Football (Soccer) Thread

[Liep]

5-2 now Roma just needs a 3-0 victory at home. That'd be some route to the finals.

[Josquius]

Bit of a collapse there.

[celedhring]

You only get one miracle per campaign, Roma already spent their mulligan with us.

Liverpool will get to the final where I assume they'll be trounced by Real Madrid. Hard times to be a Catalan.

[Maladict]

You only get one miracle per campaign, Roma already spent their mulligan with us.

Liverpool will get to the final where I assume they'll be trounced by Real Madrid. Hard times to be a Catalan.

Germany might be your friend this time round.

[Valmy]

Germany might be your friend this time round.

Unlike 1936-1939?

[Maladict]

Germany might be your friend this time round.

Unlike 1936-1939?

This thread needed a civil war hijack.

[Liep]

"The U.S. has put together a STRONG bid w/ Canada & Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. It would be a shame if countries that we always support were to lobby against the U.S. bid. Why should we be supporting these countries when they don't support us (including at the United Nations)?"

So threatening other countries to vote for the American bid.. well it's right up FIFA's alley except it's more obvious and brutish than simple bribes. Also it takes something special to give FIFA the opportunity to play the ethics card.

[Duque de Bragança]

"Strong bid" with a World Cup all over the continent, making it almost impossible for a fan to follow a team, unless wealthy. Great for the working class which loves the sport! 
Makes Morocco's bid an ever stronger one.  It would bankrupt or strain at least the country but who cares, best time zone and close, for Europe.

[The Larch]

"Strong bid" with a World Cup all over the continent, making it almost impossible for a fan to follow a team, unless wealthy. Great for the working class which loves the sport! 

Since when has that mattered at all? If they wanted to make it easier for fans to attend games they'd put tickets at a reasonable price, rather than the astronomical ones they offer.

[celedhring]

Group stages are usually held at the same city, so geographic dispersion isn't that big of a deal until the knockouts.

Also, we just won the league. 

[Duque de Bragança]

"Strong bid" with a World Cup all over the continent, making it almost impossible for a fan to follow a team, unless wealthy. Great for the working class which loves the sport! 

Since when has that mattered at all? If they wanted to make it easier for fans to attend games they'd put tickets at a reasonable price, rather than the astronomical ones they offer.

I recall somewhat reasonable prices for Germany 2006, at least for the opening stage. Most expensive was 100 €. I don't remember prices for France '98 but most were hoarded by speculators, which seems to happen less this time.
Prices are much higher in Russia this year, but then it includes free train rides, if booked early, like 25 to 40h from Moscow to Sochi. It does not exactly  compensate, even with the free visa to Russia by registering for the FAN-ID, which is compulsory anyways.

[Duque de Bragança]

Group stages are usually held at the same city, so geographic dispersion isn't that big of a deal until the knockouts.

Not really, judging by previous World Cups. With a middle-sized country like France or Germany with a good and cheap transportation network, it's doable but it's already more of a problem in Russia, much more so in a North American continental bid.

[Duque de Bragança]

Speaking of World Cup '98, Platini's finest hour. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5744297/Michel-Platini-admits-draw-1998-World-Cup-fixed-make-France-Brazil-final-possible.html

'When we organised the calendar, we did a little trickery': Disgraced former UEFA president Michel Platini admits 1998 World Cup draw was designed to increase chances of France-Brazil final

Host nation France won the 1998 World Cup by beating Brazil 3-0 in the final
Michel Platini has admitted steps were taken to ensure the final was more likely
The former UEFA president revealed 'a little trickery' was used by organisers
Platini claimed 'it was the dream of everyone' to see a France-Brazil final

By JAIME WRIGHT FOR MAILONLINE

Michel Platini has revealed that 'little tricks' were in play for the draw of the 1998 World Cup to try to ensure that France didn't meet Brazil until the final.

The tournament was hosted and won by the French, who defeated Brazil 3-0 in the final at the Stade de France to seal their first World Cup win.

However, former UEFA president Platini has said that the draw for the tournament was made in such a way that the two nations couldn't possibly meet until the final, so long as they won all their group games.

