The Dollar is the main reason, every major country and bank needs to deal heavily in it so they need to cooperate with America. America controls the financial markets as well so gives them huge clout, so basically they can be the global police.

General Mirth wrote:

Out of interest, what makes the FBI and the US Department of Justice so strong in these matters - where others have failed?

on a serious note, nothing is going to happen. we don't punish the powerful.

One thing I take from all his that never piss of Bill Clinton.

Meatwad wrote:
General Mirth wrote:

Out of interest, what makes the FBI and the US Department of Justice so strong in these matters - where others have failed?

on a serious note, nothing is going to happen. we don't punish the powerful.

Hard to say the extent of this, but at the very least there will be pressure for more transparency from sponsors. Also don't see FIFA as a powerful organisation, they're just bullies and as an organisation they are pre-historic.

If anything, they're an easy target - the corruption has been exposed several times for years from different individuals.

Sky are reporting that all FIFA employees in Switzerland (including Blatter), have been told they cannot leave the country at the moment.

Blatter is the most corrupt of all. Criminal that nothing is found on him yet.

I suspect, and I think a lot of people agree, is they've been biding their time gathering evidence and trying to 'flip' people. Now they've got the people they want in custody, they'll use them to go after others.

Clrnc wrote:

Blatter is the most corrupt of all. Criminal that nothing is found on him yet.

Nah, he's done. At the very least, his credibility as head of the organization will be destroyed by the discovery and exposure of this level of corruption under him, especially so close to the elections

I'm so happy! I've been giddy all day since I read the news. 🙂

Go Loretta Lynch!

JazzG wrote:

One of those arrested has agreed to be extradited, 20 years in prison probably doesn't appeal so will be interesting to hear what FIFA get out of him.

With the FBI being involved the sponsors will be worried, they could put out their BS statements about their concerns before and people would forget.  Now there role will be under a lot of scrutiny, as will with media companies.

Russia already getting a bit nervous, speaking out against the US for "illegally applying its legal force far beyond its borders".

They are right to an extent, too much of a coincidence that the FBI gets involved only now that Russia's about to host the WC. Every single World Cup involves greasing palms, even the awarding of the relatively 'clean' WC 06 to Germany was the result of a lot of corruption.

Meatwad wrote:
General Mirth wrote:

Out of interest, what makes the FBI and the US Department of Justice so strong in these matters - where others have failed?

on a serious note, nothing is going to happen. we don't punish the powerful.

😆  Meaty- that gif is hilarious, what movie is it from?

i have no idea, just seen it on reddit a few months back and kept a link to it because it's awesome. don't even know if it's a tv show or movie, has a tv show vibe though.

JazzG wrote:

The Dollar is the main reason, every major country and bank needs to deal heavily in it so they need to cooperate with America.  America controls the financial markets as well so gives them huge clout, so basically they can be the global police.

actually, china pretty much controls the world's economy.

So Blatter's claiming that he's one of the people to thank for this investigation? Can't he just give up already..

I wouldn't put it past him to sell his 'friends' out to get himself off the hook.

Blatter must have some major dirt on some very powerful people - surely that's the only reason that he's not been hauled in with the rest of them.

Much more likely they are building a stronger case against him so when they do take him in he won't be able to get off. He probably does have a lot of dirt on some powerful people. However they'll know even more powerful people who they will strike a deal with!

He's involved himself so much with FIFA and a large number of its members they'd pretty much have to tear the organisation itself to get him. And it's absolutely necessary too because the body is the real problem, regardless of whether Blatter, Platini or anyone else heads it, everyone involved is corrupt whether it's France Belgium or Trinidad & Tobago.

i think the problem is that each nation gets one vote. inherently, that is a good thing. but it means that liberia's opinion and vote counts as much as england's or germany's, and liberia doesn't have the resources, as a football association, to stand up to FIFA like the giants can. blatter and FIFA don't need to sway the top 25 or 30 nations in the world, they need the smaller nations to stay in line. and they can do that by promising things to those countries, promising them resources they wouldn't otherwise get. so who do you think those small nations will side with in a fight? the guy that keeps greasing it so they have a steady stream of money coming in.

nothing will happen unless the big guns full on protest a huge FIFA event. if the european superpowers + the US, brazil, argentina and mexico boycotted the 2018 world cup, it would send a pretty clear message. but that won't happen. what needs to happen is all of FIFA's members need to break away and set up their own confederation, or at least put together a serious plan to do it to try and force FIFA to clean up their act. of course, this new organization will probably be filled with the same issues facing FIFA now. people in power who get to make big decisions that have huge financial impact are prone to being unfairly influenced and manipulated. thats a reality as old as mankind itself.

