Kurtofan posted:

I think you mean Mauritania

Byolante posted:

No, I am pretty sure the Tauregs live in northern Mali.

quote:

The most expensive World Cup stadium — located in the capital, Brasilia, and with a price tag of $550 million — is being used as a parking lot for buses.

The stadium in Cuiaba — which cost some $215 million to build — has made news repeatedly: first for being closed down because of faulty construction, and then recently for the homeless people squatting in its unused locker rooms.

TheBigAristotle posted:

TheBigAristotle posted:

serious gaylord posted:

Would they try and get him extradited? If so he's got a very small number of countries he can visit.

Jose posted:

Fortunately for him they're all countries that he's campaigning to be next FIFA president in

serious gaylord posted:

Luckily for him Switzerland aren't part of the EU.

TheBigAristotle posted:

mackintosh posted:

Oh please. Polanski has been traveling safely for years, except for that one snafu recently and he still got away with it.

Pook Good Mook posted:

There's no evidence that the FBI is planning to ask for extradition, Blatter is clearly posturing to put pressure on the US FA (who wants the 2026 World Cup) to talk to the FBI and get them to back off.

Frankly, I think Gulati is probably so fed up with FIFA that it won't work, but then again I don't benefit from the millions in bribes nor am I campaigning to get awarded a World Cup.

Pook Good Mook posted:

There's no evidence that the FBI is planning to ask for extradition, Blatter is clearly posturing to put pressure on the US FA (who wants the 2026 World Cup) to talk to the FBI and get them to back off.

Frankly, I think Gulati is probably so fed up with FIFA that it won't work, but then again I don't benefit from the millions in bribes nor am I campaigning to get awarded a World Cup.

Pook Good Mook posted:

There's no evidence that the FBI is planning to ask for extradition, Blatter is clearly posturing to put pressure on the US FA (who wants the 2026 World Cup) to talk to the FBI and get them to back off.

Frankly, I think Gulati is probably so fed up with FIFA that it won't work, but then again I don't benefit from the millions in bribes nor am I campaigning to get awarded a World Cup.

TheBigAristotle posted:

Here's that Sepp Blatter ESPN report

Seltzer posted:

Watched the tv broadcast. Pretty good stuff. Too bad will change anything.

Bogan Krkic posted:

Can anyone compare and contrast Frank Lowy falling off the stage with Sepp Blatter falling off the stage? tia

mackintosh posted:

In news that will shock absolutely no one, Boniek, the president of the Polish FA, publicly announced he will not be voting for Blatter. In a very candid interview, there's also this gem:

"There was a FIFA congress taking place during the World Cup in Brazil. I got a business class ticket and a wonderful hotel. I walked into the reception to get accredited and picked up a souvenir package from the FIFA President. I open it up and find an envelope stuffed with cash. I had to sign for it, but they were already giving us everything there. So how is Blatter going to lose the election?"

quote:

Key question: should video review be used. First off, goal line technology has to be implemented. If it passes the goal line, it's a goal. But other situations? Some days I'm totally for video review, but other days I wonder. Who's the final arbiter? [...] In some situations video would definitely help. When the ref blows the whistle. But if the play wasn't stopped, how should this be analysed? Let's assume there's a clear foul in the penalty box that the referee missed. Goalkeeper throws the ball to the striker, who goes one on one on a quick counter. And what, do we stop the play? Do we let the goal go in and then cancel everything and start a penalty? Maybe the coaches should have the right to 'challenge' the decisions of the ref, like in tennis.

Anyway, it is an open secret [in FIFA circles] that for the Champions League and Europa League finals, the referee is actually fed information from off-field. Twelve other referees watch games in each of those tourneys and give tips on comms.

quote:

Interviewer: Does FIFA still talk about the decisions for World Cups in Qatar and Russia? Any regrets?

The journalists have regrets. So do I, but who am I supposed to talk to? Decisions have been made, stadium building is in progress; can you imagine stopping the Qatar preparations now? One way or another, I refuse to believe the decision was based on the sporting aspect. But I haven't caught anyone red handed; I wasn't even the FA chief at the time.

Did you ask Platini why he voted for Qatar?

