigger golden parachute if reelected? Manipulating the successorship? Hellhounds on his trail?

It has to be one of your #2 or 3. I have heard nothing regarding the second one yet but this morning a story broke that his top aid has been tied to a $10m wire transfer used for bribes and the UEFA (European Football) was said to be meeting on Friday to discuss holding their own World Cup in lieu of participating in FIFA's. The thought was Brazil and Argentina would go along with it.

[Napoleon]

It has to be one of your #2 or 3.

Duh, Blatter has called for a revote, so reason #2 goes out the window, leaving #3, IMO.

[datachicane]

I think he called for a revote to give him time to get his proxy in place. That's why he didn't withdraw before the election, which would have handed it to the non-Sepp-friendly prince.

[Napoleon]

I think he called for a revote to give him time to get his proxy in place. That's why he didn't withdraw before the election, which would have handed it to the non-Sepp-friendly prince.

Makes sense.

[Napoleon]

^^

NY Times says per the organizations rules they cannot hold the vote until at least 4 months passes (they say its likely the vote will take place December 2015 to March of 2016) and also that the Feds have confirmed that Blatter is a focus of the investigation and they are hoping to work their way up to him using the people they have indicted.

[Insomniac]

I have heard nothing regarding the second one yet but this morning a story broke that his top aid has been tied to a $10m wire transfer used for bribes and the UEFA (European Football) was said to be meeting on Friday to discuss holding their own World Cup in lieu of participating in FIFA's. The thought was Brazil and Argentina would go along with it.

Article on just that topic: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-to-break-fifa/

[dando]

FBI probing 2018 and 2022 bids. **** with Putin on 2018 and he could go nuclear. :eek:

[TravelGal]

He was just re-elected.

And, poof, he's gone.

[dando]

A rather lengthy by the NY Times with a bunch of details.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/sports/soccer/sepp-blatter-to-resign-as-fifa-president.html

[Insomniac]

FBI probing 2018 and 2022 bids. **** with Putin on 2018 and he could go nuclear. :eek:

The DOJ/FBI can't make them change that IMO. It's going to be on FIFA to change it, or the Countries decided to go it on their own.

[chop456]

Russia and Qatar may have had to pay bribes to secure their World Cups, Sepp Blatter's former special advisor has suggested. (http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/33044932)

No....WAY! :gomer:

[chop456]

FIFA Bans Blazer for Life (http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/33458803)

Apparently he couldn't be trusted to keep a secret. :laugh:

[WickerBill]

"Wow, there's a big surprise. I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die from that surprise." -- Iago



FIFA is ridiculous. At least Blazer did something constructive, unlike the guy who got fired for making a joke about Blatter in a police car.

[dando]

FIFA has an ethics committee? :rofl: :D

[chop456]

First extradition! :)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33550207

[chop456]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34787547

</goaheadandgiveittome>

[TravelGal]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34787547

</goaheadandgiveittome>

Without commenting on the FIFA particulars, I have to say that there is no such thing as a "small emotional breakdown." It's like being "a little bit pregnant." You are broken or you are not just as you are pregnant or you are not. People, in general, do not give nearly enough importance to mental health.

[cameraman]

Without commenting on the FIFA particulars, I have to say that there is no such thing as a "small emotional breakdown." It's like being "a little bit pregnant." You are broken or you are not just as you are pregnant or you are not. People, in general, do not give nearly enough importance to mental health.

Or your ego is making it hard for you to accept the fact that you have been caught. It isn't a true breakdown.

[chop456]

I am shocked. SHOCKED! :gomer:


Former Uefa president Michel Platini has been detained and questioned by French police over the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, according to news agency Reuters.

Prosecutors are investigating suspected corruption and bribery.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48673461