Official FIFA atrocity World Cup thread

[fishfoodie]

The lads who did the Black Power salute where sanctioned but still did it. Norman the Aussie was shunned on his return home but he supported it. Why? Strength of character. All the footballers look like massive knickers now. They were already preening over paid nobs but this is pretty funny still

Beckham should never be forgiven for his disgustingly mercenary behaviour.

How much money is enough David ?

[Paddington Bear]

Conflating what Iran did with what England, Wales et al won’t do is silly. Iran is in crisis and they can have some effect on it. Wearing an armband won’t change the status of gay rights in Qatar, or end their practice of indentured servitude, or stop them killing migrant workers in construction projects etc etc. why? Because they’re wealthy and possess resources the west needs. So we can moan all we like but this was inevitable from the moment they got the tournament. Don’t like it? Boycott it. Anything else is self congratulatory rubbish IMHO

I think this is missing the point, wilfully or otherwise.

We have all the European countries (by the way, just to note, I said European, not English in my first post) wailing about how terrible it all is and how much they support LBGT, women, migrant workers etc, then they get told they might get a fucking yellow card and crumple like a cheap suit.

Then you have a bunch of guys at a global tournament, being beamed live to a global audience, making a stand against a government who may well imprison, torture and kill them, not to mention their families who are currently in that country. That's the point and the difference

I don't think we completely disagree. I've sat on enough conference calls that pivot from EDI, respect for human rights and what charity we're supporting into 'how are we going to close the Aramco bid' to be somewhat immune and very cynical about any moral stand made by western corporations (and these FAs are corporations). The various European FAs are morally bankrupt and have left people like Kane out to dry, as they always were going to.

[inactionman]

Sadly the FAs aren't blameless, & can't just lay the whole farce at FIFA's feet, & pretend they don't benefit.

This was in 2014.

As if to remind us all of the delicious irony, on the eve of Friday's summit, it was revealed that senior Fifa officials - along with national association chiefs such as Football Association chairman Greg Dyke - had accepted gifts of £16,000 luxury watches in goodie-bags given to them by the Brazilian FA during the World Cup, a clear breach of Fifa's code of ethics.

There was more. We also learned that the world governing body's secretary general, Jerome Valcke, had intended for each Fifa executive committee member to be given a further two watches, this time from a sponsor, but had to be told by his own ethics committee that this would also constitute a breach of the rules. Shouldn't he have known?

Whether officials were merely ignorant of the standards they have to adhere to, or just chose to ignore them, is unclear. Either way, it was the last thing Fifa needed. Dyke, meanwhile, has said he would hand back his watch.

....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/29284867

FIFA itself is a rigged game anyway; in the name of Democracy, it gives all 211 of the National delegates, the same vote; so when it comes time to hand out a World Cup, the delegate from, say Malta, or Northern Ireland, gets one vote; same as the delegates from the US, or China, or the UK.

Now it might take more than a Hublot watch to secure the vote of some delegates, but when there's always been a culture of bribes being tolerated by the FA, & all the other associations, it was obvious to any Country that wanted to host the World Cup, how they could secure enough votes. Russia & Qatar spunked enormous amounts of money on hosting the event, the money required to bribe enough delegates is laughable in comparison.

The allegations levelled against the FA were laughable in the context of general FIFA behaviour (many of those at FIFA are now imprisoned which should help put it in context), and were clearly intended to discredit the criticisms the FA were raising against the host selection process.

Ironically, given where the 2108 WC went, it's actually the Putin approach - accuse your critics of doing exactly what you're doing, loudly, and focus upon the slightest element of malfeasance. 'Ukraine executed 10 prisoners of war' whilst his own troops slaughter tens of thousands. 'England accepted a gift of some watches' whilst FIFA accepts tens of millions in bribes from despots.

[Paddington Bear]

Wales wait a lifetime to make a world cup and then sit behind the ball failing to string passes together like they’re clinging on to their football league status

[Jim Lahey]

Wales wait a lifetime to make a world cup and then sit behind the ball failing to string passes together like they’re clinging on to their football league status

They'll be dangerous on the break. . . But they need to make sure they aren't 3 down by they time they actually find a red shirt with a pass.

