As many of you know, I have been a long critic of the corrupt history of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and its sleazy leadership. For years, many have called for FIFA officials to end their global reputation as corrupt and self-dealing. They showed utter contempt for such calls and investigation. It was not until the United States worked with other countries to arrest top officials that FIFA fessed up to its problems. However, it did not take long for FIFA to go back to its old ways. It has now made future corruption scandals less likely not by the implementation of new rules allowing the punishment of those who “defame” FIFA officials or the organization. Indeed, the word “corruption” is no longer in the code of ethics. Moreover, bribes and other violations kept secret for ten years will be essentially wiped clean for purposes of prosecution.
The new rules would have allowed FIFA president Infantino to effectively sanction his accusers.
Moreover, FIFA has now effectively declared that corrupt practices detailed from over ten years ago will no longer prosecuted. Section 12.1 states, “Bribery, misappropriation of funds and manipulation of football matches or competitions may no longer be prosecuted after a lapse of ten years.” Why? This is not a criminal prosecution but an internal process to address corrupt practices.
The result is that corrupt acts will just disappear while whistleblowers can be prosecuted by FIFA. That is called Ethics – FIFA Style.
Put FIFA and the IOC in the ring and let them battle it out for the title of most corrupt. Roger Goodell and the amateurs at the NFL office have much to learn from even the loser.
Doubtmeister – do you suppose they offer master classes for those that want to become more corrupt, like the NFL?
Reblogged this on The Secular Jurist.
Sports, at a certain level becomes all about money, because life is all about money. There is no way it makes any sense at all to have a World Cup in Qatar. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc couldn’t collectively put together a second rate team. However they have the money to build the facilities. The African countries that do produce the players that are fast becoming a substantial source of talent, don’t have the money. Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, and other African countries are fielding players and teams of World Cup levels. But, none of these countries could host a World Cup. It wasn’t this logic that got Qatar the World Cup but the money and the logic. Along with this comes a certain degree of corruption, pay offs, bribes, etc. It goes with the territory of power and money. The Catholic Church is the same; money and power determines that a pedophile priest gets fired instead of jailed. American politics is the same-money determines who gets elected as money determines who gets a shot at being elected.
It’s always good to have someone to point at to take the focus off. FIFA is a convenient distraction. The reality that keeps being missed here is that FIFA is just soccer, not integral to the life of the ‘everyman’. The Catholic Church is integral to the nightmares of thousands of kids. The oligarchy that is the US system of government is integral to almost all Americans. But, hey, those damm commies, progressives, alt rights, conservatives…..
Brilliant! It’s the opposite approach that was taken with the Lunch Ladies story. What could possibly go wrong.
Kinda like the Catholic Church. It’s an internal matter and the Pope is not happy. Wow, coming down heavy, not happy.
issac – this has happened in school systems, too. You get the teacher to quit, agree to give them a recommendation and then move the problem to another school. I have seen it happen a couple of times.
And they wonder why soccer is not popular in the US.
PAUL:
Oh it’s the coming sport we’ll all be playing — since 1973. Viva Kyle Rote, Jr.!
Corruption seems a taint attached to power.
Dissappointed in FIFA but imagine the hay Monty Python could have made of it. They could have done a skit on the inevitable decline of soccer/futbal into a Thunderdome blood sport with pirates betting, doping, and threatening the players.
FIFA or the 7th Floor?