Posts Tagged ‘FIFA’

Break down the Berlin Wall at FIFA

02/06/2011, 02:00:16 PM

by Jonathan Todd

What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you use it? To whom are you accountable? How do we get rid of you?

Tony Benn wants these questions to be put to any powerful person. If Sepp Blatter retains any self-awareness whatsoever, which is doubtful, then he must cringe to have these questions applied to him.

He has great power as the president of football’s global governing body, FIFA. Following the “temporary exclusion” by FIFA’s ethics committee from football posts of Mohamed Bin Hammam, who was challenging Blatter for this post, he was yesterday re-elected, unopposed, for another four year term. The coronation of Blatter came from a body that has seen nine of its 24 executive committee members accused of corruption in recent months. While FIFA’s motto is “for the game, for the world”, the power bestowed in Blatter may not always further such high-minded ends. He seems accountable only to the executive committee, who exclusively appear able to remove the man in charge of a game loved with passion by billions.

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On FIFA, Cameron is our leader

05/12/2010, 10:02:09 AM

By Dan McCurry

Before the FIFA announcement I would have agreed with Ken Livingstone that it would be better to put off the Panorama broadcast until after the vote. There is corruption in the world and we do our bit to discourage it. But it is probably a bit too much to ask us to be martyrs for the cause. I am sure you agree.

But how do you feel since the vote? How do you feel since they taught us a good lesson? Do you feel chastised?

Having had your wrists slapped by FIFA, do you feel sufficiently regretful? Perhaps we should apologise to them? Admit that we were wrong to allow the BBC to behave in such an adversely critical manner to the good people of FIFA? Perhaps we should promise never to do it again? Do you think so?

I do not.

Do you want to know what I feel? I’ll tell you: how dare they? How dare they treat us with that sheer contempt?

Do they think we should go away with our tails between our legs, having learnt our lesson? Do they think we should be humbled? Harried? Humiliated?

I am with David Cameron on this. I am a Labour bloke, but political parties do not come into it on this occasion. As far as I am concerned, when I saw him humiliated, I felt humiliated. I felt my country humiliated. I felt every British citizen had been humiliated.

And that was the point. They wanted to punish us for the audacity of exposing their corruption. As if we were arrogant to believe that it was for us, the pompous British, to condemn theft: the stealing of money. Because that is what corruption is. Pure and simple.  And for that – that very same bunch of thieves should teach try and teach us a lesson?

Well I say this: I am with you, Cameron.

I am with you and so is the whole of the Labour party. Every MP, councillor and party member. We are with you on this all the way. You are the leader and we look towards you. So now that we have been publicly humiliated in front of the whole world, show us what you are going do about it.

Come on, prime minister. We are waiting and we want to know.

Dan McCurry blogs here.

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