282 replies to this topic

[DJ MC]

ProSoccerTalk: Champagne backs United States for 2022 World Cup if Qatar is stripped

[DJ MC]

How Friday’s FIFA presidential election will work

[DJ MC]

Today's the day, and already some notable things have happened.

 

FIFA approves huge reform package; term limits, ExCo gone, much more

 

FIFA Election update: Sexwale withdraws, grading candidates speeches

 

I think I want to see that speech. It's really too bad that Sexwale's out, because if he won I'd be all set up for a pretty good Mallrats reference.

[DJ MC]

ProSoccerTalk: 2022 World Cup in Qatar could see fans housed in desert tent-camps

 

Presented. Without. Comment.

[Markus]

WaPo:  New Amnesty International report details worker abuse at Qatar World Cup site

[Don Quixote]

I read a BBC article about that yesterday(?), and I was just left with the old status quo feeling. So much ridiculous shit and fuck all is being done about it. I guess the death toll will have to reach five digits before anyone really blinks. Shit, if then.

[Markus]

FIFA's ethics judge just resigned after being named in the Panama Papers

 

Under suspicion in the fallout from the global offshore accounts investigation, Uruguayan lawyer Juan Pedro Damiani resigned as a FIFA ethics judge on Wednesday.

 

Damiani was already under investigation by FIFA ethics prosecutors after being identified on Sunday in a vast leak of data from a law firm in Panama specializing in tax avoidance, which can be exploited for money laundering.

[Markus]

Fox Sports:  Disgraced former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter to serve on panel on how to fix FIFA

Deposed and disgraced former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter is currently serving a six-year ban from all football-related activities for unethical conduct during his 17-year presidency.

 

Next week, Blatter will also serve on a university panel to discuss how FIFA can be reformed. 

 

Yes, really.

 

On one hand he definitely has more knowledge than anyone on how to maybe actually fix FIFA.

 

But on the other hand:

 

[DJ MC]

"Blatter will appear with former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo..."

 

Sounds like a sting operation to me.

[Markus]

WaPo:  Alcohol banned from stadiums, streets at 2022 World Cup in Qatar

 

Beer and sports may go hand-in-hand in some parts of the world, but not Qatar, where FIFA plans to stage the 2022 World Cup. Officials in the conservative Middle Eastern country announced on Tuesday it would ban the public consumption of alcohol during the tournament, including on streets, public squares and in the stadiums.

 

Al-Thawadi said the country would adhere to its current policies regarding alcohol and allow those who wish to drink to still do so in “specific and faraway places from the public squares.”

 

Something tells me rum-runner sales will go through the roof for people planning on attending matches.

 

I did like this line though:

 

When Brazil tried to push for an alcohol ban in its World Cup stadiums ahead of the 2014 tournament, then-FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke pushed back.

 

“Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so we’re going to have them,” he said. “Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that’s something we won’t negotiate.”

[BSLSteveBirrer]

There won't be a bunch of "rum runner" sales because the attendance is going to suck. Nobody is going to go to Qatar. Well not nobody but you get the point.

 

Besides their corruption, this is by far the WORST decision FIFA has ever made. Giving the premier sporting event on the planet to a freaking third world country.

[DuffMan]

http://www.espnfc.us...ion-to-48-teams

 

Starting in 2026, WC is expanding to 48 teams.  16 groups of 3.  Ugh

 

I'm sure the following played no part in the decision making.

It meets Infantino's election pledge of a bigger World Cup, and should help fund promised raises for FIFA's 211 members.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Nice to see they are making efforts to ruin the one soccer event I actually pay attention to.

[Russ]

Nice to see they are making efforts to ruin the one soccer event I actually pay attention to.

Nah think it might be better.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Nah think it might be better.

 

Eh. I think it has the same effect as what you see in US sports when you add teams to playoffs. Not only does the group stage become more meaningless (it sounds like 2 out of 3 teams will make it out) but adding so many teams to the overall tournament also stands to take away the importance of some qualifier games (not that those tend to garner a lot of attention in the US, but I imagine those games are huge in other countries). The World Cup's problems are purely off-field issues. Don't try to fix the part that isn't broken.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Huge mistake by FIFA to expand to 48 teams, especially the three team group format. If this proposal sticks its a joke.

 

1. There aren't 48 teams that should play in the finals. This is way different than other sports, especially college football where I push to expand the playoff scenario. EVERY freaking team on the planet is given the opportunity to qualify by playing.  Don't make the grade too bad. Stay home and work on your program to make it better.

2. It really weakens CONCACAF. If, as suggested, we get an automatic fourth slot plus a play in then it makes our qualifying almost a joke. It would be very rare that the US and Mexico would fail to qualify in that scenario. Four guaranteed slots is just about a shoe in. The fifth place play in which would be against a really weak opponent makes it almost impossible for the US and Mexico to not advance. Plus it makes it much easier for weaker programs to make it. This does NOT make for improved football. There is no impetus to get better.

3. The actual final tournament is loaded with issues.

a. Two out of three teams from a group advancing is silly. You are going to see more and more teams play for draws.

b. There is no way to even out the days of rest between matches. One team is going to greatly benefit.

c. The "final" day of group play isn't nearly the same as now. Today all teams in a group play their last match at the same time. This means teams must go hard not knowing the outcomes. In this new format one team will already be finished come the final group stage day. So stupid.

d. Teams are going to start manipulating games to give them the best matchups in the knockout rounds. That is done to an extent now but this format will really make that so much easier. Group play is going to be much less exciting.

 

Shoot here's a thought:

 

Dear FIFA,

 

How about you just eliminate all qualification rounds. Just invite all registered countries to the "World Cup' every four years and have one massive 6 month long tournament.

 

Sincerely,

 

Me

 

PS - And be sure to bring "participation" medals for every player on every country. Hand them out at the closing "medal" ceremony and have all the players hold hands and sing Kumbaya.

[Chris B]

Can't wait to see this be a trainwreck with scheduling 3 teams (2 having short rest, one having a week or so in between games) and also teams playing for ties and whatnot.

[Russ]

Can't wait to see this be a trainwreck with scheduling 3 teams (2 having short rest, one having a week or so in between games) and also teams playing for ties and whatnot.

The group stage matches go to penalties under the new format.

[Don Quixote]

So there's a major row going on right now between Qatar and several nearby countries (including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt), stemming from, among other things, alleged regional interference and destabilization, alleged support of terrorist groups, and apparent recent inflammatory comments attributed to the Qatari emir. Qatar says the comments, which were supportive of Iran and Hezbollah, were fake and a result of hacking, but the other countries are not having it. This is the latest in a series of rows this century. Below is a collection of links to recent BBC articles about the current state of things (there is some content overlap between some of the articles, but not necessarily enough to skip any one article if you want all the information in them).

 

Thanks, FIFA.

 

http://www.bbc.com/n...e-east-40046782

 

http://www.bbc.com/n...e-east-40155829

 

http://www.bbc.com/n...e-east-40164552

 

http://www.bbc.com/n...e-east-40168856

 

http://www.bbc.com/n...siness-40156029

 

http://www.bbc.com/n...e-east-40159080

 

http://www.bbc.com/n...e-east-40157065

[DJ MC]

Apparently Saudi Arabia has cut off the land border, which is where and how Qatar gets most of their food. That seems a little scary as something that could theoretically happen in the lead-up to a major nationwide-hosted sporting event.