Sepp Blatter Resigns From FIFA Presidency

[The Year Of The Fox]

The time to boycott FIFA surely has to be now with the next WC being 3 years away?

[Phube]

You just know Blatter will somehow escape any mud sliging...

[Jaspa]

Theyve been charged under RICO(Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations) law, the same stuff they use against Mafia and the like.

 

Surely the vote has to be postponed now

[kingcarr21]

This must SURELY be the end of Blatter regardless if he isnt 'involved' in these charges. If the election goes ahead (which i think is ridiculous) then who in their right mind would vote Blatter.

 

People i spoke to yesterday dont quite grasp how big a story this is. Sponsors have now come out showing there concerns. Tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day

[Footballwipe]

Quite simply, UEFA are the only real beacon of hope for this sorry mess. If they don't make a robust stand then Blatter is in until he's dead.

 

This is damaging, no doubt about that, but the blind faith at the top won't budge if they don't have to. This is an organisation and they're only answerable to the major people who fund FIFA. Sponsors. Some of the statements so far have been tepid; Visa's statement has been more robust today but I'd just expect Russian and Qatari corporations to fill the void vacated by any sponsor who left, so I'm not sure they'd make the impact overall.

 

UEFA though, there's your answer. The continential assiciation which holds the best teams, the biggest names, the biggest clubs and the majority of the power. If UEFA state they won't partake in the next World Cup (minus Russia of course) then Blatter is doomed, because the other confederations know UEFA is needed to make a World Cup so successful. You can also guarantee if UEFA pulled out then USA and Australia would follow.

 

It's time for confederations and individual nations to become the kingmakers in this, not just the sponsors. It's time for them to rectify the stupid belief they had in Blatter and this organisation all along. If UEFA don't come out with a stance that is strong, radical and game changing (i.e pull out of the World Cup 2018 altogether, not just postpone the election) then I honestly believe the only way we'll see Blatter no longer president of FIFA is when he's in a coffin.

 

And of course it's worth noting that if Blatter had stuck by his word in 2011 and not stood for president this time his cushy corrupt mates (seeing as he's somehow managed to keep his hands clean) would probably have got away with this.What a greedy idiot.

 

FIFA needs to be ripped apart. The old rotund men in charge need throwing out from every federation in the World, including Dyke. Bring in ex-players with a brain, successful people from the business sector, combine the football knowledge and business talents to create a strong, stable and corrupt free FIFA. Ensure the 18 and 22 World Cups are re-run fairly, make sure they're awarded to the DESERVING winner and for god sake never let anything like this happen ever again. (and wake up Footballwipe, wake up  )

[stripeyfox]

Wonder how many bribes the americans have been involved in with the olympic committee over the years. 

 

I think it is generally acknowledged that the Atlanta games and the Salt Lake City Winter games were awarded to those cities on the back of extremely corrupt practices. I think the IOC has cleaned up their act a bit since then though.

 

FIFA is rotten to the core, and the national FA's of many countries have benefited from a share of the spoils to keep them onside, which is probably why so few of them will come out an openly criticise Blatter, or depose him. The awarding of the World Cup to Qatar was the ultimate pinnacle in corruption.

[Merging Cultures]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32914907

 

Dyke says the vote should go ahead and that Blatter needs to go.

 

In my opinion, there needs to be a new race, with additional candidates. It seems it is just the Jordanian chap and Blatter as options at the moment. I think they should postpone.

[leicsmac]

I think it is generally acknowledged that the Atlanta games and the Salt Lake City Winter games were awarded to those cities on the back of extremely corrupt practices. I think the IOC has cleaned up their act a bit since then though.

 

FIFA is rotten to the core, and the national FA's of many countries have benefited from a share of the spoils to keep them onside, which is probably why so few of them will come out an openly criticise Blatter, or depose him. The awarding of the World Cup to Qatar was the ultimate pinnacle in corruption.

 

This. 

 

The SLC fiasco forced the IOC to clean up their act. Hopefully what is going on now will force FIFA to do the same.

[davieG]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32914907

 

Dyke says the vote should go ahead and that Blatter needs to go.

 

In my opinion, there needs to be a new race, with additional candidates. It seems it is just the Jordanian chap and Blatter as options at the moment. I think they should postpone.

Surely there's a better chance of ousting him if there's only one alternative, having said that it should be postponed and an interim person put in until it's clearer re the accusations.

[kingcarr21]

No surprise Putin backs Blatter. Wonder what Putin had to do to get the World cup 2018.

