This interesting post is by our friend Sav.
My first memories of ‘the world cup’ are from 1990.
To this date I am not sure if its a ‘real’ memory, or one of those you imagine you had by piecing together what you were told of the events that transpired. As I was only 4 years of age, the details are vague regardless.
Well the stage was set.
World Cup Final.
West Germany vs Argentina. A rematch to boot!
My father and his brothers were watching the match with such an intensity as I had not yet seen in men. They were literally on the edge or over the top of their seats, barely able to contain themselves at the prospect of this, football’s golden trophy. And all I wanted to do was watch cartoons. Well, we had one of those old TVs, the ones before remotes – and I edged ever closer, eyes flitting between spectacle and spectator, waiting for my chance to change the channel. My nerve broke and I went for it and changed the channel – only a split second passed and I changed it back as they let out a roar of anguish! I wanted to watch cartoons during the world cup final. To this date I am amazed at my utter lack of perspective.
Well by the time 1994 popped up, I had started to follow football. And by 1998 even I could see that Zidane fellow was quite good. 2002 was during my exams but I remember that goal for Ronaldinho and the final that Brazil won. The last worthy Brazilian side in my opinion. 2006 came and I stood amazed as France somehow did not win. Everyone points to Zidane but the turning point was Viera going off (cramp wasn’t it?) – his driving runs from midfield were opening up the Italians. It was only a matter of time. Bloody football, eh. 2010 finally came and this time I saw Africa host a world cup.
And after you have indulged me with my incoherent rambling, I shall endeavour to get to my point – eventually.
I am a South African by birth and as such I – along with all of Africa – found great pride to see the 2010 World Cup awarded to South Africa. I also found it very interesting. Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022. These appointments only confirmed a trend. A trend it seems started under Havelange and carried on by Blatter.
FIFA is an odd beast. I will admit that I have not gone into in-depth research – but altruism and idealism married to corruption is an odd combination.
I shall outline my contention first and then attempt to show evidence. Basically, I have come to believe that FIFA under Blatter has a specific goal – maybe not the main goal, but specific nonetheless – of integration. Integration of regions into the global fraternity. Getting awarded a world cup does not just affect that particular country – its affects the entire region. National pride, regional pride – but more than that, a sense of ‘we have made it’ – ‘we have arrived’, as it were.
To truly understand why this matters to developing regions requires a history lesson that is not really necessary. It is also a very touchy topic. The gist is that Asia, Africa and the other developing regions were demoralised. There was – and perhaps still is – a very real sense that they were/are not equal to those fortunate enough to be born in western Europe or America (or Canada/NZ/Australia – lets not forget the Commonwealth).
The developing world was and is growing economically but they had need of a morale boost, a way for the everyman (and woman) to feel they belonged in the global community. A question of belonging, of self confidence. Besides FIFA, I do not see a single organisation making any attempt to address this pressing issue that is so important to the future of all humanity.
East Asia got their boost in 2002.
Africa was recognised as being capable in 2010.
Brazil is an emerging an economic power and 2014 confirms that status to their people and perhaps is a message of hope to all South America.
Russia hosting the cup in 2018 is an indication that they belong in Europe and not ostracised – although goodness knows how the recent events in Ukraine effect all that.
And 2022 in Qatar. CORRUPTION!! They bought it!! Complain, complain, complain. What balls does it take to give the world cup to a muslim country in the era of ‘the war on terror’. The Arab world, the Muslim world, has been villified from the shores of the Atlantic to the plains of Pakistan. What does a world cup in Qatar – a stable country amidst an unstable region – say to the region. Surely, a message of hope and of integration and confidence that the region will one day overcome its current strifes.
What’s the point?
Well, I see a trend. Sure, FIFA are looking at expanding markets and building revenue. But what about the people? How do they feel to host a world cup?
In 2002 I was in high school in New Zealand and many of my good friends were from Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore, let alone Indonesia and Thailand. They took immense pride in the Football World Cup being played in east Asia. It was as if they had been accepted into the global fraternity in a very real and tangible way. Shown to be equals in a way that the everyday man and woman on the street could appreciate.
