In the interest of full disclosure, let me say that I am not a "fútbol" fan. I check in every four years and catch a little bit of the World Cup (or "mundial"), but that's about it.
Of course, I admire the athletes. I concede that there is tremendous passion for the game, from Uruguay to Ghana to England. Without question, fútbol is the world's #1 sport!
Of course, you don't have to be a "futbol" fan to understand FIFA.
Bob Dylan wrote a song called "Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word." Change "love" for "FIFA," and you get the idea.
The straw that broke the camel's back is apparently the preparations for the 2022 Cup, and lots more according to this analysis:
In 2010, FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, which led to reports of vote buying, but that’s not a focus of this particular investigation. This is a federal case, and the indictment deals chiefly with alleged fraud and corruption in North and South America. Until now, FIFA has deflected widespread corruption allegations by finding and suspending scapegoats, rather than acknowledging any problems at an institutional level.FIFA is another unaccountable international organization that uses something noble, such as fútbol, to fill the pockets of a few, as Nick Zaiac wrote:
Politicians promise voters many benefits from mega-events, yet few ever materialize in the long run. They unequivocally are not net positives for the economy, as boosters say. They often lead to costly investments in unnecessary infrastructure that sees minimal use after the crowds leave. Cities are left with piles of debt, and white-elephant facilities that go unused. While there have been exceptions to this, the normal result trends negative, not positive.Just remember Brazil and all of that debt, those empty facilities and unfulfilled promises. Yes, some benefited from the 2014 World Cup, but it was not the people of Brazil. It was FIFA opportunists and the politicians in Brazil.
Here is all you need to know about FIFA. There is an empty fútbol stadium in a small town that does not even have a team. The facility has not been used since the World Cup. It has been turned into a bus parking lot – a $200-million lot, thank you very much.
In the meantime, the people march because the schools are lousy and the electricity rates keep going up. Wonder how many schools could have been improved with $200 million...
It's time for FIFA to go. I'm not exactly sure what you'd replace FIFA with, but anything would be an improvement.
You can start by having more transparency in how business is done, from selecting countries to the building of new facilities.
FIFA is just another four-letter word.
P.S. You can hear my show (CantoTalk) or follow me on Twitter.
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