[Jim Lahey]

Game on. Fancy Wales to go on and get the winner now.

Who was the Welsh chav playing left wing that got subbed? Serious attitude problem.

[Hugo]

Fark me, he’s actually trotted out this lefty garbage.

“I think for what we Europeans have been doing the last 3,000 years we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.”

What a fuckstain.

Well, its less than 100 years since Europe pulled the rest of the world into the bloodiest conflict in human history after century upon century of constant conflict. This, after spending the prior 2-3 centuries colonising everything in sight.

Factor in what the west has done SINCE WWII - deposed a democratically elected leader in Iran, invaded Iraq under false pretences, the atrocities in Vietnam, Algeria & Kenya supporting apartheid, backed the military juntas in Latin America and so on.

Remember when Argentina hosted & won the 1978 World Cup they were a fascist regime that enjoyed the full support of the US.

[Slick]

I do like how Bale never berates any of his team when they are not as good as him

[Blackmac]

Incredible amount of injury time being played in all these games. Was in 24 minutes in total for the England game.

[Jim Lahey]

This group is going to boil down to who puts the most goals past Iran. Both of these teams will get beaten comfortably by England.

[Paddington Bear]

Wales have done well to stick in that after the start they had. Commentary was predictably farcical, I half expected Sam Warburton to pop up and say Gareth Bale should be picked for the Lions

[Slick]

Wales have done well to stick in that after the start they had. Commentary was predictably farcical, I half expected Sam Warburton to pop up and say Gareth Bale should be picked for the Lions

Who was the Welsh guy? He was hilarious

[C69]

Wales have done well to stick in that after the start they had. Commentary was predictably farcical, I half expected Sam Warburton to pop up and say Gareth Bale should be picked for the Lions

Wow you are so clever. Stop being childish ffs there is no audience to play to

[inactionman]

Wales have done well to stick in that after the start they had. Commentary was predictably farcical, I half expected Sam Warburton to pop up and say Gareth Bale should be picked for the Lions

Wow you are so clever. Stop being childish ffs there is no audience to play to

Eh?

If it wasn't in Qatar I'd say Big Fat Johnny Hartson was drunk.

[Paddington Bear]

Wales have done well to stick in that after the start they had. Commentary was predictably farcical, I half expected Sam Warburton to pop up and say Gareth Bale should be picked for the Lions

Wow you are so clever. Stop being childish ffs there is no audience to play to

Strange comment, keep up the good work

[C69]

Wales have done well to stick in that after the start they had. Commentary was predictably farcical, I half expected Sam Warburton to pop up and say Gareth Bale should be picked for the Lions

Wow you are so clever. Stop being childish ffs there is no audience to play to

Strange comment, keep up the good work

You really don't realise ?

[Jim Lahey]

Kieffer Moore seems a classy player. Wtf was he not on from the start? Wales were a million times better with him as a target man up front.

This false 9 bollocks is shit. Get a big motherfucker up front to piss off the opponent's centre halves ffs.

[GogLais]

Any thoughts on the non-wearing of the armband? I think once they’ve gone there, they’ve got to try and get as far as they can so it was justified, however much it sticks in the throat,

[sockwithaticket]

Any thoughts on the non-wearing of the armband? I think once they’ve gone there, they’ve got to try and get as far as they can so it was justified, however much it sticks in the throat,

If they cared that much, they wouldn't have gone in the first place. Prominent teams actually boycotting the tournament would mean far more than being their wearing an armband. The shallowness of their commitment has been confirmed by ditching the armbands at the threat of yellow cards.

Then again, it's easy for me to be sanctimonious because I have little interest in football and probably wouldn't have watched much of the tournament even if it was somewhere considerably less objectionable than Qatar. As it is I'll be watching none of it.

