By RYAN TOLMICH
In the wake of the controversy surrounding the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, one of FIFA’s more prominent partners has decided to end their sponsorship agreement.
Sony’s contract with FIFA is set to expire at the end of the year and the company has reportedly opted not to renew the eight-year, $280 million agreement between the two partners.
The company becomes the second high-profile sponsor to end its relationship with FIFA, following the lead of Emirates Airlines. Sony are looking to cut costs, but the company is also reportedly concerned about the negative message sent by FIFA’s lack of transparency.
The decision comes in the wake of FIFA’s announcement that a report concerning the pair of World Cups found no wrongdoing, which attorney Michael Garcia, who spearheaded the effort, disputed.
Here are more news and notes to kickoff your Tuesday morning:
GERMAN LEAGUE PRESIDENT CALLS FOR BLATTER RESIGNATION
German Football League president Reinhard Rauball has seen enough of Sepp Blatter.
Rauball revealed that he personally called Blatter to ask the FIFA president to step down in the wake of controversy surrounding the upcoming World Cups.
“In contrast to others who just do it via the media, I rang up Mr Blatter personally recently and asked him to resign,” Rauball said. “I can’t be accused of holding myself back on this issue. But the decision by the Fifa executive committee in favor of Qatar is not made by Mr Blatter alone – 22 people are entitled to vote.
“Most people just throw up their arms and say ‘that’s very bad’,” Rauball continued, “but that is not enough. We need a prospect. There is no willingness to publish both the Garcia report and the decision of the ethics committee but it is simply unavoidable. The impression remains that people are being protected and that is intolerable.”
Rauball went on to back German FA president Wolfgang Niersbach to “provide solutions” and replace Blatter.
“The league representatives to the DFB committee would all vote for Niersbach as a candidate,” Rauball said. “I am sure there will be no other opinion in the DFB committee either.”
NASRI INSISTS THE FUTURE OF MAN CITY’S STARS REST ON CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PERFORMANCE
Manchester City are dangerously close to crashing out of yet another Champions League competition, prompting Samir Nasri to reveal his concerns for the future.
Nasri stated that he believes that the future of the team’s stars rests on the group’s Champions League performance, which continues Tuesday against Bayern Munich.
“Let’s be honest, with the salary of every player and the level of those players, 90% of the team is world class, then not to qualify from the first round of the Champions League would be a huge blow for the club – and for us as well,” Nasri said. “The thing in the Champions League is not just the talent, it’s not being a team, it’s the experience as well. We need to show we are smart players and to use what happened in the last couple of years to improve. We still have a chance and we need to take it. Now is the moment.”
QUICK KICKS
Police have arrested 95 Ajax fans in Paris ahead of the club’s matchup with Paris Saint-Germain. (REPORT)
Sami Kehdira and Pepe are set to miss Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with FC Basel. (REPORT)
Club Leon manager Gustavo Matosas has resigned. (REPORT)
Huub Stevens is set to return as Stuttgart manager after the resignation of Armin Veh. (REPORT)
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal visited Arjen Robben, but did not see the club’s hierarchy following criticism during his time with the club. (REPORT)
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What do you think of Sony ending their sponsorship? What do you make of Rauball’s comments? How will Man City fare against Bayern Munich?
Share your thoughts below.
An interesting cavaet to remember is that Blatter actually did not vote for the Qatar bid a couple of years back. You have to wonder, an old politically savvy vet like Blatter knew fully well the repurcussions if this corrupt bid went “all the way” so to speak.
I can only imagine the political tug-of-war happening behind the scenes within FIFA with those that are trying to protect themselves (and their pockets) after voting for this Qatari WC bid and those who realize the ‘jig’ is up and are trying to salvage the situation.
Personally, despite my disgust at the pure gaul of this debacle, I think there’s enough noise and protest that the 2022 WC will be pulled from Qatar, now the sponsors are pulling their money – that will eventually trump the will of some corrupted bureacrats. A new vote should take place from the existing bids (not starting the expensive, time-consuming process again) and the truly best bid should win.
Gotta hand it to Sony. It’s a fact that FIFA won’t change until sponsors start calling BS. And that’s what Sony did. Well done.
Ronald, you’re right. Qatar abuses migrant workers, working them to death, and is intolerant of gays and doesn’t have equal rights for women. Russia is only intolerant of gays, is a misogynistic society, and is run by a pseudo-dictatorship. Not even close.
