Are they out of their effing tree!!!

[rez9000]

Fresh from FUBAR the genuine contenders for the World Cup, Platini has added further lunacy to the already frankly ludicrous pretence that is the world football governance:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9271449.stm

Uefa president Michel Platini has not ruled out the idea of rescheduling the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to combat the hot weather in June and July.

Temperatures in the summer months in the Middle Eastern country can reach 40C to 50C

"Football in the Gulf in January, that would be easier than June, why not, it's possible," said Platini.

"Many things would have to be changed in the calendar. Would we have February off and re-start the season in March?"

Qatar surprisingly emerged as the winner to host the 2022 competition, beating off competition from Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States, when the 22-man Fifa executive committee voted in their favour in Zurich on 2 December.

But Asian Football Confederation's former general secretary Peter Velappan and Fifa executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer have voiced fears the heat would pose a danger to players.

Velappan has already argued that plans to cool stadiums and training grounds with air conditioners were "not a solution" and has advocated moving the tournament to January.

But Platini added: "In the 1994 World Cup in the United States, the temperature in Dallas, if I'm not mistaken, was 45C and nobody criticised us at the time

"The tournament is a long time and we're talking about this with [Fifa president Sepp] Mr Blatter."

English Football Association general secretary Alex Horne recently stated that he felt the 2022 World Cup could be moved to January, while the Premier League were unwilling to comment on the possibility of a change in date.

"I think it would be possible in 12 years' time to hold the World Cup in January," Horne told Sportsweek. "It might just be preferable to subjecting fans and athletes to 50C heat in training and preparation and then games.

"It is 12 years away and during that we have time to have a serious conversation about it. I'm not sure how you do it and it is terribly difficult with regard to the various calendars, but we have 12 years to think about it."

US Soccer, which was bidding to host the 2022 World Cup also did not want to comment on Platini's proposal.

Meanwhile, Platini, who was part of the committee that voted on the destination of the 2018 and 2022 finals, endorsed the decision to award the tournaments to Russia and Qatar.

"Russia asked why they didn't have the right to organise the World Cup and said it had already been held 10 times in Western Europe," said Platini.

"I think maybe the executive committee were sensitive to this. The same thing applies to Qatar and the Arab world

"Morocco has applied to host the World Cup four times and lost, Egypt have also failed and Qatar asked when will the Middle East have this opportunity?

"Maybe, the members of the executive committee thought it was a good opportunity to go to that part of the world once and for all, a region that has never hosted the World Cup."

Platini stressed that European football governing body Uefa shares with Fifa the vision of staging major tournaments in new nations.

"If we're talking about developing football worldwide, which is ultimately the goal of institutions such as Fifa or if we're talking about European football, which is the goal of Uefa, well it's something beautiful," he added.

"That doesn't mean that Uefa has different objectives, we voted for Poland and Ukraine [as Euro 2012 hosts]."

England's hopes of staging a second World Cup ended when they went out in the first round of the 2018 World Cup ballot after earning only two votes.

Fifa's American member Chuck Blazer voted for Russia over England in the vote and explained his decision was based on world football's governing body continuing to take the competition to new hosts.

"I voted for Russia," Blazer told Soccer America. "England clearly had a great bid. But in the end, I look at England and say, 'What more would we have when we're finished other than what I am certain would have been a great World Cup?'

"I believe that when we're finished in Russia, we'll have accomplished a lot of different things."

"We can open up a market that is important from a world perspective.

"Everyone came away saying, 'Wow, what a great World Cup in South Africa.'

"It was a hard process to get there, but nonetheless the event was very, very successful from a TV, marketing, worldwide perspective.

"And having done it there, it gave reason for everyone in the world to say, 'We can do it here.' No longer was it reserved for only for the big countries in Europe and the Americas."

I just can't express the sheer bewilderment I feel regarding FIFA. Actually, it's not FIFA that bewilder me. It's the lily-livered response. I wish I could believe that other football fans share my fury over the debacle that is world football.

Surely, surely the anger is there, somewhere...???

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Personally, putting all the bullshit asside, I don't se why, on a equitable basis, why the Wc shouldn't be held in somewhere completely different like Russia and Qatar.

On a fiscal basis, I also find it slightly obscene that England should piss away 17 million on a WC bid when they are forcing local authorities to sell off school sports fields to Barret Home's developments.

 

[Real_madyidd]

On a fiscal basis, I also find it slightly obscene that England should piss away 17 million on a WC bid when they are forcing local authorities to sell off school sports fields to Barret Home's developments.

