Jack Warner paid millions by the Qatari firm: shock... or not

[Buzzell]

Absolute rubbish about the first point.

The football World Cup is just like any sport world cup, it goes to the country who can host it and give it a lasting legacy. Look at rugby and cricket, a select few host the tournaments because they have the infrastructure and the ability to put the stadia to use after tournaments if they're being built from scratch. By your definition I'm expecting to see the Rugby World Cup pop up in Denmark or the Cricket World Cup in Italy because it hasn't been distributed globally? South Africa's hosting of a WC with millions of its population in terrible poverty was nothing more than a Sepp Blatter ego boost. This is the man who will be forever revered in Africa as the man who bought the WC there. Let's not also forget that Blatter changed the policy of bidding to ensure it got to Africa, with the 2010 competition only open to African nations. Same for 2014 with South America.

What legacy has he left? Oh yes several stadia that are white elephants and that's about it. FIFA get special tax exemptions remember when hosting the World Cup and make billions in TV rights and sponsorship, that all goes to them, the host nation pays £x million campaigning, £x billion building and preparing and only has the tourism and subsequent tourism to rely on as its money-maker from the competition.

Please don't kid yourself that the World Cup going to the middle east is a good thing. I've said before on this forum that FIFA World Cups should be limited to nations with the existing stadia and infrastructure to host such a tournament. USA, England, Spain, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Portigal, France to start with. Countries sharing (Holland/Belgium etc) would also be an option. The power-houses, the big nations both geographically, politcally and international football-wise. A country that can host a World Cup tomorrow or in less than a year should get it. Yes the list is very slanted towards Europe but that's where the biggest leagues, the most suitable stadia and stable countries are located for the most part.

Qatar will be a shambles of a tournament. Taking place in several stadia that will never see capacity again, and with most of that capacity filled with the elite, not real football fans. It will be sterile and terrible and probably the peak of what is awful about "modern football." This is the pinnacle of world sport to most. No international competition comes close to it, and I include the Olympics. It should be hosted in nations who can handle such an occasion, who can handle the influx of fans.

I don't want to come over as insular and elitist about who can host a World Cup, but it really should be left to nations that have the ability to. Brazil have had seven years to organise a World Cup and they're doing their best to mess it up. Seven years. Now with Brazil's history they should've done a lot more in terms of their public transport and arenas by now and then I'd happily include them on the list.

Savour the 2014 World Cup, because that's the last one most will enjoy until 2026 (depending on who Platini gives it to when he's FIFA president, probably 10 stadiums around the world or whoever pays him the most.) Russia will be rife with their laws and racism issues and Qatar the same as well as being soulless and an abomination of a tournament. 2018 will be a shame because Russia is a huge country and in theory should be on that list, but their attitudes are so repugnant they force themselves off in my opinion,

It's sickening that FIFA can just sit there in front of the world and say everything is going okay and being investigated. It's sickening that no-one can do anything about it, or no-one is willing to DO anything about it. I would love the top 20 nations to say they're out and forming their own breakaway a la the Premier League but I doubt anyone would have the balls to do it. It's sad that a country can buy the right to host a World Cup, no matter how small or how little infrastructure they have in place.

If anything ruins international football it will be FIFA, not overpaid players and ever controlling clubs. It's a place for middle-aged/old men to line their pockets, dictate the rules to everyone and watch the money roll in. The organisation that controls the most popular sport in the world has absolutely no scrutiny at all, not an ounce. It can absorb the criticism, sacrifice a few men but continue its corrupt ways while whistling away calmly. The only way to reform FIFA is to elect a radical, and with the next FIFA president for the next 20 years certain to be Platini, that won't be happening any time soon.

FIFA is a lost cause, and so will the 2022 World Cup.

Top post there lad

[MooseBreath]

I don't agree that the world cup should only go to countries with existing infrastructure. Building stadiums and infrastructure gives local people jobs, the competition brings in revenue that pays for those jobs. So economically it's fine. Qatar will have absolutely spectacular stadiums (the "accidental vagina" excepted) and infrastructure by the time 2022 rolls around. There is no shortage of money and all the work will be managed by European/British firms anyway. It will all be top drawer stuff.

I also understand the social arguments of taking the competition to places like south africa. Football is meant to bring people together and hosting the world cup can make a positive difference. But there really needs to be some football culture already there. Qatar has basically none. So the legitimacy of their bid ends there for me. The corruption was obvious, I just hope the revelations continue and blatter gets found out.

[Littletoe]

Absolute rubbish about the first point.

 

The football World Cup is just like any sport world cup, it goes to the country who can host it and give it a lasting legacy. Look at rugby and cricket, a select few host the tournaments because they have the infrastructure and the ability to put the stadia to use after tournaments if they're being built from scratch. By your definition I'm expecting to see the Rugby World Cup pop up in Denmark or the Cricket World Cup in Italy because it hasn't been distributed globally? South Africa's hosting of a WC with millions of its population in terrible poverty was nothing more than a Sepp Blatter ego boost. This is the man who will be forever revered in Africa as the man who bought the WC there. Let's not also forget that Blatter changed the policy of bidding to ensure it got to Africa, with the 2010 competition only open to African nations. Same for 2014 with South America.