[GogLais]

Any thoughts on the non-wearing of the armband? I think once they’ve gone there, they’ve got to try and get as far as they can so it was justified, however much it sticks in the throat,

If they cared that much, they wouldn't have gone in the first place. Prominent teams actually boycotting the tournament would mean far more than being their wearing an armband. The shallowness of their commitment has been confirmed by ditching the armbands at the threat of yellow cards.

Then again, it's easy for me to be sanctimonious because I have little interest in football and probably wouldn't have watched much of the tournament even if it was somewhere considerably less objectionable than Qatar. As it is I'll be watching none of it.

Just struck me - I wonder who made the decision - it shouldn’t have been left to the players. I know there’s the big question of whether the FWC should have gone to Qatar but the ramifications of walking away the day before the first match would be enormous so I understand why they didn’t do so.

[inactionman]

Any thoughts on the non-wearing of the armband? I think once they’ve gone there, they’ve got to try and get as far as they can so it was justified, however much it sticks in the throat,

If they cared that much, they wouldn't have gone in the first place. Prominent teams actually boycotting the tournament would mean far more than being their wearing an armband. The shallowness of their commitment has been confirmed by ditching the armbands at the threat of yellow cards.

Then again, it's easy for me to be sanctimonious because I have little interest in football and probably wouldn't have watched much of the tournament even if it was somewhere considerably less objectionable than Qatar. As it is I'll be watching none of it.

Just struck me - I wonder who made the decision - it shouldn’t have been left to the players. I know there’s the big question of whether the FWC should have gone to Qatar but the ramifications of walking away the day before the first match would be enormous so I understand why they didn’t do so.

FIFA remains the overriding problem.

It couldn't care less who it deals with, along as the money - either legitimate or handed over in brown paper bags - is right.

This armband thing really is a distraction, and it's asking the wrong people to make what is ultimately quite a trite gesture (in the sense of having negligible tangible impact upon Qatar's policies) at completely the wrong level.

The World Cup shouldn't be there, it's really that simple, and that is squarely on FIFA. Too many people have died or been exploited (and continue to be exploited), all for the benefit of a tiny set of people. If reports are to be believed, and I believe them, 6,500 migrant worker deaths and untold misery for the others just so we can watch some people kick a bag of air around a field for 90 minutes. The problem seems to be we're expecting associations and players to make the moral call, in which case they'll just be substituted out with no real net impact on the situation of migrant workers or gay people in Qatar - and I would expect (for example) any FA administrator who makes such a call would be escorted out of Lancaster Gate within minutes.

I suppose what I'm wittering on about is we really need action on FIFA to stop crap like this occurring again, not gesture once it's all too late. Which I appreciate sounds straightforward written on a forum, and not so easy to do in real life, but the national associations do have some autonomy to act (if enough can be persuaded, although it seems sometimes a case of 'every union for itself'), and the sponsors will certainly listen to public opinion.

I'm in danger of repeating myself on this thread so I'll stop now - in my defence, my first sport was football and I have many happy memories of going with my dad, and these are being corrupted. I'm just gutted for where it is now and I'm plenty pissed off with the levels of self-interest, corruption and greed across the board.

[Jim Lahey]

Has there ever been talk of a split in FIFA to a splinter group?

Like what Trump tried to do with the NFL back in the 80s, but without a massive karnt in charge?

Obviously the Euro Super League didn't work for club sides but FIFA is clearly broken. A face lift might result in welcome changes for a few years but if its the organisation's structures that are the problem then it needs gutted.

[inactionman]

Has there ever been talk of a split in FIFA to a splinter group?

Like what Trump tried to do with the NFL back in the 80s, but without a massive karnt in charge?

Obviously the Euro Super League didn't work for club sides but FIFA is clearly broken. A face lift might result in welcome changes for a few years but if its the organisation's structures that are the problem then it needs gutted.

I'll admit I'm not sure how UEFA links to FIFA - one is Europe, one global - but not sure where lines of reporting, voting etc fit. Could the continental associations replace FIFA with something else?

