FIFA Meltdown - All Whites for WC 2026

It's ok Sam has it covered...

http://www.radiolive.co.nz/AUDIO-Former-All-White-...

ESPN gives a good overview

Double Post

Terrible wasn't it?

Anything to do with the European sect is all good, but when it comes to South America, Asia and Africa, he's ok to make comments like 'deepest, darkest Africa', and 'Prince something something Ali from Jordan or somewhere'.

And he couldn't see the contradiction when relaying the story that a few years ago Blatter apparently promised Platini the Leadership next time around (this time) and then when it came to to it - he decided to stand again! But that story is ok to tell and shows the apparent devious side of Blatter as in he has shafted Platini. Can you imagine his take on the story if you replaced Platini with an official from Nigeria or Korea.

Plunket wasn't a lot better and showed himself to have little idea about football.

radiolive in clueless fudgewit shock.

In a nation where our leading news sources are Paul Henry and Mike Hoskings what do you expect?  We've become a nation of Fox media.

Radio NZ have a few interviews on the issue:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201756176/world-football-in-turmoil-after-arrests

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/274833/no-'taint'-on-nz-football-tournament

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/274809/prosecutor-officials-corrupted-football

Well they're all wobbling. There could be a few bare billboards at our grounds for our Fifa World Cup.

see latest on www.bbcnews.com - 'Fifa arrests spark sponsor concerns'

Visa are apparently "considering their position" in light of the arrests and allegations.

Increased the profile of the tournament though.  I hear Fairfax have even sent a reporter to cover it now.

Didn't you say a few days ago that nz media will only report on this tournament if something bad happens? lol

The Swiss authorities are treating FIFA as the victim lol  There you go, Sepp will be in the clear.....

Fairfax still has reporters?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cf...

Press looked pathetic.

Of course FIFA are going to centralise and tightly control public comments - any big organisation would.

Of course the press are going to ask questions about the scandal at U20 press conference - fair enough to try.

But when it was clear questions about the scandal wouldn't be answered, as you'd expect, then the press should have moved on to the tournament instead of sulking like a pack of petulant children.

I wonder how many had actually prepared questions about the tournament. 

in my job, sometimes I deal with people who have made a bit of coin. Most of my clients however are like me mortgaged and middle class. The middle class guys use email to communicate with me. Quite a few of the made guys insist on faxing. Knowing Fifas reliance on the fax, It makes me wonder

errr...

Perhaps AP doesn't know that "made men" means the Mafia in American slang?

I see that the Aussies have announced that they will now voting against Blatter if an election for President proceeds. It is important for NZ to take a stand and now also vote against Blatter.

Even if you stretch your imagination and accept that Blatter has not been involved with corruption, he has been negligent as this has occurred under his watch. I trust that NZ as a country which does not accept corruption will vote against this man.

I fear that if a vote proceeds there will be many who are looking to cover their backsides so they will side with Blatter.

Blog on the Fifa crisis from a Kiwi historic perspective

http://in-the-back-of-the.net/2015/05/28/guest-pos...

Nice one. Cheque's in the post.

The list of suspects so far includes those who would be voting members from several organisations. That in itself says they would've supported him and others who are involved will as well, large blocks of Africa, Asia & North America will be voting for him just to keep the investigation off their own backsides.

I'm amused at the media going on about Blatter's reign as if it was all sweetness and light before then. Havelange was just as big a crook.

I can see Sepp [if he doesn't get indicted] saying that he tried very hard to stamp out corruption within the organisation. He will site the setting up of ethics committees, investigations, the standing down of people arrested etc etc. He will be saying that they have done all they can to root out the evil but are victims themselves and these people were all operating alone and out of greed.

I doubt that he is as lilly white as he states but its amazing that he has managed to carry on for so long without being fingered by someone. How well insulated can he be? This American guy [that looks like Brian Blessed] even wore a wire and managed to stitch up some of these people, how did he not get Sepp as well?

Lots of intrigue here...

Not sure if anyone can help but i keep getting an error on FIFA 15 for Xbox One.

Any ideas?

If NZ abstains from the vote - in a secret ballot (?) - it actually helps Blatter more easily achieve two thirds majority in the first round of voting. Isn't this a case of #everyvotecounts?

I guess it depends how they calculate the 2/3rds, if it is 2/3rds of votes cast then yup helps Blatter, but if it is 2/3rds of ALL votes (Including Abstentions) then makes no difference.

Surely it is 2/3 of votes cast.

If NZ votes SeppTIC, then based on what's happened this week, It may have a bearing on our own Sponsors here in NZ, they may pull out - what sponsor want's to be tainted with corruption. 

So yup in Statutes it states 2/3rds of votes recorded.

...because the likes of Coke and Adidas are ethically sound themselves.

It's ok our national side is sponsored by Nike, I hear they are squeaky clean, wait one of the allegations includes them...Fudge!

Exactly. 

Also, if the last 30 years and the relevant revelations in that time have taught us anything it is that you don't get to be a FIFA VP and be clean.  Prince Ali is talks a big game but do we really think he got to be a FIFA VPon a campign of honesty and openess?

NZF in a really awkward situation here. Morally they need to vote for Ali.But just because Ali is running on a 'change' platform, there is no guarantee that will be the case.

OFC likely to get an easier WCQ path with Blatter in charge. The financial implications of that can not be understated. Voting for Ali would put us offside with many of OFC nations given the money poured into the region recently. Which can have other implications when the OFC exco vote on various issues. Without being on the OFC exco then NZ is in a pretty sharkty position if they piss off all other OFC nations.

It would be the height of incongruity to think a hereditary monarch could lead the way to greater democracy.  

But maybe Ali can float like a butterfly. His best selling point is he is not Blatter.

Interestingly, in NZ Football's Beyond Football document they cite Fifa corruption as one of the threats they face in their "Situation Assessment" in the appendices.

Oh dear, what will they do? 

Play the O-League in one nation, denigrate the Nations Cup to a crappy tournament on one-pitch in Honiara, waste money on the ego-stroking 'Presidents Cup' ?