Michel Platini revealed the 1998 World Cup draw was made to ensure a France-Brazil final

'When we organised the calendar, we did a little trickery,' Platini told France Bleu Sport. 'If we finished first in the group and Brazil finished first, we could not meet before the final.'

Heading into the tournament, Brazil were ranked No 1 in the FIFA rankings, with France second. The host nation were drawn into group C, while Brazil were pulled out of the hat in group A meaning they would appear on opposite sides of the knock-out draw providing they both finished top of their respective groups. Which they did.

Brazil won two of their three matches - with a final game defeat by Norway dampening the start of their tournament - while France stormed their way through a group consisting of Denmark, South Africa and Saudi Arabia, conceding only one goal.


France won the tournament by beating Brazil 3-0 in the final at the Stade de France

ROUTES TO THE FINAL
France
Group stages

South Africa - 3-0 (W)

Saudi Arabia - 4-0 (W)

Denmark - 2-1 (W)

Round of 16

Paraguay - 1-0 aet

Quarter-finals

Italy - 0-0 (4-3 pens)

Semi-finals

Croatia - 2-1

Brazil
Group stages

Scotland - 2-1 (W)

Morocco - 3-0 (W)

Norway - 2-1 (L)

Round of 16

Chile - 4-1

Quarter-finals

Denmark - 3-2

Semi-finals

Holland - 1-1 (4-2 pens)

France entered the final in the better form of the two, having not lost throughout their route through the tournament, which told in the final.

Zinedine Zidane scored twice before half-time before Emmanuel Petit netted the third in stoppage-time to secure the win.

Spectators and organisers got the final showdown they wanted to see and the host nation came away with the victory.

Platini, who was then co-president of the French Organising Committee of the World (CFO), spoke openly in the interview about how it was 'the dream of everyone' that the two global powerhouses would meet in Saint-Denis.

He continued: 'We did not get bored for six years to organise the World Cup to not do some little shenanigans.

'You think that the other hosts did not do it for their World Cups? France-Brazil in the final, it was the dream of everyone.'



France Bleu Sport
✔
@francebleusport
Coupe du Monde 98 : la "petite magouille" de Platini pour que France et Brésil s'évitent jusqu'à la finale > https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/football/coupe-du-monde-98-la-petite-magouille-de-michel-platini-pour-un-france-bresil-en-finale-1526569206 ...

The former UEFA president said 'we did a little trickery' to make the final possible

Platini described how the draw was designed so the two were unlikely to meet until the final

Platini claimed it was the final that everyone wanted to see and dreamed of seeing

The 62-year-old is still fighting a ban issued by the FIFA ethics committee in 2015. Platini was banned from football for financial wrongdoing after it was alleged that he received a 'disloyal payment', reported to be in the region of £1.25million, from his former FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter.

The payment was made more than eight years after the work was done, and it proved to be the downfall of both individuals, with Blatter receiving a six-year ban also.

Platini's respective ban was originally set at eight years but has since been cut to six and then four in 2016, after which he announced he would resign from his post at UEFA. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was not convinced by the legitimacy of the payment made by Blatter.

Platini, whose term as president of European football's governing body wasn't due to expire until March 2019, also lost his candidacy for the 2016 FIFA presidential elections to succeed Blatter as a result.

He also had an appeal rejected by the Swiss Federal Court in July 2017, who upheld the ruling issued by the CAS the year previous, and the ban still stands.

Platini (right) is still fighting a four-year ban from the game for financial wrongdoing

His most recent mode of appeal has been to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights - in January - where he continues to protest his innocence.

According to Sky Sports, he said: 'I want justice. I haven't done anything wrong. I want my integrity to be acknowledged.'

The disgraced former UEFA boss went on to describe himself as a 'victim'.

He added: 'I consider myself to be a victim, not only of an injustice, but also a political conspiracy by FIFA to stop me becoming president of this institution.

'I am fighting first of all for my honour and against injustice. I want my innocence to be recognised, that's my absolute priority.'

[Josephus]

Are we gonna try and have a pool this year?

[Grey Fox]

France 98's victory is the day a Celebrate the most in my life.

What a day!