FIFA World Cup Report

[Waylander]

So the report is out and demonstrates no meaningful wrong-doing by Qatar or Russia who retain the 2022 and 2018 WCs

GB in for somewhat disproportionate criticism for besmirching FIFA's good name...

 

BUT:

Qatar hired freelancers who could not be questioned

Russia destroyed their computers and Google refused to hand over the data

and best of all the Investigator says it's lies:

'In an unexpected twist, lawyer Michael Garcia says the report "contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions". '

 

That being said GB WERE found doing just the same stuff they accused the others of - but they were just more rubbish at it and then open about it at the Enquiry

 

[Tipex]

What a shocker that is, corrupt organisation arranges it's own corrupt investigation, and finds no evidence of corruption!

Couldn't see that one coming.

[Waylander]

To be fair it would appear the investigation was not corrupt - merely that they refused to allow the investigator to publish his findings directly.

Hence he rebuttal

[Tipex]

The problem was, that the investigation wasn't independent, and due to the parameters that Fifi set it meant it could never be a proper investigation.

An investigator with no powers whatsoever might as well just give up.

[garcon magnifique]

It strikes me FIFA engaged Garcia to tell them exactly what they needed to cover up. But they didn't actually tell him that.

I must admit I admire their style in only including the bits about the English FA in their "summary".

[cruiser647]

Now that formality is out the way, it's cleared the path for the 'thank you' payments from Qatar & Russia to the various people.

[NewNiceMrMe]

I suspect you've not quite grasped the full implications of this Cruiser.  It is far from formality out of the way.

 

It is another disaster for FIFA.

 

The report actually acknowledges and sanctions payments for votes - all be it for presidency campaigning.  But it says it is fine.

 

Garcia hasn't yet said how big the 'inaccuracies' are, but he's launching a legal appeal - and means he fears his reputation could be wrecked if the report was ever found and he'd not said anything.  In other words, it is a whitewash reporting nothing like the reality of what he found, even though he wasn't allowed to dig far!

 

The Russian's are incredible.  If you're to believe them, they hired the PC's their bid was launched and administered them on, and then they were destroyed afterwards!  Then, all their emails, despite being on Gmail, were also deleted and under their privacy policy...they know Google can't released them even if they have them 'archived'.

 

The Sunday Times gave FIFA access to millions of emails and documents they had - many of which absolutely proved corruption and bribery...yet they don't even get a mention because FIFA said only internally found material could be relied upon (despite much of the documents being from within FIFA!).

 

The English FA have made mistakes if the report (in this form) is to be believed, and for that Dyke needs to admit it rather than keep protesting complete innocence (because I don't for a moment think we are).

 

However, just where does the sport go now?  Unless multiple billionaires are prepared to get together and launch a rival organisation, nothing can be done......other than the FBI to formally launch its investigation.  

 

It is criminal.

[CarMad]

It doesn't matter what anybody says they are accountable to anyone it seems and I don't see that changing anytime soon. 

[NewNiceMrMe]

They are accountable to the law of any country they conduct business in.  Both the FBI and Scotland Yard are said to have investigations waiting conclusions and the FBI in particular is said to have evidence of serious breaches of US law for which senior FIFA officials, including Blatter, could face trial.

 

It does matter what people say because the moment they stop saying it, all hope is lost.  I'm not an optimist on this but it has to keep being said as submission to their corruption isn't an option.

 

The FIFA Ethics Chairman who wrote the report, a man who is a senior judge in Germany, has now said he doesn't know what Garcia is complaining about because he didn't change anything about his report.

 

Oh.  That'll be the 400+ page report you've managed to fit into 40 pages, is it?

[garcon magnifique]

I have little doubt that the English FA is one of the most corrupt organisations in this country.

But that pales into insignificance when compared to FIFA.

[NewNiceMrMe]

I'd agree with all of that.  I do cringe at Greg Dyke not wanting to admit to a shred of wrong-doing though when one of the accusations is almost certainly true because if it isn't then The FA's own statements would contradict it!

 

FIFA are criminal, plain and simple.  We all know it and the sooner Blatter and the other cronies are behind bars, the better.  If ever there was a case of an organisation never admitting wrong-doing because there was so much of it, and it'd cost the individuals involved so much, this is it.

 

An alternative organisation would be a real step forward but nobody is going to throw billions at it (FIFA have $1 billion in cash in the bank alone, never mind the assets).  Plus, there are more than enough corrupt FA's around the world to stick up for them in lieu of future favours.  The Spanish FA should be facing charges for a start (and Portugal).

 

I never give up hope though. The IOC sorted their act out and whilst they weren't quite as corrupt as FIFA they were still close to it.  One day, maybe one day.

Edited November 14, 2014 by NewNiceMrMe