Leave you to it lads
Jakally actually making sensible points i don't agree with him but at least they are relevant to the conversation.
I understand what you're saying Horsie that Blatter has delivered to a lot of these smaller nations. So it's perfectly understandable that they are voting him in again.
The fact of the matter is that the world game has expanded rapidly during Blatters reign. And the money has done likewise. Mostly where it was already wealthy, in Europe, where the Champions League has become massive, but also all over the world. Blatters reign coincided with this wealth creation. Blatter distributed this wealth and a lot of the poorer countrioes have benefited.
However Blatter did not create this wealth.
Football is going through financial boom times. It's growing and growing and will continue to grow for some time yet. The figures you hear from US sports like basketball, NFL, NHL should all be dwarfed by football in time.
The hypocrisy I see is the English FA trying to take a leading role in over throwing Blatter. I know the FA doesn't control the Premier League but when those Richard Scudamore emails were leaked, was he removed?
In fact it was reported that Greg Dyke sent Scudamore private messages of support before publically attacking him for political reasons. David Cameron said he'd have been sacked if he was a member of his cabinet.
Why wasn't he? The same reason Blatter is still there. The Premier League is awash with money under his stewardship.
But you don't need Richard Scudamore. The Premier League would be awash with money if you had Harry Redknapp in charge (although more might go missing!).
Greg Dyke might have defended a misogynist but he's not financially corrupt? The same Greg Dyke that got the £16,000 watch and said nothing about it until the issue was raised?
Jim Boyce the British FIFA vice president also got a watch but also "had no idea what it was worth" but he gave it back when everyone found out. Platini got a watch and he didn't give his back!
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/18/greg-dyke-world-cup-watch-gift-fifaThis whole culture of getting "presents" as head of the FA, Dyke got 6 watches in a year! Once it all got reported, he decided it should all end. Maybe Greg should have ended it before it got reported if he wants to be taken seriously when talking about corruption.
Platini will be running unopposed for UEFA president this year. Unopposed. He was also unopposed for his 2nd term in 2011. Very democratic.
The same Platini that has admitted voting for the Qatar World Cup bid.
And as for the US arrests? Who lost out in the final round of voting to Qatar for the 2022 games? Who would benefit if that bidding process was looked at and overturned? The USA.
So again, you can see why the rest of the world would be suspicious.
Blatter is bad but I can see why the rest of the world sees Europe as no better. It's all crooks calling crooks crooks.