A week before the FIFA presidential election is set to take place, one of the candidates and another high-powered FIFA executive have been implicated in a corruption scandal by an unlikely whistleblower.
Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Asian Football Confederation president and challenger to Sepp Blatter, and three others — including CONCACAF president Jack Warner — were reportedly outed to FIFA by CONCACAF secretary general Chuck Blazer. The allegations surround meetings held between Bin Hammam and members of the Caribbean Football Union two weeks ago in regard to the upcoming election, according to a FIFA statement.
The accused will be subject to a FIFA ethics committee hearing set for Sunday.
(UPDATE: Bin Hammam has responded to the allegations via his Web site. "I completely deny any allegations of wrongdoing either intentionally or unknowingly while I was in the Caribbean," he wrote. Read the rest of his statement here.)
What do you think of this development? What do you hope/expect to come out of this?
Share your thoughts below.
They are all corrupt. They just care of the money they just destroying the beautiful game.
edit-It’s actually not premature to label him as corrupt. It’s widely known by anyone that follows Concacaf and Fifa that Warner is as corrupt as the other big lads at Fifa. Warner is more brazen than all the others combined.
To imply kickbacks are as foreign in the USA as they are commonplace in other countries and cultures is a bit mighty of you sir.
Warner and Blazer must have a trick up their sleeve because Chuck has been Warner’s consigliere for decades now.
Bottlcaps, I love how you say “While it would be premature to label Warner as corrupt. He does play fast and loose with ethics and FIFA rules and policies.
That being said, I believe that when you come from countries, societies and cultures that kickback and “mordidas” are considered as the price of business and are not seen as corrupt and as expected as are tips here in the US, it can only be expected that this would reach into the FIFA (and Concacaf) hierarchy.”
It’s actually not premature to label him as corrupt. It’s widely known by anyone that follows Concacaf and Fifa that Warner is as corrupt as Jack W and the other big lads at Fifa. Warner is just not as stupid nor as brazen as Warner.
To imply kickbacks are as foreign in the USA as they are commonplace in other countries and cultures is a big mighty of you sir.
While it would be premature to label Warner as corrupt. He does play fast and loose with ethics and FIFA rules and policies.
That being said, I believe that when you come from countries, societies and cultures that kickback and “mordidas” are considered as the price of business and are not seen as corrupt and as expected as are tips here in the US, it can only be expected that this would reach into the FIFA (and Concacaf) hierarchy.
However, despite being commonplace in third world societies, FIFA administrators are expected to abide by FIFA rules of conduct and are expected to uphold those rules as a part of the price for holding office.
The fact it is no secret that many of the FIFA board members use their positions to enrich themselves was brought out in the deliberations for World Cup selection. That FIFA tolerated many of its members taking “gifts” for thier home federations as part of the price of thier vote was almost silently ignored by FIFA shows that corruption is not viewed as a troubling premise as it is here.
Chuck Blazer did the right thing. He will pay for it though. We need the ethics (and sanity) restored to FIFA. If booting out a out some of the third world board members, will do this, then so be it.
“I think there is a snowball’s chance in Hades of having a revote.”
Ao you’re saying there’s still a chance?
😉
This is still a better outcome than Qatar holding the WC and the briber in chief heading the FIFA after buying the votes from Warner.
He voted for Russia because he did not want to vote for Spain/Portugal after they exchanged their votes with Qatar. England with it’s measly single vote was never a contender.
Are you suggesting guilt by association?
Wise choice by Arena…Sarcasm
There will ba a re-vote. Book it!
As awful as Blatter is, he was one of the USA votes in December. He hated the idea of a wc in Qatar. If he can manage a re-vote, he’ll do it. More $$$ in the USA. People have been asking why Gulati and the USSF has been so quiet….This is why
Judging by the size of his waistline, food is the only thing needed to bribe Glazer into anything.
No way…he knows he can never defeat the Caribbean voting bloc. As long as they are included, someone from one of those federations will always be head of CONCAAF.