 

What legacy has he left? Oh yes several stadia that are white elephants and that's about it. FIFA get special tax exemptions remember when hosting the World Cup and make billions in TV rights and sponsorship, that all goes to them, the host nation pays £x million campaigning, £x billion building and preparing and only has the tourism and subsequent tourism to rely on as its money-maker from the competition.

 

Please don't kid yourself that the World Cup going to the middle east is a good thing. I've said before on this forum that FIFA World Cups should be limited to nations with the existing stadia and infrastructure to host such a tournament. USA, England, Spain, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Portigal, France to start with. Countries sharing (Holland/Belgium etc) would also be an option. The power-houses, the big nations both geographically, politcally and international football-wise. A country that can host a World Cup tomorrow or in less than a year should get it. Yes the list is very slanted towards Europe but that's where the biggest leagues, the most suitable stadia and stable countries are located for the most part.

 

Qatar will be a shambles of a tournament. Taking place in several stadia that will never see capacity again, and with most of that capacity filled with the elite, not real football fans. It will be sterile and terrible and probably the peak of what is awful about "modern football." This is the pinnacle of world sport to most. No international competition comes close to it, and I include the Olympics. It should be hosted in nations who can handle such an occasion, who can handle the influx of fans.

 

I don't want to come over as insular and elitist about who can host a World Cup, but it really should be left to nations that have the ability to. Brazil have had seven years to organise a World Cup and they're doing their best to mess it up. Seven years. Now with Brazil's history they should've done a lot more in terms of their public transport and arenas by now and then I'd happily include them on the list.

 

Savour the 2014 World Cup, because that's the last one most will enjoy until 2026 (depending on who Platini gives it to when he's FIFA president, probably 10 stadiums around the world or whoever pays him the most.) Russia will be rife with their laws and racism issues and Qatar the same as well as being soulless and an abomination of a tournament. 2018 will be a shame because Russia is a huge country and in theory should be on that list, but their attitudes are so repugnant they force themselves off in my opinion,

 

It's sickening that FIFA can just sit there in front of the world and say everything is going okay and being investigated. It's sickening that no-one can do anything about it, or no-one is willing to DO anything about it. I would love the top 20 nations to say they're out and forming their own breakaway a la the Premier League but I doubt anyone would have the balls to do it. It's sad that a country can buy the right to host a World Cup, no matter how small or how little infrastructure they have in place.

 

If anything ruins international football it will be FIFA, not overpaid players and ever controlling clubs. It's a place for middle-aged/old men to line their pockets, dictate the rules to everyone and watch the money roll in. The organisation that controls the most popular sport in the world has absolutely no scrutiny at all, not an ounce. It can absorb the criticism, sacrifice a few men but continue its corrupt ways while whistling away calmly. The only way to reform FIFA is to elect a radical, and with the next FIFA president for the next 20 years certain to be Platini, that won't be happening any time soon.

 

FIFA is a lost cause, and so will the 2022 World Cup.

Spot on!!!

[Dan]

I don't agree that the world cup should only go to countries with existing infrastructure. Building stadiums and infrastructure gives local people jobs, the competition brings in revenue that pays for those jobs. So economically it's fine. Qatar will have absolutely spectacular stadiums (the "accidental vagina" excepted) and infrastructure by the time 2022 rolls around. There is no shortage of money and all the work will be managed by European/British firms anyway. It will all be top drawer stuff.

I also understand the social arguments of taking the competition to places like south africa. Football is meant to bring people together and hosting the world cup can make a positive difference. But there really needs to be some football culture already there. Qatar has basically none. So the legitimacy of their bid ends there for me. The corruption was obvious, I just hope the revelations continue and blatter gets found out.

 

Qatar won't benefit. Haven't workers already died building the stadiums?

 

It's a waste of infrastructure and it's a waste of money. Those grounds will be awful with 30k crowds (at best) in 80k grounds.

 

You cannot manufacture a footballing legacy. Has South Africa seriously benefited from it?

 

The World Cup has the legacy and rather than the footballing legacy growing in South Africa & Qatar, it's actually weakening the legacy and reputation of the World Cup IMO.

[MooseBreath]

Qatar won't benefit. Haven't workers already died building the stadiums?

It's a waste of infrastructure and it's a waste of money. Those grounds will be awful with 30k crowds (at best) in 80k grounds.

You cannot manufacture a footballing legacy. Has South Africa seriously benefited from it?

The World Cup has the legacy and rather than the footballing legacy growing in South Africa & Qatar, it's actually weakening the legacy and reputation of the World Cup IMO.

Workers have probably died but then people die on construction sites all the time all over the world. The tens of thousands of people who get jobs working on the infrastructure will definitely benefit plus the thousands more jobs created to service it all. The people who provide the money might not get much of a direct return but that money doesnt just disappear, it goes into the pockets of all the workers. Not a penny of that is a waste.

Agree with the last two paragraphs though.