FIFA officials arrested in Switzerland on corruption charges

[Berkut]

Blatter in his opening speech: these are the deeds of a few individuals; we can't allow the reputation of football to be dragged into the dirt by these people; only a small minority in all of football are corrupt etc. etc.

Well he has a point.  The vast majority of people involved in the sport are not corrupt.  It is just the small minority who run FIFA that are of concern.

He is uniquely positioned to comment on just how many people in FIFA are corrupt.

[DGuller]

Blatter in his opening speech: these are the deeds of a few individuals; we can't allow the reputation of football to be dragged into the dirt by these people; only a small minority in all of football are corrupt etc. etc.

Well he has a point.  The vast majority of people involved in the sport are not corrupt.  It is just the small minority who run FIFA that are of concern.

He is uniquely positioned to comment on just how many people in FIFA are corrupt.

[Admiral Yi]

It's smart to try to spin it as an attack on futbol itself instead of the organization.

Is anyone aware of any internet chatter *defending* FIFA?  Besides Putin that is.

[The Minsky Moment]

It's smart to try to spin it as an attack on futbol itself instead of the organization.

I guess although it presumes extreme levels of gullibility on the part of listeners.

[Admiral Yi]

I guess although it presumes extreme levels of gullibility on the part of listeners.

Can you think of a better way to play this hand?

[The Minsky Moment]

I guess although it presumes extreme levels of gullibility on the part of listeners.

Can you think of a better way to play this hand?

Nope.

[frunk]

I guess although it presumes extreme levels of gullibility on the part of listeners.

Clearly it is part of a plot by US sports leagues (using their immeasurable influence over the US Government) to tarnish the competition.

[DGuller]

Seems like a plot to take 2018 World Cup away from Russia under shaky pretenses.

[Syt]

The whole rotten structure needs to be torn down. Won't happen though.

Where do you stop? I think UEFA isn't much better than FIFA, and I wouldn't want to vouch for German DFB, or the officials of big clubs in Germany, tbh.

[Admiral Yi]

Where do you stop? I think UEFA isn't much better than FIFA, and I wouldn't want to vouch for German DFB, or the officials of big clubs in Germany, tbh.

Make it a state responsibility.  The countries with rotten politics will remain rotten, but at least you get clean reps from countries with clean politics.

[Barrister]

The whole rotten structure needs to be torn down. Won't happen though.

Where do you stop? I think UEFA isn't much better than FIFA, and I wouldn't want to vouch for German DFB, or the officials of big clubs in Germany, tbh.

The wide variety of organizations involved in soccer is positively dizzying.

For my kids U6 team there's the following hierarchy of organizations:

Twin Brooks Community League (not strictly soccer)
South-West Edmonton Minor Soccer Association
Edmonton Minro Soccer Association
Alberts Soccer Association
Soccer Canada
FIFA

[DGuller]

Where does CONCACAF fit into this?

[Barrister]

Good point - I forgot them.  Inbetween Soccer Canada and FIFA.

There's probably another couple levels I'm forgetting too.

[Berkut]

A good friend of mine is a FIFA official, or rather, he is a soccer official who is FIFA certified at the local youth/school level.

One thing that is kind of cool about FIFA from an officiating standpoint is that there is a clear advancement path, since there is a clear organizational chain from youth all the way up to (theoretically) the World Cup.

[celedhring]

The whole rotten structure needs to be torn down. Won't happen though.

Where do you stop? I think UEFA isn't much better than FIFA, and I wouldn't want to vouch for German DFB, or the officials of big clubs in Germany, tbh.

The wide variety of organizations involved in soccer is positively dizzying.

For my kids U6 team there's the following hierarchy of organizations:

Twin Brooks Community League (not strictly soccer)
South-West Edmonton Minor Soccer Association
Edmonton Minro Soccer Association
Alberts Soccer Association
Soccer Canada
FIFA

That just seems a pretty straight-forward geographic pyramid.