This whole thing smells like Warner and Blazer are trying to help Blatter by discrediting Bin Hammam right before the vote, without having to drag FIFA through a 2022 revote. Its a win-win for Blatter really, your rival loses, you don’t have to do a re-vote because he lost and “corruption has been handled”, and you can go back to the way things have been.
That said, maybe there is a VERY small chance Blazer went rogue and is trying to burn everything down, but I doubt that. Too calculating in my mind.
he said Blazer wants to the revote. However, Blatter did say if the allegations against Qatar are found to be true, they would possibly revote. But we all know the likelihood of that happening…
My take is:
–ultimately it’s probably a good thing for soccer and increases the pressure for some degree of cleanup or improvement.
–short term, this is a disaster for the USA.
Here’s my thinking:
1. No real reform even in the best scenario. Folks, most FA’s are cesspools of corruption. This especially true of South America (read Franklyn Foer’s chapter about the Brasilian “Big Hats” for instance), Central America and Africa. I think in those 3 areas, you’d be pressed to find a total of just 5 FA’s that are run ethically and fairly. FIFA isn’t going to become clean. Maybe less outright corrupt. Maybe the Exec Committee will be come less about “how can you help me individually?” and more focused on FA’s and the game. But corruption in FIFA ain’t going to be reduced massively even in the most optimistic scenario (that still has a hint of reality to it).
2. How does this hurt the USA?
–if Warner stays in power, here is how it plays out: Sunil has already said that we won’t be part of the CONCACAF voting block (which is a slap at Warner and also contradicts what he’s said publicly). Now Blazer turns him in. Warner got to where he is in part b/c of payback and his ability to pull together other small minnows to promise them that he’ll look out for their interests (mostly individual FA members, not countries) so that Mexico and especially the big bad gringos of the USA don’t take control of everything. I could see a series of decisions like…
….Gold Cup moves out of the USA
….referee assignments that are especially odious
…no support for USA proposals to FIFA, no support for US officials (no US refs in the CONCACAF referee pool or none recommended for the WC for instance, US experiments with rules like an extra referee or goal line technology don’t get supported). Warner is a petty a-hole and he won’t take this sitting down.
–if Warner gets removed, and Bin Hammenn is weakened or removed as a candidate that Blatter benefits. First, the primary way that Blatter has built and maintained power is by appealing to smaller countries (and giving lots of influence to places like T&T or Saudi Arabia or other minnows that aren’t much on the world scene in terms of football power). So Blatter might take a few cosmetic changes but it would actually reinforce his “play to the minnows to gain and hold power” approach. Additionally, he’s not going to do a revote on Qatar. If anything, we might see a deal where if keeping the WC in Qatar was unnacceptable,to buy over UEFA he might throw it to England. But to take it from Qatar and do a re-vote doesn’t mean it helps our chances. Warners allies in Concacaf would be against us out of spite. Middle Eastern and Arabic countries would make us the bad guy. I think the country who might benefit the most would be Australia (in terms of a WC vote). But in any case, it’s Blatter that put this system in place and kicking out Bin Hammen doesn’t help us.
hahahahahahaha, sparky… 🙂
Bruce Arena would let David Beckham miss the MLS Cup final to attend the revote and represent England.
Except it gives credibility to the Qatari bid whistle blower.
Say again? The Saudis gonna gobble it up? You’re not convinced, huh? Well, that settles it.
Revote on 2022?! One thing you all are missing, this particular corruption charge likely has nothing to do with 2022. It stems from a meeting with Bin Hamman about his Presidential bid, months after the 2022 vote was bought, paid for, and completed. Even if caught red handed in bribery, the object of the bribe was support for his pres nomination, nothing to do with 2022 and no grounds to call for a re-vote.
I’m not convinced Qatar will be a country in 2022. WC will end up in the USA.
So the last couple of days I learned:
That Blatter himself was bribed, but never told anyone.
He won’t disclose who, but he is going to be tough on corruption. really he is…
As a first step, he will do an investigation which the Washington Post says might cause his competition to be barred as an election candidate.
hmmmmm.
