Congratulations Sep Blatter

[Alexander's Horse]

Bad luck for world football but for shameless naked pursuit of power in sport this guy is right up there, almost peerless, with the exception of the likes of Bernie Ecclestone. Oh yeah, and Juan Antonio Samaranch, and and....

Where do they get these people?

And how do you get rid of them?

At 79 years old Sep pledges to lead world football into a new era...

[Sava]

wat

[Dinner]

Proving that massive corruption is no barrier to remaining in power especially when you are the one handing out the bribe cheques. Best of all he doesn't personally have to pay any of the bribes just use organization money to keep his place secure.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

This is what happens when a vote from an easily-purchased nation like Micronesia carries the same weight as a vote from an actual major footballing nation. He will never be voted out under the current system, because he has massive support from all the tiny Asian and African associations.

[-Jrabbit]

I guess I care enough to ask why. Why does he have that support? What do those nations gain?
And why do the "major footballing nations" put up with it?

[pchang]

The little guys get paid off - the big guys are too expensive to pay off.

[Imran Siddiqui]

That's far too simplistic. It was the "big guys", FWIW, who voted for Qatar for 2022 WC. Blatter voted for the US, btw.

[pchang]

In my view, Big Guys = UK, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France, Brazil, Argentina
everyone else is a small guy

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yes, the head of UEFA voted for Qatar and 12 of the 16 votes for Qatar from the Executive Committee were from Europe - I'm guessing more than few of them were from the big Western European countries.

[Imran Siddiqui]

This is the Daily Mail, so take it for FWIW:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3104028/UEFA-nations-betrayed-pro-reform-mandate-oust-Sepp-Blatter-FIFA-president.html

But it indicates that both Spain and France voted for Blatter.

[Bereta_Eder]

international football is corrupt as ****.
Gambling and fixing matches return millions.
And everyone's in it probably.

[The Mad Monk]

The little guys get paid off - the big guys are too expensive to pay off.

That's who gets paid off, who's paying in? Where are the funds coming from?

[pchang]

3 places: Countries that want to host tournaments, Advertisers that want to be associated with the sport, and broadcasters who want to carry the sport.

[pchang]

I will also admit that the big guys get paid off too. I did not know that the Europeans had voted for Qatar.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, of course not, because the narrative from Europe is that this is all the small countries fault and not on them.