12 Oct 2015 18:22:24
Ed2, may I trouble you for your thoughts on the whole UEFA and FIFA debacle. I didn't know where else to post this so hope you don't mind it being here.
Do you think it's realistic to think that wholesale changes can be made to clean things up? It seems to get worse every day and, with so many nationalities seeming to be added to the 'under investigation' group almost daily, it's hard to see how anyone can really clean up and start anew for the good of the game.
Thanks,
Bryan
{Ed002's Note - Just to be clear Bryan, you really need to completely separate thoughts about UEFA from thoughts about FIFA.
Dealing first with the UEFA situation, there were (historic) issues that came to light about 18 months ago regarding Platini and it is just one of those issues that is coming to the fore at the moment and dragging Blatter along with it. It is to do with the late invoicing of some SFr2M for work undertaken beginning in 2002 - but not invoiced until 2011. Aside from the lack of an adequate paper trail there is some aspect of Swiss law that says invoices for work carried out more than 5 years before should not be paid - and it is this the Swiss have pulled them over, regardless of the monies having been repaid. The US DoJ is somewhat surprised over the Swiss actions and have yet to convince themselves that this is necessary illegal rather than just misguided - and the Swiss authorities playing on the nuances of Swiss law, the lack of a paper trail and some hideously weird excuse from Platini make them think that this might not even be charge worthy. There is then some additional fluff which has not yet been publicized fully that could take it one of three ways for Platini - charge him separately, drop all charges, or ask Platini to switch to being a witness for part of any other relevant case - cutting him a deal we call it. As for Angel Maria Villar-Llon, he will be offered as a sacrifice regardless. In terms of the UEFA staff, 500 plus folks are simply decent people getting on with their jobs. For now they can continue. Other related issues, the FA should regardless of all of this withdraw their support of Platini for FIFA completely and get right behind a decent candidate who will do the right thing - and one really stands out in my view - Chung Mong-Joon.
The remaining major European issue is that a number of clubs (effectively two with the support of one other for certain and I think now two more) are looking to accelerate a pan-European breakaway league – I have explained this before. Then there is finally the issue of the Euros in 2016 (Platini's baby) - how will they be impacted?
As for FIFA, the Ethics Committee are going down the “too much and get something wrong†is better than “too little and miss something†route. Like the big picture of FIFA, their reputation is all but shot. Next up is the election itself - will it be viable with perhaps only two decent candidates (Chung Mong-Joon and Ali Bin Al-Hussein) from the outset? The first effort will be to deflect the efforts by some folk to move the FIFA election forward or back. Then there are going to be sponsorship issues for FIFA. Then the 2022 world cup issue will be back to the fore. And whilst all of this is going on, the assets of CONCACAF have been frozen - this is where the US started with their investigation and a number of accounts are frozen (certainly any in US Jurisdiction). The United States Justice Department does not work quickly and such it could take a long time (years) to come to court in the United States. The Swiss Feds have acted as a result of information provided by the US which is, I understand, compelling enough for them to begin a separate investigation.
Overlaying all of this now is the need for the clarification of charges against a number of people - this will likely come from the US but in itself will likely require various folks be extradited to America, probably Florida - and that could take many years (perhaps even 10 or more). If Jack Warner is still around by the time that happens then he will turn to give evidence for the DoJ and they get to look in his basement.
FIFA will survive for the time being and again the majority of the 400 plus staff are doing a good job. The only thing to change this would be all FIFA assets being frozen and perhaps the Pan-European breakaway – which will likely cause at least the complete reorganisation of UEFA.}
12 Oct 2015 20:02:54
Great read Ed
12 Oct 2015 20:18:08
Brilliant ed2 ed2 for fifa president me thinks!
12 Oct 2015 20:18:25
Ed2, sincerest thanks! I have been following the news on these stories and, with genuinely no attempt at creeping, that's the most informative read to date by a country mile. It certainly puts a different perspective on things rather than the sensationalising I only ever hear on tv news.
As always to you and your good colleagues, thank you.
Bryan
12 Oct 2015 20:42:02
I understand it is a likely eventuality from what ed002 has said but doesn't anyone think a pan-european breakaway would almost destroy football both present day and its history. It might be a bit naive but that would take a huge amount of the romance out of football. I'm completely ignoring the administrative problems it might pose.
I don't really know how some teams would survive, if all the sponsorship moved away and clubs were still stuck with wages they wouldn't pay. Say Liverpool were involved in the breakaway for the sake of argument and Everton were not, would that be the end of competitive matches between them? Same with United and Liverpool or Tottenham and Arsenal. If you lose any of Chelsea/Utd/Liverpool/Arsenal etc. from the Premier League would the League lose its prestige? Maybe. I know the Fa/League cup have lost a bit of the magic but it would something terribly sad not to see those smaller teams & players upsetting premier league sides.
I know ed002 has said only one or two clubs are really looking to accelerate the breakaway at the moment but the prospect seems infuriating. But it might be the direction the commercialization of football is forcing the sport. I wish I knew more of the reasons why there would need to breakaway and the consequences.
12 Oct 2015 21:36:23
It would change football, not necessarily destroy it.
Sadly the teams that breakaway would become a bit isolated IMO and it would eventually be to their own detriment.
Local fan base will always remain and there will always be a place for a national league in England. I can't see the European breakaway lasting long with little or no away fans. I can see it becoming a bit like pro-wrestling or the Harlem Globetrotters.
{Ed002's Note - It is where all of the big money would go - sponsorship, television and other media, etc..}
12 Oct 2015 22:00:22
Ed002 thank you kindly for the explanation
12 Oct 2015 22:31:37
The break away league will not fill stadiums, it will destroy football as it needs the stadia full.
12 Oct 2015 22:22:18
I still don't see this pan European breakaway ever happening
12 Oct 2015 22:20:36
Thanks ed can you tell us which clubs are pushing for the breakaway?
{Ed002's Note - It is unimportant to Liverpool.}
12 Oct 2015 23:23:09
Yes you're probably right Ed about money, sponsorship and media, but the game is more than that. In some respects the game was better before satellite TV and mega money sponsorship. Ticket prices were affordable to the working man, players & managers were ordinary blokes.
It would be a shock to the game, but the game would survive and eventually thrive again.
{Ed002's Note - The fans are not those that the owners are looking to please.}
13 Oct 2015 00:18:00
I understand, I think, Ed. I just think those teams will become less of a relevance. I think their support will wilt away without the fans.
Football has been about competing with your rivals. When your rivals are thousands of miles away speaking a different language with a different culture, there is not the same competitiveness about the game. I predict it will just be a billionaire's TV p-ing contest and the rest of the world will be watching their local teams live. It may not have the best players, but it will have the best competition.
{Ed002's Note - Er, no.}
13 Oct 2015 07:10:32
The best players will go with the break-away league because that will be the elite competition, like the CL is now, and that is where all the money will be. The regional national leagues in most countries will likely be the second-tier competitions form which players will try to escape, like Championship players trying to escape to get into PL.
13 Oct 2015 07:21:23
I completely disagree Ron.
If you're talking about local fan base, yeah sure. Worldwide fan base? They will move together with the Pan-European breakaway.
13 Oct 2015 18:27:30
Well only time will tell.
There will always be a football league in this country.
European leagues don't whet my appetite to be honest.