We only "pissed it away" because we didn't win. It could have brought in loads of cash (unlike a field). How you can think the two are related is beyond me.

 

[Samson]

Fresh from FUBAR the genuine contenders for the World Cup, Platini has added further lunacy to the already frankly ludicrous pretence that is the world football governance:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9271449.stm

I just can't express the sheer bewilderment I feel regarding FIFA. Actually, it's not FIFA that bewilder me. It's the lily-livered response. I wish I could believe that other football fans share my fury over the debacle that is world football.

Surely, surely the anger is there, somewhere...???

This was inevitable when Qatar got it (makes their bid much more sensible on one level). But they couldn't admit it. Going to be a poo storm when it gets announced- the European Leagues might tell them to do one.

 

[rez9000]

Personally, putting all the bullshit asside, I don't se why, on a equitable basis, why the Wc shouldn't be held in somewhere completely different like Russia and Qatar.

On a fiscal basis, I also find it slightly obscene that England should piss away 17 million on a WC bid when they are forcing local authorities to sell off school sports fields to Barret Home's developments.

I don't have a problem with it being in Russia or Qatar as long as three key criteria are met:

1) That those who make the decisions are people of integrity, which by their very refusal to even listen to accusation suggests that they are not;

2) A bid is considered on its technical merits first, and then on whether or not a new market is to be opened; and

3) That the process is transparent and open to scrutiny.

I agree that it does seem a waste of money when there are more important things to spend the money on. But, for me, that's a different argument.

 

[ziggy]

Surely the honest thing would be for FIFA to say that they are now only looking to new markets to host the WC. At least then many countries wouldn't bother entering the race and wasting money.
I suppose that would mean less paid days out for FIFA though.

 

[Kyras]

I'll be so pissed off, January is so miserable, I hate the winter, and I love watching the World Cup in the summer, having barbecues, watching it on big screens outside etc.

Also, I feel sorry for the kids, they'll still be at school, that's just not right. They'll have homework etc. to do, and parents will say stuff like "You're not watching the football until you've done your homework." Usually GCSEs and A-Levels are finished by the WC, and the other school years are just winding down counting the days down to the summer.

If I have kids by that stage I'll probably take them out of school on holiday leave for the World Cup if it's on during the day. Two weeks of the World Cup is more important than two weeks at school IMO.

 

[Chris12345]

Usually exams are bang in the middle of the world cup... and it's only summer for half the world...

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Fresh from FUBAR the genuine contenders for the World Cup, Platini has added further lunacy to the already frankly ludicrous pretence that is the world football governance:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9271449.stm

I just can't express the sheer bewilderment I feel regarding FIFA. Actually, it's not FIFA that bewilder me. It's the lily-livered response. I wish I could believe that other football fans share my fury over the debacle that is world football.

Surely, surely the anger is there, somewhere...???

FIFAs policy is take the money first, ask questions later.

I share your anger and bewilderment. FIFA are rotten to the core. Why they are put up with, who knows? They are an absolute disgrace, in pretty much every respect.

 

[stemark44]

International football is crap anyway and its a burden on domestic teams,I say withdraw from FIFA,they can shove their World Cup up their arse.
I can't believe they actually think Africa was a success.
FIFA really need a good World Cup for the sake of the game and they won't get that in Russia or Qatar.
Stupid money grabbing bastards!

 

[fazza]

Boycott it, Simple. European teams will care more for their own national leagues. Let FIFA do it and put on the worst World Cup in history.

 

[jurgen]

International football is crap anyway and its a burden on domestic teams,I say withdraw from FIFA,they can shove their World Cup up their arse.
I can't believe they actually think Africa was a success.
FIFA really need a good World Cup for the sake of the game and they won't get that in Russia or Qatar.
Stupid money grabbing bastards!

South Africa was a great world cup. They established their commercial cordons around each venue, pushed out the local people who could have benefited from this influx of investment, and made billions of untaxed money...If you were Sepp and his mates having a discussion over an expensive buffet, where would you be more confident of continuing to be allowed such freedoms, Russia and Qatar or England and Australia for instance...

 

[llamafarmer]

I can feel the day getting closer when money finally ruins football for me. When a team can't win anything without an oil billionaire owner. When PL clubs are playing league games in Singapore and Abu Dhabi, when world cups are played in the desert in January and fans can't get tickets...

 

[myhartlane]

I'm with Bus Conductor on this, what a waste of money. We should be spending that cash on grassroots football so that we don't look like a f**king bunch of circus freaks when we turn up for World Cup finals like we did in South Africa (and every other major championships since 1966 with the exception of Italia '90). Still hanging my head in shame about our pathetic display.

