So it could be alleged that knowing that his presidency of Fifa was being challenged by Mohammed Bin Hammam, Sepp Blatter and the Fifa family had acknowledged $40000 cash payments made by Bin Hammam to each of the 25 Caribbean associations to vote for Bin Hammam. They then refuted any knowledge of the bribes. Bin Hammam was thus discredited by the Fifa ethics committee and he was subsequently banned. He was sold down the river whilst Blatter won the presidential vote unchallenged.
To say that Fifa is distrusted by football fans is a massive understatement. The fact that it is self-governing makes that distrust more prevalent. It is a wholly autonomous body that is not only in charge of the game but in charge of billions of pounds. Fifa’s financial figures for the four years to the end of 2010 show the organisation earned more than $4bn. Money which does still not seem to bleed down to the lower echelons of the game.
I can’t help thinking of The Godfather whenever Sepp Blatter talks about the Fifa family. It is like an untouchable inner circle of little known Mafioso who dictate rules and hide any monetary transactions. There is little to no transparency and yet all of the other football governing bodies across the world wait on their word with bated breath. The ethics committee is simply bypassed or manipulated. The real issue of money is hidden behind directives on Snoods etc.
The list of Blatters’ misdemeanour’s reach back over 13 years. His election in 1998 was surrounded by rumours of financial irregularities and back room dealings, later allegations of financial mismanagement within the organisation, criticism over the latest World Cup sites and then the aforementioned 2011 Presidential election.
But it is the arrogance of the man that makes his and Fifa’s image so distasteful. Sepp Blatter held his first press conference since being cleared of wrongdoing by the governing body’s ethics committee and since the suspension of Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner. These were a few of the quotes:
“What is a crisis? Football is not in a crisis. When you see the final of the Champions League, when you see fair play and good control, we are not in a crisis. We are just having some difficulties.”. “We are not in a bazaar here, we are in Fifa House,”. “If somebody wants to change something in the election or in the congress on Wednesday, this cannot be done by the Executive Committee or any authorities outside Fifa. The Congress can do it with three-quarters of a majority.”
“I say, as I said in the beginning, there is no issue for the 2022 World Cup.” (being held in Qatar). Referring to outsiders influence, “There are devils in the world but we have to fight against these devils.” He went on to say that the Presidential election was the chance to restore “credibility” to Fifa. (The election with one candidate). But to top it all, when a journalist tried to ask a final question, Blatter retorted “I will not go into discussions with individuals who want to create problems. You can laugh and that is an attitude, but elegance and respect are also attitudes. Thank you.”
If Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, were alive, I seriously doubt that he would see much difference between the way that Don Corleone’s family and Sepp Blatters Fifa family operate. All matters are dealt with by the family, the ethics committee is managed by the family, all elections are staged by the family. You do not question the family, You behave yourself around the family. Anyone outside of the family is discredited.
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