2010 in South Africa was the same. And now Brazil 2014. Although, I daresay Brazil’s organisers have been somewhat the architects of their own demise. But the trend is there. Football as integration. Football as a tool for global equality.
FIFA have previous in these matters. Germany won the world cup against Hungary after WW2. It gave a confidence boost to a demoralised West Germany. Beaten in war, all their young men dead or in a gulag – the country cut in half. How badly did they need a ‘win’, any win?
It would seem that winning the world cup is a great confidence booster for a nation short on confidence. And even being awarded a host of a world cup brings about self confidence for entire continents.
What do you think?
Positively Arsenal 
Nice artical Sav, and in many ways you are right, football, and especially the world cup, brings together communities from across the globe. However, the current social problems in Brazil and the Ukraine also highlight the great devide between the money of football….. and how the majority of the world live.
On a side note, the final 2006……….. the frigging Italians cheated!
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A very good article. Interesting thought.
Mine are that FIFA are a cesspool of corruption and lies. Any benefits are purely accidental.
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George the pedantic
‘A Septic Bladder perhaps’
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Yes, the riots in Brazil at the money spent on the stadiums show how popular the tournament is for the poor of that country. Also, the bent refereeing in South Korea was superb – perhaps should just give the World Cup itself to nations that would ‘get a boost’ from it. Maybe give the FA Cup to plucky little minnows too, with the help of bent refereeing.
Terrible, terrible article in support of one of the most disgustingly corrupt organisations on the planet. Also, the idea that Brazil needs to be ‘accepted into the football fraternity’ is utterly pathetic.
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Great piece Sav
The point you make about the boost of confidence given to a nation by the award of an international sporting event is well made – you could add in the Olympics in Rome and Tokyo in 60 and 64 which signalled both countries reemergence after the destruction of WW2
And for what it is worth I find the incessant whining from the UK media, and plenty of football fans, about the weather in Qatar, and the requirement to hold the competition in Winter, and how the sand is the wrong type, and will I be able to buy a crate of brown ale ?!?! etcetera etcetera etcetera tedious
They play football in Qatar, we are going to play football in Qatar – let’s just get on with it eh
The fly in the ointment is FIFA though – amidst all this international fraternity they bend the knee to tyrants and have at least a 40 year record of backhanders
A new FIFA required
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Ash, I dont think you have read it. However, you have a point.
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Ah right – I’ve got it Ash – the World Cup should only be awarded to countries with no ‘poor people’ who will riot in protest at the government spending their taxes on stadia and tournament infrastructure.
Given the amount of complaints about the cost of the London Olympics clearly England would be unsuitable
– that probably narrows it down to a mere handful of countries, Qatar probably being one of the few who could afford it
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Perhaps Ash was a tad strident in his eagerness to lambast Sav’s post.
However the points he (Ash) makes are valid. Not sure integration or any other such lofty ideals were foremost in Fifa’s delegates minds when they awarded the 2022 competition.
Let’s just hope Qatar’s ruling family receive some, er, much needed “self-confidence”.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/14/qatar-report-migrant-workers-criticizes-treatment-
workers
Hope to enjoy this World Cup (and the next, wherever it’s actually held), whilst being fully aware of the unavoidable stench of inequality and corruption. Still prefer to believe the good it can bring eventually outweighs all the bad stuff.
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Great article, although difficult to argue with what ash says. Firstly Brazil is THE football nation and however much money is poured into the European teams it has proved to be quite literally the dream we all have in our football hearts.
FIFA is corrupt, many of these nations are being exploited by capitalism not helped by it but like the olympics the premise that everyone should have a chance to have their 15 minutes of fame is not a bad one.
Sport has historically healed more wounds than it has cut and so I would say it is more on our everyday morality we should concentrate and try a lift equality generally.
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Well I opened the Human Rights Watch page Harry
There is a lot of Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Libya, Egypt human rights and Tunisians drowning as they try to get to Italy. Australia also gets a mention.
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I agree with Ash and Sav, both.
FUFA, Gazprom, the loans to build WC stadiums. Etc.
