<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gjt7rv3fmwk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gjt7rv3fmwk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> The fact that they will dismantle and build stadiums across developing nation is pretty amazing.
Oops...sorry Qatar, looks like where there's smoke there's fire - though I'm sure FIFA will punish this corruption with an iron fist....that will accept bribes: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13544347.stm
It gets better, bin Hammam wants Blatter to be investigated as well because Blatter knew he was giving out bribes and didn't do anything about it. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/26/mohamed-bin-hammam-fifa-sepp-blatter
Its well known that Fifa officials are corrupt and have always taken money, whats the big deal this time? I guess some powerful people can't get over Qatar winning the WC bid.
Is there any chance Qatar will lose the right to hold the World Cup and someone else will host it in 2022? I really wanna see these stadiums so I hope they can still host it.
Uh, FIFA's investigating itself, so what do you think? It's like asking Dominique Strauss Kahn to serve as the judge and jury of his rape trial. Barring something unprecedented, you'll see your stadiums, then the steel will be shipped to developing countries where it wil be melted down for scrap.
The dream scenario would be Qatar losing the World Cup; it's a pitiful football country, is hostile to Israelis and is just too hot to host a tournament like this. Also, no alcohol. How else are we going to fully appreciate the beautiful Brazilian women without that? I had heard rumors a while ago that England and other European powers were threatening to pull out of the 2022 World Cup if it was rescheduled to the winter, as that would severely disrupt their domestic leagues. The idea that this could happen just shows how ill-conceived 2022 is. And what's really a shame is that we're stuck with FIFA as a governing body. It's become the Devil We Know and, due to the amount of money in global football, there's no chance of starting a (initially, at least) clean governing body that doesn't have corruption swirling around it all of the time.
All of this is coming up now because there is a vote next Wednesday for the president of FIFA. Bin Hammam was allegedly bribing officials for their vote, and I wouldn't be surprised if Blatter made some sort of offer to Blazer for snitching on him for it. If Blatter wins the election there's a chance there could be a re-vote but I don't know how likely it is, of course Blatter may do it just to piss off bin Hammam. If bin Hammam (a Qatari) wins I don't think there would be any chance of a re-vote.
Imagine if Israel somehow qualifies for the World Cup in 2022. It's a long way off, but not out of the realm of possibility. Will Qatar then be forced to lift the ban on Israelis travelling there? That also eliminates anybody with an Israeli passport from travelling there for the best sporting tournament on the planet.
I hope Qatar loses it as well, any nation that hosts should be held to a standard of acceptance for other nations....and rights for it's own citizens, men, women, other ethnicities.... DD
Doubt it. Qatar was one of the few (might be the only) Arab countries to normalize relations after the Oslo Accords. There used to be an embassy in Tel Aviv and an Israeli one in Doha. Qatar later cut off relations after the second intifada. Even recently Israeli officials have traveled to Qatar when they had negotiations to restart relations a few years back. They'd just give the Israeli players permits and call it a day although you're probably right that Israelis wouldn't be able to travel. Then again if Iran had qualified for the 1994 world cup, I wonder how the US would have handled the issue of Iranian tourists.
Lisle Austin (Interim CONCACAF president): Chuck Blazer is "terminated as general secretary of CONCACAF with immediate effect." CONCACAF: You can't fire people, dumbass. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-01/blazer-remains-at-concacaf-after-president-fires-him-without-authority.html England tried to delay the vote for FIFA president but failed, meaning Blatter will be president for another four years. Also, more members want the Qatar World Cup bid examined and the voting process may change. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/06/01/bloomberg1376-LM20SI1A74E901-5PSD93RGQOQ17THR53V5VB1A7E.DTL This seems like something from the Onion. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,12040_6961867,00.html
You can't make s*** like that up. It's absolutely incredible how inept the leadership of world football is. There is no logical reason why a country like Qatar should be hosting the World Cup. There is only one possible way they could have won the bid and that's by cheating. It has nothing to do with their religion. It has everything to do with soccer. You need alcohol to fully appreciate the beautiful Brazilian women? WTF is wrong with you?
Jack Warner released an email from Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke where he pretty much came out and said that Qatar bought the World Cup. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12010_6960083,00.html On one hand it's very amusing to see how screwed up the organization is, but on the other hand it's really depressing to think that this group of corrupt men control the game and there's really no hope of any change coming. Bin Hammam and Warner will be sacrificial lambs in this case but the rest of FIFA will continue on as they always have, with Blatter leading the way.
