FIFA has finally punished someone in a corruption case.
No, really, the previously unthinkable happened on Saturday after FIFA banned Mohamed Bin Hammam from soccer for life for attempting to bribe voters in the FIFA Presidential Election.
The decision wasn't really a surprise, and Bin Hammam took no part in the proceeding, skipping the Friday hearing to discuss the charges against him. The former president of the Asian Football Federation, and the leading figure behind Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup is planning to appeal the decision.
As much as everyone would love to see the decision as a step toward FIFA cleaning up its act, there's still a lingering feeling the decision was more about payback by Sepp Blatter for Bin Hammam's attempt to dethrone him at FIFA.
What do you think of the news? Think FIFA will ever truly clean up its act? What would you do if you were banned from soccer for life?
Share your thoughts below.
Ba-da-bump!
Australia didn’t finish second in the voting, though. The USA did. And reportedly, even Blatter voted for the US.
There was deffently way more then 1 guy invalved in the bribes. The votes need to all be done again and the people that they know excepted bribes all need to be baned, Jack Warner included.
US or Australia would be fine, jut not Qatar.
Entitled much? You think Australia didn’t work for the bid just as much as the US did? FIFA would look better to the world by giving it to Australia.
as long as you get cable.
»What would you do if you were banned from soccer for life?«
Uh, could I still watch it on the TV?
I would not have a problem with either Aussies or Yanks getting the WC. Either country would put together a great world cup. As long as they strip Qatar of the WC, I am fine with it. The whole vote was a joke and there’s no way Qatar finishes anywhere near top 3 bids on the merit.
Nothing a little more cash won’t make go away.
Blatter still reigns. Qatar is still hosting a World Cup. This means nothing. Just a publicity stunt.
Bin Hammam Banned From Soccer For Life, yeah u heard me right don’t even try kicking a ball in a park, ur done buddy.
payback??? nah, c’mon now…Marc says dripping in sarcasm
Until Jack Warner and Sepp Blatter get banned for life, it means nothing.
actuallly I agree that he us a fall guy for all the other corrupt members of FIFA. But I think this action actually begs the question, “What about the Qatar bid?”
If you give it to the Aussies you’re replacing an Asian fed with another Asian fed, they’ve never hosted it before, and we know they’d do a good job. /so I can see it. But I see your point too. US came in second and Blazer was the one who did the dirty work that brought Hammam and Warner down, two serious boils on FIFA’s face.
I tend to agree with this too.
I’m still holding out for “FIFA banned for life by FIFA”.
Not that I’m happy about the fact that Qatar won the WC (when Blatter pulled the “Qatar” card out of the envelope I threw the remote across my room…), but in actuality Bin Hamman wasn’t on the Qatar bid committee. Now, I’m not saying there wasn’t anything shady about the bid, but to equate Bin Hamman’s clear bribe attempt at the CONCACAF convention with violations in Qatar’s bid (which were hinted at, but without any real evidence) doesn’t really compute.
In a normal investigation, once it is proven that an individual was committing bribery, it is reasonable to look into his other business dealings relating to FIFA.
For FIFA to have any kind of credibility, they should immediately look into Bin Hammams role in the award of the World Cup to Qatar.
It won’t happen of course – FIFA will trumpet this as a success against corruption and keep their eyes closed and noses pinched tightly.
Since it was FIFA that banned him for life, doesn’t this really mean that Bin Hammam is completely innocent?
Awesome. Now He has time to come fix the NFL.
WTF?! I hope that was a joke: “give it to the Aussies or something” NO! Give it to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the country who fought for it for years!
Yep, I’m sure that vote was clean as a whistle. Give it to the Aussies or something.
So this is what you get if you run against Don Blatter? Word to the wise, just look the other way and take the silver not the lead.
Can FIFA do us a solid and ban Gulati for life as well? Maybe we can ask Don Blatter on the day of his daughter’s wedding?
The question that nobody seems to address is what happens to Qatar’s WC bid. Is it b/c they know nothing will get done, or is it just that there is no actual evidence of bribery in that case?
No, it will be from the Quatari FA. We got the WC, now fall on your sword and we’ll take care of you. But seriously how does this not raise even more questions about the bid. If he was willing to bribe in the presidential election wouldn’t it be more likely that there was bribery in the bid?
I bet some how he will receive finacial benifets for the rest of his life from FIFA.
100% correct. This is even more of a farce now IMHO.
They have a ten year deal. You think Barca’s going to let them out of it? Unless it can be proven that this was a quid pro quo for a Spanish vote (which everyone suspects) Barcelona will be happy to cash the checks.
bin hammam is a convenient fall guy, so that fifa can create the appearance of doing something to avoid digging deaper or addressing the cloud around the quatar bid
The only way to really put this issue to bed is to reverse the ridiculous decision to award the WC to Qatar.
Ives, ever since this started no one has addressed if this will affect the Qatari foundations sponsorship of Barcelona?