[sturginho]

FIFA is properly despotic when it comes to dealing with dissent from national associations

[Torquemada 1420]

Conflating what Iran did with what England, Wales et al won’t do is silly. Iran is in crisis and they can have some effect on it. Wearing an armband won’t change the status of gay rights in Qatar, or end their practice of indentured servitude, or stop them killing migrant workers in construction projects etc etc. why? Because they’re wealthy and possess resources the west needs. So we can moan all we like but this was inevitable from the moment they got the tournament. Don’t like it? Boycott it. Anything else is self congratulatory rubbish IMHO

100%. Bored of all the posturing. If you are there, you are supporting the regime. End of.

[sturginho]

So, bit of a shock result this morning

[Thor Sedan]

I am no fan of Saudi Arabia as a country.....but....seeing the diving primadonnas go down in defeat to a country outside the top 50 gives me much glee.

[Uncle fester]

Has there ever been talk of a split in FIFA to a splinter group?

Like what Trump tried to do with the NFL back in the 80s, but without a massive karnt in charge?

Obviously the Euro Super League didn't work for club sides but FIFA is clearly broken. A face lift might result in welcome changes for a few years but if its the organisation's structures that are the problem then it needs gutted.

I'll admit I'm not sure how UEFA links to FIFA - one is Europe, one global - but not sure where lines of reporting, voting etc fit. Could the continental associations replace FIFA with something else?

It's one of the reasons why the Sepp's of the world go out of their way to court the FA's in non-european countries. Once they have their votes, they can override the concerns of euro countries.

[fishfoodie]

I am no fan of Saudi Arabia as a country.....but....seeing the diving primadonnas go down in defeat to a country outside the top 50 gives me much glee.

The hosts of the 2030 version of this farce

[Uncle fester]

So Messi getting a head start on disappointing at yet another world cup?

[Biffer]

One of the interesting things about the way football is run is FIFA can’t change the rules on their own.

[GogLais]

So, bit of a shock result this morning

Makes losing to Georgia feel a bit better,

[inactionman]

Inactionman the 6500 dead is bollox. That was all the migrant workers who died. The actual workplace accidents was fuck all. Look they are dodgy on the gay front and women working front but the deaths was nonsense. Concentrating on the conditions the workers lived would have been more uncomfortable.

Worth a gander at this:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng ... ral-causes

I'm not basing my opinion on a cartoon, but it highlights the nonsense that the Qataris are getting away with in ascribing migrant worker deaths to natural causes.

We'll never know precise numbers or the root causes because they're too numerous/aren't considered worthy enough to be investigated.

[Slick]

This Mbappe is decent

[Torquemada 1420]

Interesting to see FIFA lying about carbon neutrality when this will actually be the worst carbon contributing sporting event in human history.

[Uncle fester]

I know a lad from college who is trustworthy on this and says its bollox. Said if there was a slew of deaths there would have been massive attention on it. He was saying the deaths thing has all Qataris pissed off including the cool young ones

Cop yourself on. They are making fans stay in awful conditions in portacabins so imagine what they are doing with the workers.

[fishfoodie]

I know a lad from college who is trustworthy on this and says its bollox. Said if there was a slew of deaths there would have been massive attention on it. He was saying the deaths thing has all Qataris pissed off including the cool young ones

Cop yourself on. They are making fans stay in awful conditions in portacabins so imagine what they are doing with the workers.

You don't need to imagine, you can see them, & you can see what happens when they get caught lying about those conditions.

[Biffer]

I know a lad from college who is trustworthy on this and says its bollox. Said if there was a slew of deaths there would have been massive attention on it. He was saying the deaths thing has all Qataris pissed off including the cool young ones

A lad from college?

OK then, we'll all accept that.

[Blackmac]

England fans surprised that Qataris are upset by their crusader outfits.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -stir.html

I'd be quite happy if the local police found some way to lock these boorish twats up for a few months.

[Biffer]

England fans surprised that Qataris are upset by their crusader outfits.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -stir.html

I'd be quite happy if the local police found some way to lock these boorish twats up for a few months.

Fuck me, have they actually taken Crusader outfits to the Middle East?