=
Politics + Sport.
The two are intertwined. Have been for millennia, no point in denying it. No point pretending that people are wrong to protest in Brazil when in England these past few days people have honoured the generations that fought for the New Deal, celebrations overseen by people who have every publicly made unhidden intention of eradicating that New Deal which shaped the Western World, for the better, in the twentieth century.
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Interesting comments from Luke Shaw on the Arsenal Southampton game (Home). That was a great game game of football. Fascinating tika-tactical tweaks all over the shop by both managers, I think I spotted one where Rosicky and Carzola both sticking more to the touchline for this game…just a guess. A close game even though Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners in the end.
Alongside Kompany and others including Hodgson (who started The Ox in the last tournament) Shaw seems to have more respect for the Gunners then many Groaners.
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Disagree entirely. South America has had it many times before, Japan isn’t an emerging country and Qatar shouldn’t be anywhere near an international tournament.
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What Michael just said.
I see I fudged up that link up with a careless typo. Oh yes.
Indeed it does ‘Coll. Your observational prowess remains undimmed.
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Sav,
A really interesting and complex Post!
To give a response that your Post deserves, it is necessary to separate out the pride people get from being awarded the WC and the process that awards it to deserving countries in the first place.
You would have to work very hard to make me agree with you that FIFA are in any way altruistic.
Do you know what their ‘altruism’ is expected to earn them in holding the WC in Brazil?
FIFA will get £2.6bn out of it — and yes, to avoid misunderstanding, that is two point 6 billion £’s.
They will say the money will go to help impoverished countries, or their FA associations — but the suspicion is that many noses will be in the trough first.
On the other hand, the Brazilian people will take many years to pay off the debts incurred in staging the WC.
The process:
The documents leaked from FIFA’s files, allegedly, show that the Qatar 2022 committee paid at least $5m to key members of the the FIFA committee who were instrumental in voting for that country winning the competition to stage the WC in 2022.
The payments are apparently not disputed, but it is claimed that they were made by someone (an ex vice president of FIFA) who did so in an unofficial capacity. Yeah right.
The country concerned has a population of approximately 2 million, and does not have any footballing infrastructure – hence the building of new air conditioned stadia.
South Africa by comparison has a population of c 51m, and has a well established and thriving football infrastructure. Brazil has a population of 192m and we all know about their footballing credentials. There can be no comparison between these countries, two of whom are hugely populated and represent the hopes and aspirations of two continents.
So what to make of all this?
Well, FIFA are budgeted to make £2.6bn out of the Brazil 2014 WC, whereas Brazil does not appear to be able to afford them, which has been the caused of so many protests.
So perhaps the awarding of the WC to Brazil might seem to be a poisoned chalice to the many Brazilians struggling in the present economic climate.
FIFA have also awarded the WC 2022 to Qatar, a country with a tiny population, and which has no footballing background, by virtue, allegedly, of a corrupt process.
Is that OK? Or is it perhaps ‘whinging’ to question it, as some have said.
If, as some are predicting, fans might well die as a result of the intense heat in the summer, did it come as a surprise to FIFA that it gets hot in the middle east at that time of year?
Well, OK, it seems that FIFA are now belatedly backtracking and saying that they will move the WC to the less hot winter, despite originally making it clear that the timing of the summer WC was not up for discussion.
In summary:
— The Olympics and the World Cup should, of course, be awarded to countries in different parts of the world, so that all are involved in turn, and it obviously engenders national pride, and a sense of achievement.
— However, the WC should not be awarded based on the result of what appears to be a deeply flawed process.
Until a proper independent inquiry is set up, if ever, to establish all the facts, there is an unwholesome odour about what has gone on.
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I think Sav’s personal experience in SA gives him a different perspective which should at least be respected.
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I also find that “will I be able to buy a crate of brown ale” comment quite insulting. I hope Israel qualify by some miracle.
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Have i missed something to be insulted by?
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I respect his opinion and salute him for taking the time to write it. My wife is Japanese and I was there for the WC. They loved it but I live in Vietnam and people here couldn’t give a toss that it was in japan and I imagine the Chinese feel the same.