And yes, it makes perfect sense for FIFA to develop new markets! It's a global game now, no reason why it can't evolve to reflect that. Who'd have thought that Rugby League would be played in summer? Generally regarded as having revived the sport. We have to be open minded!

 

[SpunkyBackpack]

I fail to see the part that is supposed to make me angry

 

[Chris12345]

The bit where GREAT BRITAIN got denied the WORLD CUP in favour of a country of FOREIGNERS and PAEDOPHILES!!!!!!!!!!111one11

 

[nferno]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/13/fifa-sepp-blatter-discrimination-qatar-2022

i like this article, blatter already avoiding another problem. discrimination is just as bad as racism and i'd be disgusted if they don't allow people to attend because of their sexuality.

also dont like the part about alcohol being illegal. i know they are gonna set up fanzones for alcohol vendoring but you have to wonder how much the government would sell it for (probably extortion prices because they would only be sold by the them and no other price changing competitive qatari business ventures).

it puzzles me how much, if it all, they would go about bending other outdated sharia laws to acomodate the western world.

EDIT: actually i think 'outdated' is quite disrespectful. what i mean to say is that sharia laws are irrlevant to the western world and we shouldnt have to follow them just to watch a game of football at the greatest sport event in the world.

 

[rez9000]

I fail to see the part that is supposed to make me angry

The bit where GREAT BRITAIN got denied the WORLD CUP in favour of a country of FOREIGNERS and PAEDOPHILES!!!!!!!!!!111one11

Chris, I think it's a bit disingenuous to compare the subject to a Sun headline. This isn't an attempted tilt at nationalism. As I said, I have no problem with any nation being given the World Cup, as long as it's done in the right way, for the right reasons.

If we come right down to it, I would say it's probably better that England didn't get the World Cup, so we don't have to tolerate a tax-free FIFA republic (to quote a phrase) to be set up in England for God knows how long in 2018.

My anger is toward FIFA's actions as a whole and the above is the latest iteration of that, albeit coming from with a UEFA voice.

I think that it's safe to say that everyone who posts on this forum shares a love for football. When the world's governing body is so transparently corrupt, so rampantly in fealty to money, then I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that those whose pockets that money ultimately comes from should be a little miffed, perhaps?

Jaded cynicism is all well and good, and I've always enjoyed both of your contributions for the dryness of your humour, but there are times when it makes little sense.

Anger over FIFA's attitude is not unreasonable. To suggest that it may be, or that it's motivated by other considerations cheapens what is supposed to be an argument over corruption and pandering to vested interests.

I'm not saying that FIFA is the only thing that is wrong in football. Nor am I saying that football is the most important thing in the world. But anger toward FIFA does not preclude condemnation of the other faults in football, nor does it preclude anger at other perceived wrongs.

 

[rez9000]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/13/fifa-sepp-blatter-discrimination-qatar-2022

i like this article, blatter already avoiding another problem. discrimination is just as bad as racism and i'd be disgusted if they don't allow people to attend because of their sexuality.

also dont like the part about alcohol being illegal. i know they are gonna set up fanzones for alcohol vendoring but you have to wonder how much the government would sell it for (probably extortion prices because they would only be sold by the them and no other price changing competitive qatari business ventures).

it puzzles me how much, if it all, they would go about bending other outdated sharia laws to acomodate the western world.

EDIT: actually i think 'outdated' is quite disrespectful. what i mean to say is that sharia laws are irrlevant to the western world and we shouldnt have to follow them just to watch a game of football at the greatest sport event in the world.

Oh, you've got no worries on that score, nferno.

Forget Sharia law, FIFA essentially set up their own little fiefdom in any country that is visited with the World Cup. Tax law, employment law, immigration law - they all go out of the window when FIFA come to town. And that's not said in jest, that's official FIFA bid conditions. FIFA pay no tax in a World Cup host's country, they don't have to be bound by any local employment laws, and they don't even have to comply with immigration laws with regard to visas. It's the biggest snow job in the world.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Good to see Blatter confirming how much of a fucking idiot he is with his comments about gay fans today. Let's hope someone doesn't ask him about racism in Russia or else all hell will break loose.

Journalist: Mr Blatter do you think that the racism endemic amongst Russian fans will worry black footballers, commentators and fans hoping to attend the competition?

Blatter: Ha ha ha. Well as long as they wear balaclavas they'll be okay.