[Babylon]

This must SURELY be the end of Blatter regardless if he isnt 'involved' in these charges. If the election goes ahead (which i think is ridiculous) then who in their right mind would vote Blatter.

All the others on the gravy train, keep him in power and you know you get zero cooperation from FIFA into stuff like this. Get rid of him and you potentially open the flood gates.

[kingcarr21]

All the others on the gravy train, keep him in power and you know you get zero cooperation from FIFA into stuff like this. Get rid of him and you potentially open the flood gates.

sack the whole lot  . I can only see one outcome tomorrow. Blatter will never leave even after he is 6 feet under.

[Merging Cultures]

Surely there's a better chance of ousting him if there's only one alternative, having said that it should be postponed and an interim person put in until it's clearer re the accusations.

 

I agree, I think that other candidates dropped out because of Blatter and so that there is just one alternative and so the vote isn't split. But now I think other candidates would have a better chance, and if the investigations draf up enough mud, perhaps Blatter will step down (although he clearly delusional).

[EnderbyFox]

Nice to see Putin pissed off. 

 

Maybe the US should've taken the Putin approach and just invaded FIFA instead of arresting them

[purpleronnie]

The yanks want to take over, run for the hills!!!!!!!!!

[EnderbyFox]

[David Hankey]

FIFA has brought football into disrepute and has courted allegations of malpractice, corruption, bribery and racketeering for years and buck, as with all major organisations, stops with the man at the top.

 

Blatter should have gone years ago but still today he refuses to resign. He obviously has heard or read the quotation; "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely".

 

It really is time for Blatter to go for the betterment of FIFA and football in general.

[Footballwipe]

UEFA not boycotting and Prince Ali is said to have 60 votes outside of Europe. Election will be close.

 

At least we'll know which nations to shame when the vote is revealed.

[Wymsey]

Surely Blatter must be questioned by police authorities, as I think he can without being arrested?* 

 

* not entirely sure

[stripeyfox]

Hopefully, it is just possible that the whole house of cards could come tumbling down very quickly.

[davieG]

UEFA not boycotting and Prince Ali is said to have 60 votes outside of Europe. Election will be close.

 

At least we'll know which nations to shame when the vote is revealed.

Do they actually reveal who votes for whom?

[Guest MattP]

Delighted we finally have some movement to sort this corrupt organisation out, I want to know why 14 men would vote for a World Cup in the Qatari desert in November.

 

What a stain on Europe and South America though this is, the two football powerhouses totally impotent in weeding out this nonsense we all knew that was going on, the fact Africa and Asia were given so much power over the game is quite frankly unbelievable, we needed the Americans to do what we should have done years ago, to say that football can no longer hide behind corruption. I hope the next generation of footballing bodies from our parts of the World have more balls than we did.

 

If Blatter is relected it's time to break away.

[Freesolo]

This article has shocked me its not even close to the 2022 world cup and a sickening amount of people have died building it, more than will play 

http://screamer.deadspin.com/chart-the-qatar-world-cup-death-toll-is-stunning-1707286095

[Guest Bilo]

Delighted we finally have some movement to sort this corrupt organisation out, I want to know why 14 men would vote for a World Cup in the Qatari desert in November.

 

What a stain on Europe and South America though this is, the two football powerhouses totally impotent in weeding out this nonsense we all knew that was going on, the fact Africa and Asia were given so much power over the game is quite frankly unbelievable, we needed the Americans to do what we should have done years ago, to say that football can no longer hide behind corruption. I hope the next generation of footballing bodies from our parts of the World have more balls than we did.

 

If Blatter is relected it's time to break away.

 

I agree with that as the nuclear option. We need to be mindful we're not replacing one corrupt organisation with another, though.

 

It's high time we admitted that the entire structure is rotten and needs, at the very least, radical reform. We can't have an endless procession of money in brown envelopes and lavish gifts being bestowed upon corrupt suits who care nothing for the game. 

It was so obvious that England's was the best bid for 2018 (although the bizarre introduction of Plymouth and Milton Keynes as host cities certainly weakened it) and that Qatar was a farcical suggestion, let alone winner of the bid. When you consider it beat the emerging and potentially huge football markets of Australia and the USA, you realise just what a patently corrupt process it was. 

 

I think there should be a fresh bidding process for 2022 in particular, one that is far more transparent with rules to prevent corruption stringently introduced and enforced. In a fair vote, there's no way Qatar will win. 

I'd probably even go to Australia 2022. Watching England play at the MCG would be pretty golden. 

[Callabinho]

Blatter will survive, He's paid off enough people to make himself untouchable. He needs to be literally and physically removed from his position, otherwise he will never leave.