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You want an insult? This is the argument room. Insults are next door.
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I like Sav, but on this ocassion, I will have to disagree. The FIFA is a corrupt cess pool of old men gone mad with greed. They will screw people over and will even kill the players by playing them in a desert just to get some more dollar bills in their pocket.
I love and support the idea of world cups being hosted in developing countries. A world cup in a new country is an opportunity for football and football infrastructure to develop. However, that is never the case is it?
The way I see it, just like Mansour got bored of playing play station and bought Manchester City, some sheik or his spoilt son wanted to bring football to Qatar. Nothing to do with the development of Qatar. All the shiny buildings in the middle east have been built on slave labour of south asians. How do you imagine the stadiums in Qatar are going to be built? While the royal family will be relaxing in their golden baths, a Bangladeshi or Indian would die from working unprotected in the heat and later his death would be hushed up.
The common wealth games were recently held in my country. A large portion of the money was lost to corruption. The small percentage left was used to build shoddy worthless shit that now lie abandoned. I read an article sometime ago that talked about how many of the African stadiums were not being used after the world cup. Recently, F1 came to India and it was a cash cow for all involved. All the spoilt children(young and middle aged) were besides themselves with excitement and talking of their pride at F1 races happening in India. You just had to look outside the racetrack to say, wtf are you proud about?!
All these big tournaments in developing countries is a mutual opportunity for guys like FIFA, F1 and corrupt governments to swindle a country. A country should sort itself out, atleast on a basic level before being allowed to host a tournament.
However, I did see the joy it brought to all the Africans in 2010, who were oblivious or didnt care about the whoring of football. All they had was pure joy at a world cup being hosted and Ghana being in the quarter finals. I get that, but the long term health of a country has to be prioritised. Football should also be protected from being tools of corruption or play things of bored princes and oligarchs.
The dirty side of football I picture is, princes and oligarchs with money stroking their own ego and men at the top level at FIFA, FA, etc, only eager to please their whims and fancies, agents and players looking for a share of that pie, media too getting in on the act, while the public are told the lie that football is at a better place than ever.
I am glad that all the investigation is going on and sincerely hope that there is a re-vote. Why not the 2022 world cup in USA or Australia? It would help those countries in football terms.
FIFA is acting for too long like it is above the law. I hope some accountability is brought and that barnacle Blatter is removed.
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Interesting comments from those who apparently think only rich and well established football countries should be awarded the World Cup – yes Michael – you
So let’s get this right then – you think Qatar should be nowhere near hosting any international event
Bit too small are they ?
Bit too rich are they ?
Too hot ? Too much sand ?
Bit too Arab maybe ?
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Funny thing is about the mass media wank about Qatar is the fact that little old Russia – that international paragon of moral rectitude in which any suggestion of bribery, double dealing or any other conceivable naughtiness could never be suspected
On the other hand it may be the uk media are just shit scared of Putin ( and all his Uk based media owning oligarchs obviously)
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Sav, your perspective is a bit romanticised and whilst there is that feelgood side to things, there is another side to this coin and it does not have a pretty face. If I wasn’t a lazy so and so and had the time to spare I would seek out an article from the 2010 WC on Untold Arsenal about the way FIFA does it’s business – it is truely shocking.
You make an excellent point anicoll5 – you would not want to be black, gay or any other minority in Russia, but I don’t hear the media here bleating too much about that.
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I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to give events like this to states that lock in homophobia & oppression both of which Russia and Qutar are both guilty of in increasing measure. So gay football fans are told don’t be having sex whilst you follow your teams! Really? Add to that the fact that Quatar is building their infrastructure on the back of slave labour: something true in all the countries in the UAE and you have a very poor reason indeed for awarding it to them…
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Thanks for the comments and a big thank you to George for posting my thoughts.
There are so many good and valid points made that of course there is no way I could gainsay – simply because so much of what you guys are saying is absolutely correct. I suppose I just have a different perspective – but yes, the reality is that much of FIFA is bit darker and there is a lot of corruption going on. Thanks for taking the time to read my long-winded ramblings and respond.
