Football News: FIFA And Corruption Go Hand In Hand

Was anyone really surprised by the statement from the US Attorney General about how FIFA has a culture of systemic corruption? We all knew that it was going on, it was just waiting for someone to actually bring out proof.

The only real surprises were that it was the USA, the country that has least bothered about football over the years, that have taken action and that the Swiss authorities, who are well known for sweeping things under the carpet, have backed them.

Hopefully, now that one man, Chuck Blazer, has turned state's evidence and been part of a sting operation by the FBI, who wiretapped him in meetings with other FIFA officials, more will decide to spill the beans and we will get a fuller picture of what has been going on.

Even before the blatantly corrupt votes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, there have been numerous signs that FIFA was dodgy. Every man and his dog knew Jack Warner was up to no good with the media rights, yet he managed to bluster his way through it all.

Sadly there is no chance that the 2018 World Cup voting will be ripped up and Russia lose that particular event. That has already been dealt with, in FIFA's inimitable way, and a few gifts given back, but nothing else changed.

The only real remaining issues are the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the position of Sepp Blatter. Both are clearly in an untenable position, but it looks like FIFA, in their arrogance, are going to try and carry on regardless, refusing to budge on either.

No one at FIFA cares about all the migrant workers and how they are treated so badly by the Qataris, nor how many of them will have died to create the stadiums for their showpiece tournament. They have their bribes to look the other way, and they will continue to do so as long as possible.

Blatter is the one all this stems from, it is his regime that took Joao Havelange's corrupt regime to a whole new level, while maintaining just enough distance to claim it is nothing to do with him, honest guv.

Sorry Sepp, but, even if you truly were ignorant of all these goings on right under your nose, then you should be removed for being completely incompetent. There is no excuse for being the head of FIFA and not knowing what was happening.

Sadly the teflon man running it all will no doubt manage to avoid any kind of censure, in fact he will no doubt continue to try and claim the credit for the investigation, like FIFA's spokesperson tried to do yesterday. We can but hope this is the end for Blatter.

Written by Tris Burke May 28 2015 09:41:45