Saturday, May 30, 2015

It's Happening Here

Earlier today newly re-elected President of FIFA Sepp Blatter lashed out at the United States over the recent FBI indictment.

"No-one is going to tell me that it was a simple coincidence this American attack two days before the elections of FIFA. It doesn't smell right. This has touched me and FIFA. 
Not only did they try to denigrate me but also they used the moment to say, 'This is the time to go'. We are going to boycott the congress'. But where are we? Where is the sportsmanship? There are signs that cannot be ignored. The Americans were the candidates for the World Cup of 2022 and they lost.
"The English were the candidates for 2018 and they lost, so it was really the English media and the American movement. If they have a financial crime that regards American citizens, then they must arrest these people there and not in Zurich when we have a congress in Zurich.
"The United States, it is the main sponsors of Hashemite kingdom [Jordan]. This corruption affair is between North America and South America. It was taken to Zurich and they say it is FIFA.'' 
"The journalists made a deal: Blatter out. It is a hatred not only by one person at UEFA but by the organisation of UEFA that has not accepted that I have been president since 1998. I forgive everyone but I don't forget."

Outside of what's basically Blatter saying this is all sour grapes, let's remember that this happened HERE. In the United States. Bribery, racketeering, fraud. All within these borders and in our banks. The FBI is working on cleaning it up, which is great, but it's sickening and it should do the same to you if you are an American.

In the United States I know we like to think that we carry on honest competitions. Over at Sports Illustrated I see that the are continuing to take the stance that corruption, particularly in soccer is far from our shores. That's it's a problem with them. It's true that FIFA has been awash in corruption for decades, but the fact that it happened (is happening) in our backyard is black mark on the game in this country that's going to take generations to wash off.

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