RE: the football
Does anyone else have a sneaking suspicion Croatia may upset Brazil in the opening match? Eduardo to score the winner…
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Thanks for this Sav, and thanks to all for the comments. I got to the article late as spent most of yesterday in A&E – my boy collided with his friend on the trampoline, one of many such trampolining incidents that yesterday’s sun-drenched UK afternoon seemed to engender. But somehow the experience of waiting for so long in the hospital and seeing the parade of different families (all races, shapes and sizes) being tended to with such patience and understanding throws this intriguing and challenging post into relief. Many of the rights and tolerances that are taken for granted in the UK are but dreams for much of the globe, and I sometimes wonder how useful it is for me to apply my value-systems to situations and cultures that are so far removed. One thing I have noticed over the years is the very different attitudes that exist towards bribery and not quite playing by the rules. I know that this World Cup (and indeed every game I see) players will claim throw-ins and corners knowing full well that they aren’t theirs to claim, injuries will be feigned and referees (and results) will be influenced by various nefarious practices. And knowing all of this I will still watch and I will turn a blind eye. I remember being appalled at myself just after the London Olympics, when the UK press was awash with praise for the heroism, nobility and sacrifice of the athletes (very few do nauseating self-righteousness as well as the English) and I realised that I couldn’t wait to see Podolski, Cazorla and Giroud in Arsenal shirts for the first time. So I guess that makes me (although many miles removed) just as complicit in the licensed corruption that unfolds regularly on my TV screen as any bought awarding official, and I am not too sure how I feel about that. And while I am full of sympathy for any who travel to Russia and cannot spice up their football experience with a little bit of how’s your father on the side, then perhaps they can take comfort from the fact that this World Cup (and for as many in the future as I can imagine) there will be precious little (well none at all, to be honest) of that going on in this particular neck of the Berkshire woods.
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SAV
a very nice piece and good theory. However hasn’t the world cup been played in south and central America before? Maybe FIFA is hopscotching and backtracking?
Even if the theory is spot on, the location for the 2022 world cup MUST change. Not only was it bought by bribes but it’s plans to host the big event are a living tragedy. Construction deaths are in the hundreds and increasing daily. Truly a tournament built on blood money and real blood. Add to that the feeling in majority of the world that the high temperatures will be detrimental and maybe deadly to the players and even some fans. If the Qatari’s really want the show piece spectacle let them amend their ways fitting a civilized society with respect to human rights, women’s rights, sex slavery and intolerance to others races and religions and ………….. .
I doubt this will happen as they are very set in their ways no matter how many warnings and ultimatums FIFA send their way.
Even by 2022 nothing will have changed. That goes for all those little kingdoms that were propped up a hundred years ago. If it wasn’t for their powerful friends they would have toppled decades ago.
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THEFA
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GOONERMICHAEL @ 550
hahaha, post of the week mate.
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In view of the lively conversation on here on the topic of FIFA, Qatar and all things corrupt in had to laugh at Matthew Syed’s piece in the Times this morning headlined;
“When FA gets on its high horse over corruption, everyone starts giggling”
And in which the journalist charts the English FA’s toe-curlingly awful efforts to bribe its way to the World Cup award in 2018.
I would post a link but it is behind the paywall.
The closing paragraphs catch the theme though;
“The depressing truth is that football is corrupt from top to bottom. A re-run of the 2022 bid would do nothing except rearrange the deck chairs.
Sepp Blatter must go, the structure reformed and new executives brought in to break the interconnecting network of favours and counter-favours that underpin the entire, stinking edifice. The best start that the FA could make to this process would be to confess its own sins in the hope that others follow suit.”
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Great article, Sav, good to get a different perspective.
I agree that it is a big priority with FIFA to use the awarding of the privilege of hosting the world cup as a means to benefit less developed regions of the world, no question about that. Their reasons are not all idealistic though – they are also interested in more power and money. This mix of motives – idealism and self-interest – is pretty standard when it comes to any major initiative, though.