I want to believe that Blazer is being sincere and truthful, but his longstanding (and recent) support for Warner, despite his claimed knowledge of Warner’s corrupt practices, raises some credibility issues. The optimist in me says that Warner may finally get his comeuppance, but he’s seemed bullet-proof in the past.
I think there is a snowball’s chance in Hades of having a revote.
Wahl wasn’t a serious candidate. He was just trying to make a point. FIFA isn’t going to pick a reporter.
Blatter wants a revote for 2022? Where do you come by that nugget?
I’m surprised by the reaction here. Color me naive, but this seems like our boy Chuck doing the right thing, something he seems to have been thinking of doing for some time.
OK, and obviously improving his (and our) stature in the world, but still.
REVOTE!! We are not far off from the original vote. Revote!! This was a rare situation anyways, voting for 2 World Cups in the same session. Suspend or remove the perpetrators from the vote, and REVOTE! If it still goes to Qatar then they have won fair and square. If not it will punish all of those who spent money to buy votes and serve as a lesson towards the risks of trying to buy World Cups.
This is like when 1 evil dictator gets overthrown by somebody close to him, who turns out to be another evil dictator.
NO Honor among thieves Lolol HA Ha!
I am not sure that FIFA would take 2022 away from Qatar. I think the rest of FIFA would want to hide any more corruption by pretending Qatar won most of the votes in a fair process.
Conspiracy Theory! – Soccer House supports Blatter for yet another re-election. In return FIFA suddenly finds that Blazer’s accusations hold water and Qatar loses 2022 World Cup to….USA
Blatter wins – He “tried” to give Muslim World, World Cup but “his hands were tied” due to corruption charges. He retains leadership of FIFA and becomes even richer.
USA 2022 is most lucrative World Cup ever further lining the pockets of those in power.
The cogs turn, the beat plays on and nothing changes…What would Bruce Arena do?
I guess time will tell, I think that any one who goes against Blatter will be removed…..
Just wait…six months from now Blazer and Warner will still have their same cushy positions and Blatter will be on another 4 year term.
Everyone knows Warner is a crook any way. Not surprising in the slightest.
Maybe Wahl can start small and take over from Warner!
Excuse me, but what makes you think Warner would be removed from power over these charges? Dude was caught redhanded stealing Fifa tickets an resale them through his company or whatever and nothing came of it.
HOLY SH…
WOW!!!!! This is gonna be fun. Must have some compromising photos of Chuckie or else he wants to be the next King.
Well the Russian Federation gave him a massive gourmet food spread to get a vote for their bid ;p
If I’m the Secretary General (and good friends) to Jimmy Hoffa, would you be able to deduce that I’m a shady and corrupt individual… I believe that scumbag Chuck is positioning himself to be the head of Concacaf, after he recently backed Warner for another term (Last Month).
That could be true….
Your right warner wants corruption charged against him so he is removed from power…. lol hysterical
I want to like Blazer and believe this is in earnest, but such is the degree of lies and deception within FIFA that I can’t tell if this is just a ploy and Blatter calling in a favor from Blazer
What history of corruption does Blazer have?
I can read, sparky. I can also read between the lines. No way Blazer calls out Warner without it benefiting them both.
Chuck Blazer is trying to bury anyone who can say/trace anything back about his practices. They will be bought out and resign with a gag agreement.
Blazer indited Warner, read the article
I really think it’s farcical that the man (Blazer) who said FIFA wasn’t corrupt gathers proof on Warner (former ally) and Bin Hammam.
However, maybe Warner will finally get kicked from FIFA and in turn Concacaf. That would be the best outcome of all of this (plus if Hammam is found guilty it could open the door to a World Cup hosting revote).
Clear conspiracy between Warner and Blazer. Well documented that they are good friends. Both want Bin Hammam out of running and Blazer wants 2022 re-vote.
Pot, met Kettle.
😮
^that’s my shocked face…