UEFA seems pretty well run as far as I can tell. What about other global sporting organisations?

There's always controls that can be put in place to limit the opportunity for fraud, you can never completely stop it, but you can certainly have a system that at least prevents the sort of brazen corruption currently seen in FIFA.

I challenge anyone to watch that clip and not feel a slow burn of anger.

mdgoonah41 wrote:
JazzG wrote:

The Dollar is the main reason, every major country and bank needs to deal heavily in it so they need to cooperate with America.  America controls the financial markets as well so gives them huge clout, so basically they can be the global police.

actually, china pretty much controls the world's economy.

Lol no, not by a long shot. US/European financial class controls everything.

Biggus wrote:

Okay, we're all delighted that FIFA and Blatter have had their wings clipped and we must wait to see how the court cases play out for the wash up, but if people can pause the applause of USA USA for a second several questions have been raised.

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/in-the-fifa-case-is-the-us-mounting-a-takeover-of-international-soccer-20150528-ghbc0e.html

Good thing they can do the job when nobody else does it. 

Well that's exactly what the article is asking- Why now why from the USA Qui Bono?

Biggus wrote:

Well that's exactly what the article is asking- Why now why from the USA Qui Bono?

It's been in the pipeline for at least 4 years. They've clearly been building up evidence and had a few key breakthroughs: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/28/us/ap-soc-fifa-blazer.html

Prosecutors said Blazer received $750,000 from the $10 million Warner got as a bribe after the pair voted for South Africa to become the 2010 World Cup host. They also revealed he did not file a U.S. tax return for six straight years.

Blazer agreed to forfeit about $1.95 million to the government, which called it a portion of what Blazer had received in bribes, kickbacks and unauthorized World Cup ticket sales. Blazer also agreed to pay a second amount that will be determined at the time of his sentencing.

At the same time, they also announced Daryan Warner pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering and structuring — making bank deposits below $10,000 to avoid reporting requirements — related to scalping tickets for the 2006 and 2010 Word Cups. Daryll Warner pleaded guilty to wire fraud and structuring in relation to obtaining a mortgage for a Miami condominium.

The Warners appeared to have then provided information to the investigators.

Along with the whistleblower for the Qatar WC bid.

Interesting article Rayman, a good read.
Who knows, FIFA is a very wealthy and important independent super-national organisation, and the USA may have just woken up to that and wants to have it under its control.

Well, if it means more transparency and fewer human right violations, I'm willing to call it soccer if they want to.

For the record, FIFA are also being investigated by the Swiss themselves - which hardly ever happens. Plus the UK have had it for FIFA for years now.

I think it' a case of FIFA pushing their luck too hard for too long, the investigation they launched last year into themselves and then subsequently only published a third of it was particularly laughable.

Err the word "soccer" was coined by English university students in the 19th century, as opposed to "rugger".

Yeah, you've point it out before, but no one uses it outside the US. Therefore it's defunct.

Just like how no one's dense enough to call a bunch of twigs and sticks a 'faggot'

General Mirth wrote:

Yeah, you've point it out before, but no one uses it outside the US. Therefore it's defunct.

Just like how no one's dense enough to call a bunch of twigs and sticks a 'faggot'

It was quite common in Ireland when football was a minority sport to Gaelic rules and in Australia where it is to Australian rules.

Jus' sayin' that there are more things in heaven and earth, GM,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Biggus wrote:
General Mirth wrote:

Yeah, you've point it out before, but no one uses it outside the US. Therefore it's defunct.

Just like how no one's dense enough to call a bunch of twigs and sticks a 'faggot'

It was quite common in Ireland when football was a minority sport to Gaelic rules and in Australia where it is to Australian rules.

Jus' sayin' that there are more things in heaven and earth, GM,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

@darrenrovell:
Former FIFA VP Jack Warner tells the Trinidad Guardian that he will reveal gifts that Sepp Blatter made in his election campaigns

He's gonna sing!

If there was anyone you could absolutely count on to sing it would be Warner 😆 He's even worse than Blatter in covering his corrupt ass.

General Mirth wrote:

Nike becomes suspected player in alleged $150 million FIFA bribery scandal

Funny, even when it comes to bribing Nike compete with Adidas. The history of the latter with FIFA however goes much deeper, Sepp Blatter himself for one wouldn't be anywhere near the powerful twat he is if it wasn't for Adidas' founder and his sons putting him into power.