Fine, state your brainwashed opinion. Most all Continental European soccer fans are looking forward to visiting and partying in Russia. Stay home, we don’t need you.
I don’t disagree with the point that fans will still come to Russia but there are issues in Russia that trouble people who care about human rights and democracy.
Just because some Europeans are excited about Russia doesn’t make it a corrupt nation run by an insane dictator. But hey, feel free to keep following the crowd.
Putin is not insane, he is highly intelligent
Sony didn’t pull out. Their contract ended and they couldn’t afford to re-sign. Their finances are horrible and are expected to lose 1.2B this year alone.
You mean they did a cost-benefit analysis and concluded FIFA wasn’t worth it.
Sony is kinda a mess right now. That much is true.
Consumers -> FIFA Sponsors/Partners -> FIFA -> Russia/Qatar -> bribery/slavery
By the transitive property, therefore, when you support FIFA Partners, you support slavery.
Kudos to Sony for getting out of that mess. Now I will buy Sony products again.
So VISA, Coca-Cola, Adidas, Emirates Air, and Kia/Hyundai—it’s on you now.
Emirates pulled already per the article. If coca cola goes..man thats huge.
Also i wonder if there will be a FIFA movie sequal?
Even bigger would be Budweiser. But would never happen.
I don’t think that Budweiser is bigger for FIFA than Coca-Cola. Budweiser is a “World Cup Sponsor,” whereas Coke is a “FIFA Partner.” Partners are involved in all aspects of FIFA marketing world-wide (including the World Cup), whereas World Cup sponsors are (as implied) only part of the World Cup.
Granted, I only assume that FIFA extracts more money from Partners than Sponsors.
Here’s the rogue’s gallery:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organisation/partners/
Bud is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev…
The Brazilian half likely doesn’t care… but the Belgian half would care. But if Bud is the primary sponsor it will be mostly American executives sooo…
Who knows. I bet they drop them when the contract runs out too.
Good catch about Emirates. I read too quickly before heading out the door in the morning.
Sony had to pull out because of their own financial situation, but they did make a point about FIFA’s lack of transparency. Perhaps Sony did it because Japan was one of the WC bidders that were ditched because of Qatar, but whatever the motivation the company sent the right message and I hope more companies would follow.
Please do not place Russia 2018 in the same place as Qatar 2022.
Russia will be a great host. The party will rival Germany in 2006. I am looking to go, hopefully for 3 or 4 weeks, with a group of friends.
You’re blaming me of getting Russia involved in bribery?
No. I am only asking you not to group Qatar and Russia together.
Okay, I’ll separate them as best I can.
Countries that secured World Cup hosting through rampant, blatant bribery:
Russia, Qatar
Countries that are building World Cup infrastructure through massive human rights’ abuses:
Qatar
Yes Russia will make a great host. Their soon to be new states of Ukraine and Poland will have nice stadiums. They could shoot commercial airliners with hooligans right out of the sky before they even land. They also plan to have a great feast for Robbie Rogers to break their false anti gay stereotype.
This cracks me up. Thanks for sharing.
People are so fed up with Blatter and yet nobody bothers to run againd him.
This is just the German FA posturing for political power. Nothing more. Primero
Maybe not. This might mean something and get the ball rolling. I don’t think the Germans would come out with this without much consideration.
I would have to agree with you here. Especially since it is evident and has been stated that Blatter DID NOT want the World Cup to go to Qatar. I have many gripes with Blatter. However, the vote in favor of Qatar is not his fault.
Or, more likely, Blatter just said he didn’t want 2022 in Qatar after he knew they would win and the money was in his pocket so he could look better in the public’s eye.
+1
Yeah…that would be nice, but I like to base my opinion on facts not suppositions. It has been stated that Blatter wanted the 2022 World Cup in the US and was against Qatar (both during and after the process). Clearly, his camp was not big enough. Platini went Qatar so he was clearly bought because who, in clear mind, would give a summer tournament to a small desert country. Now that is has been voted, Blatter does not want to more it (maybe he thinks it would set a bad precedent). The tournament has only been moved once before (that I can remember) in ’86 when Mexico took it when Colombia failed to prove readiness in terms of stadia construction and safety.
move not more