UEFA members threaten FIFA to boycott the 2030 World Cup. I am crying, except I have no tears. There are none left for football, since many decades back. It is always easy to be brave when the stakes are low. To threaten with a boycott in four years is funny. “All Europe came to an accord against Infantino”. Is that so, or just UEFA pointed out to all its members they unanimously need to approve their anti-FIFA position? It is impossible to believe that there is not one single member thinking otherwise, against FIFA’s approach.
143-0 against FIFA, pure democracy
What really happened? It was nothing concrete established, or deeply discussed, which made the opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC so strong (143-0 a very painful and lack of debated output for a so-called democratic world of football…). In theory, what Gianni Infantino, the very long undisputed FIFA president (for a decade, more precisely), wanted to build an enterprise to which we could sell publicity to some business, for the future World Cups. Nothing too different comparing to other investments all around football.
What got UEFA so upset?
Sure, my explanation is basic, but accurate, because in essence this was what it should be, with some heavy cash infusion for the FIFA members. That ignited the world. But why? It looked a no-brainer to claim the selling of football, just because it is something that doesn’t align with the traditions of international football. Just because the “fear” of unknown parties, or parties with not too much link to football, will have decision making, or condition putting in the game, is not necessary an enough reason to react as such. To react like an immaculate party into the world of football.
Blatter protests against FIFA. Wow!
The point is not that FIFA is clean, because we remember Blatter’s story documented and written – a guy who know calls FIFA for wrong doings; crazy! – but that UEFA is not in the position to condemn such initiatives, because they are not totalitarian bodies, even if they act like ones. Including with the plans of some European clubs to create a Super league. I explained them in that link, so not making here a recap. Just focusing on UEFA’s hypocrisy. An organism which protects certain wealthy clubs and which said absolutely nothing about what happened at Egypt – Argentina at the most recent World Cup.
Remember the UEFA referee, Letexier?
François Letexier, an UEFA referee destroyed that game, but UEFA didn’t look so unhappy. Sure, the Balogun suspension erase triggered bit the European party, but nobody boycotted the World Cup in the end. It is easier to “prepare” a 2030 boycott which, obviously, would never happen. Because I don’t remember UEFA being that unhappy with a World Cup with 48 teams. Or with other acts done by FIFA during decades. The biggest trigger was provoked by a… financial deal. Well, well, what a coincidence.
So many mistakes, but this single one
Infantino seem to back off, in the end, but we will see if that is for good. There is now a threat that he should go. Really? And who should come to an organization which can’t propose any challengers in the last years. Why does this happened? Maybe because everyone was very happy until now with the set, with everything FIFA did, even if they did a lot of mistakes at least from an honest football watcher. Now, lots of money being involved, UEFA was upset and they triggered an absolute democratic opposition of 143-0. Indeed, that is a thing.
Boycott threats… LOL
Too bad that nobody talks about how huge salaries have some people from the game. How ridiculous sponsorship parties are involved, many coming from betting background, or from the same range. Alcoholic beverages paid huge amounts of money historically. Those were not problems, or, at least not too big ones to mention. The strategy of Gianni Infantino was, all of a sudden, scandalous. From one day to another, especially when you have a four year room to threaten with a boycott that, of course, won’t happen in 100 years.
FIFA will surely have the 64 teams World Cup approved
Seeing this out of nowhere and shameful scandal, I am getting back to the words of Mike Prince, from “Billions” series: “How many degrees from the idiot are we?” I’ve made an article about this splendid, full of meanings, saying here. It depicts perfectly the shape of world football. Everything will be back and running shortly, nobody will boycott anything, money will keep floating to those who should get it as usual, and the World Cup will have, for sure, 64 teams. I would be surprised to be otherwise. Because, from the start, who would approve a World Cup with six nations hosting it?
Football, for the fans
I don’t remember UEFA opposing that. Neither any football organization. All, private parties, just like FIFA. An organization which can, in theory, take decisions it sees fit. This stake selling plan will die or it will be refurbished in the future, and we will shortly forget this mockery done in front of football fans. “Football is for the supporters, it shouldn’t be sold!” said UEFA. Sure, the fans are thrilled to see games between teams they didn’t heard off, or to see memorable clashes between Curacao and Paraguay at a World Cup. To see players earning millions per month, rolling over 20 times per game.
CONCACAF followed UEFA, but didn’t protest against FIFA at the World Cup
This is the world of football, where teams like Real Madrid or Barcelona are untouchable, where the competitions become cultural displays, and where quality is treated as a “disease” against political correctness, in the sense you should not be too harsh to your opponent, even if he was not meant to be an opponent at high level from the very beginning. CONCACAF claimed also to be unanimously against Infantino’s plans, but they never commented anything of having six teams in World Cup. Teams which lost 13 games from a total of 24.
Football is dying as an approach, not because a person or the other
We are good, this was outrageous, everything else is perfect. Football is really dying, but we don’t consider the right causes, but the superficial ones. The disease is there, but many are educated to believe it is an evolution, an improvement, not a heavy decay of the sports. This situation proved my point of view for many years. It is not really important even if Gianni Infantino will be sacked or not, because the mechanism is greased to go into the wall eventually. Maybe the only savior would be returning to the football before excess and useless mediatization. But then, again, how many degrees from the idiot are we?
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