He did? For me, this decision is a catastrophic error. Football won't grow there, the sheiks won't suddenly start loving it. It's a political enterprise, Qatar wants to legitimize themselves. To me, the Olympiad should be somewhere where you can breathe the World Cup on the street. In Qatar, it'll be one big traffic jam.

What about Russia?

In 2010, this was a sensible idea, but now? While a war with the Ukraine is going on? 25 July is the planned date for the qualificiations group drawing. And I still don't know if I should go there, or say: draw your groups, we are out for now.

What if Ukraine gets into the Cup?

You've got your concerns, mine are even bigger.

Those aren't concerns. There shouldn't be a World Cup in both these countries.

I repeat, in 2010 Russia was sensible. But there should be a clause in the contract that strips the World Cup off a country that starts a war, or doesn't abide by the United Nations rulebook.

You could publically ask about this on the next FIFA congress.

The other FA heads know my opinion.

But a public statement is different from a private one.

I could ask if someone feels concerned about a World Cup in a country that is trying to overtake a different country through aggressive means. I'd go back to Poland, [my enemies and their journalists] would call it a mistake...

I agree that Russia will be a disaster, because it's a country that openly started a war on European soil. But what will my public statement accomplish? A couple British tabloids will print my interview, and that'll be that. Do you really think FIFA will take the World Cup from Russia?

quote:

Interviewer: Let's leave the Qatar heat behind. What does being a member of commissions in FIFA and UEFA imply?

I laugh when I hear that [Polish FA] is weak in there, because we have very few people in commissions. Thanks to our ranking spot, we can send only 13 people to UEFA, but it works similarly to the Polish FA. Commissions just certify day-to-day workings. I'm in the commission for football affairs and it doesn't matter at all. We meet twice a year. In FIFA, there are important commissions, though: for instance, the referee commission, where we have Michał Listkiewicz. If you have a strong presence there, you can do a lot. When the chief of that commission was a Turkish member, Turkey got to the World Cup semifinal in 2002.

You see a connection there?

It's dangerous is all I'm saying. [...]

Other important commissions?

The hat trick commission, which divides the money for expansion. [...] The rest is bullshit. Jerzy Engel is in the technical commission. They go to parties, and write reports from them. All just for show. I think I'm in some FIFA commission too, but every time I get an invitation, I say I'm busy. No point wasting my time.

quote:

We were invited to Qatar by the prime minister's office to see new flagship accommodation for low-paid migrant workers in early May - but while gathering additional material for our report, we ended up being thrown into prison for doing our jobs.
Our arrest was dramatic.
We were on a quiet stretch of road in the capital, Doha, on our way to film a group of workers from Nepal.
The working and housing conditions of migrant workers constructing new buildings in Qatar ahead of the World Cup have been heavily criticised and we wanted to see them for ourselves.
Suddenly, eight white cars surrounded our vehicle and directed us on to a side road at speed.
A dozen security officers frisked us in the street, shouting at us when we tried to talk. They took away our equipment and hard drives and drove us to their headquarters.

dex_sda posted:

He's much smarter than you'd expect a footballer to be, too.

mackintosh posted:

Well, he was a successful businessman for much of his post-playing career, so he's definitely a good manager and an entrepreneur. Still, I'm rather disappointed with him. He's a conformist. Both at FIFA and domestically. There were huge expectations when he won the election, promises were made, yet the FA is just as corrupt and egocentric as ever. The only thing he did was clean up the backroom, so now we know even less about their shenanigans than before.

dex_sda posted:

I felt there were positive changes and public opinion at least influences him more. Plus, I doubt he personally is corrupt. That said, I think the whole system is so corrupt to the core it would be absolutely impossible to do a thorough cleanup.

A nonconformist would never reach the chair instead of Lato or Listkiewicz or all those corrupt assholes and you know it.

mackintosh posted:

On the bright side, at least there aren't that many games being bought and sold in the Ekstraklasa any more. I've seen some thrown for other reasons, but nothing obviously glaring this season. That in itself is good enough for me.

Dirk Pitt posted:

http://screamer.deadspin.com/check-out-the-cool-things-qatars-slaves-will-build-for-1704473658

I am pretty down on sports right now