Saturday, February 27, 2016

FIFA reform needs much more than a simple swap from Sepp Blatter to Gianni Infantino


FIFA has finally got a new President! And not a day too soon as the reign of the master manipulator/storyteller Sepp Blatter finally came to an end as he starts serving his 6 year ban. (Surprisingly, and not hard to believe no jail term or criminal indictment have been forthcoming by Swiss authorities!)

Gianni Infantino was today elected the new FIFA president. 

This followed 18 tumultuous months of jaw dropping revelations of chronic corruption, money laundering, cronyism, outright financial theft by FIFA Executives & vote buying scandals surrounding 2018 & 2022 World Cups in Russia & Qatar (with thanks to many investigative Journalists around the world such as Andrew Jennings)

A corrupt/money laundering scheme that was created by Joao Havelange at the dawn of media/sponsorship money in early 80s (with Sepp Blatter as his dutiful Secretory General of FIFA), was masterfully turned into a very sophisticated bribery/theft/money laundering scheme in exchange for votes under the watchful eyes & (so called) leadership of Sepp Blatter! 

5 star hotels/restaurants/1st class flights/expensive gifts/rubbing shoulders with world leaders & of course prostitutes were also thrown in for good measure in order to keep the chaps (aka FIFA Executives with voting power!) happy, engaged & loyal!

As it is usually the case, finally Blatter succumbed to his own arrogance, grandiose delusion, vanity & complacency by granting 2018 & 2022 World Cups both at once. 

Blatter was at best forced to do this in order to cover himself & his cronies rampant money laundering & theft from FIFA  (from indicted Chuck Blazer to disgraced & exposed Ricardo Teixeira & Jack Warner to name the most well known amongst many executive thieves at FIFA), and at worst was a full accomplice as greed simply got the better of him & his thieving colleagues.


Whilst Infantino has a clear history & does not carry a "heavy FIFA baggage" of his colleagues at FIFA, he still represents "the establishment" at FIFA headquarters & must deliver on the promise of transparency & good governance in his first or resign.

If Gianni Infantino is serious about reforming FIFA:
1) He must open FIFA accounts to investigators for as far back as possible
2) He must fully overhaul FIFA's Corporate Governance
3) FIFA must allow Governments concerned with financial management of their Football
4) FIFA must fully disclose financial terms & details of grant of rights to MEDIA companies.

According to the fully proven investigations by journalists such as Andrew Jennings & others, this appears to have been the biggest source of bribery to FIFA Executives in order to obtain media & broadcast rights to Football Tournaments.
5) FIFA must, within reasonable terms, allow Governments to scrutinise money trails to their Football Federations.

Again, according to the fully proven investigations by journalists such as Andrew Jennings & others, disgraced FIFA Executives, including those mentioned earlier in this post, on a regular basis received FIFA grants to their respective Confederations/Country Federations only to channel the money to their own private business empires instead! In return, they guaranteed voting blocks to re elect Sepp Blatter!

 Sept Blatter's Standard BLOCKING tactic was to suspend any country with the smallest hint of financial enquiry to how money was being handled! Now we all know why Blatter used to use this dirty tactic….to cover theft/corruption/money laundering by FIFA Executives from their respective Parliaments & Governments!

Gianni Infantino owes this to the billions of fans of the beautiful game across the world to clean up FIFA from its money laundering organisation with its mafiose executives, to the gatekeeper which used to have the motto "for the Good of the Game"

If Gianni Infantino does not deal with the rampant corruption, non existent corporate governance & & cronyism in FIFA in a transparent & effective manner, UEFA should pull out of FIFA membership & boycott all FIFA events including the World Cup. This will simply dry up the easy sponsorship money that has brought so much corruption & greed with it & ruined FIFA.

…just remember Infantino…….For the Good of the Game Infantino….for the Good of the Game!….Please!

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