FIFA Confederations Cup 2017

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/91358991/anthony-hudson-says-barbarouses-roux-right-in-contention-for-confederations-cup

Some good news from Liam Graham's brother on a Chesterfield fans' forum on his rehabilitation from injury:

Post from April 26. Liam has been receiving first class medical treatment in Dubai.

"In the immediate future, he is aiming to be fit for the Confederations Cup if selected to represent New Zealand in Russia, against Russia, Portugal and Mexico. This would be an honour for him, and something I’m sure you as Chesterfield fans would be proud of, to have a player at the Confederations Cup, and I hope you will support him to reach that goal.

... No Liam is not contracted for next season but hopes to remain at the club. Caldwell does now know who he is and wants to see him play in pre-season before making a decision on him as far as I know."

I heard on the Radio Racing Sport this morning that a contingent of 50 plus NZ Football  staff / board members / hangers on are going to the Confererations Cup.

Just another example of incompetence being rewarded with a "Junket"

But no money to fully fund other programs

I hope that's a typo and its only 5.

Hell does NZF even have that many employees?

On the other hand it could be that FIFA pays for 50 VIPs from each country or Russia is paying for it or something like that. Not that it would be out of character for NZF to do it. Neither explanation would surprise me

or when they said a contingent of 50 they included the 23 players in that number

I was in St Petes about a month ago, and it was great fun. Brutally cold (as low as -7) but that shouldn't be a problem in June. Getting a visa was nowhere near the hassle it was made out to be. Getting a smile out of a local was almost impossible - although they were all perfectly polite, they were not a lot of fun. I suppose having Borscht 3 meals a day for your whole life will do that to you.

So much vodka.

In Russia, smiling at a stranger is considered a sign of mental illness. It's like mirror-universe Thailand.

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/0...

Football: Blazers outnumber players in Confederations campaign by Michael Burgess

I now understand why football subs cost $300+...to pay for shark like this. 

Trying to think of 23 staff positions necessary (excluding the three board members and CEO).

1. Manager

2. Assisstant Coach

3. Assistant Coach

4. Goalkeeping Coach

5. Doctor

6. Physio

7. Masseuse

8. Video Analyst

9 Video Analyst

10. Logistics Manager

11. Logistics Assistant/Advance person

12. Logistics Assistant/Advance person

13. Psychologist

14. Kitman

15. Assistant Kitman?

16. ?

17. ?

18. ?

19. ?

20. ?

21. ?

22. ?

23. ?

Job for the boys.

To be fair, it seems 40 (and possibly the ceo and board members on top of that) are paid for by Fifa...

Lucky. Else subs would probably be $400. 

Filled in the remaining blanks. 

Plus legal team obviously.

And the fax machine technician

I don't see what the big deal is, the article says Fifa pays for 40 and its on par with what the other teams are taking. 

Maybe we take our own translators too?

For me the issue is that you have a squad of 23 so with just the ones FIFA is paying for we could still have 17 support staff. Even if you chuck in a couple of VIPs for schmoozing then that's 15 support staff. I can't see how paying for 10 more to travel on top of that can be justified. Don't forget it wasn't long ago we were asking our age group sides to pay their own way to their World Cups. Or the recent controversy around reimbursement for the amateurs in the Football Ferns. If you take a rough punt at $5k per person to travel (it's probably more) then NZF are just pissing away $50k. I'm convinced that money could be better spent elsewhere.

The refs say that FIFA pays for 40 flights from New Zealand. There is a good chance this is just a cash grant equivalent to the cost of 40 flights. Given we have a number of players in Europe, we'd reap some savings in that regard. And that could end up paying for a couple of extras. Although accommodation and other flights between warm up games aren't covered so there would be quite a cost there that would NZF needs to cover. 

Regardless 21 hanger ons seems like a lot, and as CT says, doesn't really seem like good value for money. 

And recall that NZF took a lawyer and their CEO to a one off game in NCL. So for a organisation that often claims to have no money, from the outside there doesn't seem to be much consideration placed on value for money spending.

I think NZFA should explain this in a little bit more detail than "FIFA are paying for 40". 2nd Best rightly points out there are likely to be some costs not covered and they [NZFA] need to justify to their membership why and what the benefits are for taking these extra people. It is not their money and they need to be accountable.

Also NZF didn't take 40 players and staff to South Africa in 09. It was something like 37. The last 3 spots were gifted to a couple of journos. 

Russia is extremely expensive. The accomodation will be US400-500 per person a night. Meals and transport etc will be US200 per person a day. I reckon each person will be costing $15k.

Apparently the St Petersburg stadium pitch where the AW's will play two matches is a complete mess and the next Russian league game scheduled for it has been moved:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/9...

A dodgy pitch could suit the AW's more than their more cultured opponents?

I guess we'll go back to plan A of lump up it forward, hack the opponents.

Luckily we are well trained at that ?

RT Russian state television website and also broadcast on Sky TV in the Basic package, a good place for Confederations Cup reports.

Here NZ Embassy official Cecelia Warren talks about NZ at the Confederations Cup:

https://www.rt.com/sport/387158-new-zealand-russia...

Sports section of RT website:

https://www.rt.com/sport/

RT Confeds Cup specific website for latest news etc.:

https://www.rt.com/fifa2018/

Guide to online coverage with links such as guide to host cities, host stadia guide etc.

https://www.rt.com/sport/388740-fifa-confederation...

Russian preliminary squad of 30 announced.

Contains two Brazilians and a German:

https://www.rt.com/fifa2018/articles/fernandes-rus...

All play for Russian clubs, except for the German-Russian Neustadter who plays for Fenerbahce.

Two senior players caught out partying on $US 275,000 of champagne during Russia's Euro 2016 shambles last year have been dropped.

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/reid-ruled-out-of-confeds-cup/

Next Friday for heading to Europe, June 8 for the CC.

Well I'm surprised.