I also agree that there is evidence of corruption in that organisation, but there is no contradiction in these two views – thieves can love animals or do charity work for disadvantaged children, for example.
Reform is urgently needed, but that would not affect FIFA’s nobler aims.
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That looks like an interesting read, anicoll5.
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falcao’ s replacement issuing threat to greece for world cup group game!
on the fifa thing…the kicked maradona out of football with tons of propaganda and character assasination …fuck pele!
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marco reus close to barca …for 35m euros… puta barca..bertomeu…
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I read this blog everyday but I think I’ve only ever commented once, anyway being a South African I would like to give my two cents.
A lot of the reporting on Fifa and the world cup in Brazil as well as the one in Qatar is a bit partisan or better yet hypocritical. When the Germans where flying Fifa delegates all over the world on private holidays and practically bought the world cup at the time, nobody said a word. Now that Qatar did it everybody is complaining.
Infact prior to the 2010 World Cup there was all this doom & gloom surrounding South Africa, spread by European media about how South Africa is a backward nation with no facilities and there was this constant 2nd fallback option being touted should South Africa fail to host the world cup. I mean some media where advising their fans to get stab-proof vests, ludicrous, as a result some fans decided to opt out of a wonderful tournament that had no incidents. A bit like how the media constantly attacks Arsenal without cause, why they do this I have no idea.
The question in my mind is should the World Cup only go to perfect 1st World countries or is it truly a global showpiece that should go everywhere. Qatar is now on everyone’s lips warts and all. The irony is that this world cup has exposed a lot of things wrong with that country and can force that country to behave according to international norms for a few weeks at least. No other institution can boast that.
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A lot of truth in that, swing.
You also seem to agree with the article anicoll5 quotes from earlier, which asserts that the problem is corruption in football in general, rather than corruption in FIFA or Quatar.
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£21 million spent by the English FA in an attempt to secure the 2018 World Cup
£21 million is really quite a lot of money IMO
And for that huge effort ……roll of drums
Two votes in the first round
And no votes at all in the second round
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I forgot to say this in my earlier comment, this is a great blog with a great assortment of commentators, who have helped him me grow in my football understanding. The articles are always thought-provoking & positive which is refreshing in today’s age.
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This article and the many comments, all of which are very mature by the way, only go to prove where there is money there is corruption. The fact we are talking about football makes no difference and despite what our myopic media says we are not immune. I have said on this site before im sure the PL has been affected but many deny this. The bribery is not really an indictment on the country offering the inducement but rather that of the organization so readily accepting it.
Sport and Governments alike have always ignored human rights so nothing new there.
So really what’s left is the anti football environment that is probably the main reason the venue is causing such angst. We know there are some continents that slow the game down but to bring it and the crowd to a standstill is taking the biscuit.
Its a bit like the bedroom tax everyone knows its immoral but if looks like its bringing in money people ignore it
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Excellent discussion on PA, no less than I would expect on this subject. I think it is perfectly reasonable to have a variety of conflicting thoughts: to feel quite disappointed that Qatar has the WC as an inappropriate site when there might have been many other better Middle Eastern options; believe FIFA is corrupt in its awards of hosting privileges, authoritarian in how it administers them, and completely in the thrall of its corporate sponsors to the economic and social detriment of a host nation’s people; recognize that football is rife with problems and corporate hypocrisy well beyond FIFA; and that a double standard is certainly at work in how the Euro-North American establishment regards African and Asian host countries.
But I can’t argue with the South Africans I have met of multiple races and socio-economic backgrounds who all were very proud of their country hosting the WC, which meant a great deal to them as a symbol of emerging out of Apartheid’s shadow and being accepted and integrated into the world for more than as an object of pity or regret for all their evident economic and social challenges as a nation. It didn’t mean that there weren’t many things to be concerned about or that the money was well spent. Attention needs to be paid to the process and consequences of these events. But a sense of dignity and accomplishment can’t be taken from the people of South Africa. I agree with the policy of circulating the WC and Olympics to parts of the world that haven’t often had the chance. I think there were better options than Qatar (or Russia for that matter), certainly, but some of the carping strikes me as suspect.
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fifa is corrupt. we all know that.
there is poverty and corruption in africa. slave labour, corruption and oppression in asia. poverty in south america. corruption and communism and racism in russia.
only the west then can host the world cup. let every other part of the world come to europe and united states evry four years to play football in the name of world cup and also learn the best way of life.
italy is corruption free as we also know there is no racism in rome.
there is no oppression in america and security is 100% guaranteed.
no curruption in uk and all that happen in premiership are no corruption but honest mistakes by official and pgmol. john terry is no racist but suares is. its wrong for the russian to use their money to bring the biggest football tournament to their country but its ok for them to use it to buy clubs in england and help develop their infrastucture.
what about the weather? every other part of the world have to condition their weather to that of europe to be able to feel the part of the world right? like africa need to change their nation cup to summer if they want clubs in europe to release their players. we talk about slave labour now forgeting that africans were forced out of their countries in chains to work and serve in europe and america without pay, yet world cup was held in europe. and many centuries after, no compensation by the super nation to help build what they destroyed.
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Despite the enjoyment and joy that football brings to people throughout the planet………….. the world is truly fucked up.
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Layksite, Good post. I love a bit of mocking sarcasm.
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Nice piece Sav. While I understand and agree with some of the criticism I don’t think you are all wrong in your assessment either. I think it’s common for men and women in power to want to leave a mark during their short reign, something positive to be remembered for in the history books. So for me it’s not inconceivable that blatters presidency can be both corrupt and visionary at same time.
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HA! this is getting way too serious…. of course sports and circuses like the world cup and olympics are given to ‘promote’ economies or help others join the group….
you want my take? millions took the streets to celebrate euro2004……yet its only a couple of thousands taking the streets when governments and corrupt politicians fuck up our lives….
are these circuses to keep us in the cocoon? of course they are. you want something different? is there a leader to cause the revolution? do you see anything? i dont…… money = sugar.
so until some bad ass motha-leader decides to bring down the system of ca(p)nnib(t)alism ill keep colelcting paninis and getting my sports fix ..only i have chosen that the best fix is wenger’s..
who said it in here?…’we know they are in our pockets’ …we know they take advantage of our psychological attachment to our clubs..they know we will move mountains to watch our football/rugby/basketball/ice skating/baseball/superbowl/euroleague/nba/ashes etc etc
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opinion: the world cup can travel around but as for the olympics though..they are sacred part of our culture and history and they should always be staged at their original home…if only we had a leader to tell coca cola, nike and the rest to fuck off…the americans made us spent 4 fucking billion for their bloody zepellin surveilance system ….wish we had a leader to tell them “arent you at war together with uk in the middle east? nations engaged in war dont take part in a peaceful event as olympics, you are disqualified so take your zepellin and shove it up your arse, we d rather use the 4 billion to build villas with swimming pools and maybe a school if theres any change….” 🙂
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layksite
June 10, 2014 at 9:49 am
i know it sucks dude …but the western system won ages ago and the world follows suit….if you think about it all the time you will suffer..you cant beat them…only if putin and china decide to send us back to prehistoric times but…would they really do that? do we want it? i dont….. i dont exactly love capitalism or the corrupt ethos it creates in humans but it allows me to do pretty much what i want….as well as the liberty of choice and how i want to do it.
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I read elsewhere that ‘Wenger may have started seeing the light’….really NB1969? Did he get any help from you?
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hunter
all i want is for us to separate football from politics as much as possible. whenever politicians campaign for votes, they go all length to discredit their opponents. when this same politician are brought to football to help campaign for hosting right, they do the same. using the media to turn the hearts of the innocent fans against their rivals. wweather, corruption, racism, poor road network, hotel accomodation, security, small population, too large population, mosquitoes, malaria, vuvuzela …
football is round. it has no edge. rolls anywhere. let it go round without polician taking advantage of it. i can confidently say even without being in brazil, that the protests we see and hear every time are instigated by politicians just to discredit their rivals.
corruption or any other ills in brazil or any part of the world can not be expected to be cured by fifa or football all by itself.
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