(UEFA) Football Thread - Football not Soccer

Discussion in 'Sports and Fitness' started by Jax, Apr 1, 2008.

  1. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    Until nations actually stand up and say "We're not actually going to attend the WC until FIFA is reformed", then the media can do whatever they like, embarassment is one thing, but the only thing Blatter and co will really respond to is financial losses.

    Sport used to help in the battle against despotic regiemes...take south Africa (some cricketers excepted) now sport rewards them. China, Russia, Quatar...

    Let's be honest, Putin will still be pulling the strings in Russia in 2018, and England will still send a team along, and when the 2030 (or whenever) bidding process is opened, I bet we'll submit a bid.

    With FIFA you have two choices; you stand up to them and say no more (and risk never getting a WC again) or else you play the game, and it seemed we went for some kind of wishy washy middle ground.

    I liked what Michael Portillo said last night, in that the only thing wrong with the Panorama program was that it wasn't aired a lot sooner, and I think he's right. Airing it just a handful of days before the vote could have no positive impact at all and could only put FIFA backs up.

    We have to look at our own bidding process in this as well. For all the fact that our bid was perfect, by all accounts the bidding team were lax in getting out their and pressing the flesh as it were until quite recently; whereas with the Olympics we'd put a lot more effort into our networking and it paid off.
     
  2. Angel4576

    Angel4576 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    It's interesting that up until yesterday, a lot of people in this country weren't actually that bothered. It would obviously have been nice to have gotten it to add to our 'golden decade of sport' in Britain, but a lot of people recognised that we already have an awful lot going on in the next ten years.

    All that changed yesterday though with the full extent of Thiefa's bollocks becoming apparent when England went out in the first round of voting.

    I don't think it's right that any organisation, sporting or otherwise, has the right to rule without oversight or regulation.

    We'll no doubt bid for the Euros next, so let's see how we get fcuked out of those by Platini.
     
  3. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    To be honest, all of that whining sounds like sour grapes. Yes, the FIFA is exceptionally corrupt, but all of that has been known for years, and it has been written about and documented extensively. I support this newly found investigative spirit regarding FIFA of the British mainstream press, but they are a bit late to the game. Everyone knew at the latest when Blatter announced that the awarding for the 2022 WC would happen at the same time of the 2018 WC that there would be mind-boggling corruption happening. And besides, it's not like Blatter's predecessor wasn't legendarily corrupt also, and nobody seems to have been bothered.
     
  4. Angel4576

    Angel4576 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yeah, but ordinarily we're not bothered unless it directly affects us....... ;)
     
  5. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    FIFA now wants to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to January and not the summer :guffaw: are you fucking kidding me. Govern our game or not, NOT one of the major football leagues in Europe will go for it and the clubs will give FIFA one giant collective FUCK YOU gesture.

    I hope this is true but the media are reporting that FA's from over the world and clubs are preparing to meet to talk about a proposed breakaway from FIFA though of course they would only use such a threat to get reform. FIFA power could be easily stripped away if a large majorty of the top FA's with club backings told FIFA to fuck off because the sponsors would follow them and not FIFA.

    I wonder if the likes of England, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Japan, South Korea, Belgium, USA, Aussies threaten to not take part in 2022 what would happen...

    France would not join because they have high profile members from their FA involved in UEFA and FIFA. Italy would not join either because their government is corrupt and probably would pressure there own FA. Germany would be a wildcard and I would guess we would get some smaller FA nations around the world to build a decent coalition to threaten FIFA but with the powerhouses of Europe we would have the advantage.
     
  6. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    It should be mentioned that earlier this year Blatter faced a very serious challenge to the FIFA presidency from the chairman of the Qatari football association, many people even thought he was done already; then the Qatari suddenly and very surprisingly retracted his candidacy...
     
  7. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    What a curious coincidence!
     
  8. Angel4576

    Angel4576 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Nice to see that Boris has started working his BoJo already. They'd given the Executive Committee use of the Dorchester hotel during the 2012 Olympics - Boris has now told them to fook off. :lol:
     
  9. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    Don't mess with Boris!!
     
  10. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    I heard one interesting suggestion from a former FIFA executive on German tv (Tognoni) who said that when the criteria for being allowed into the awarding selection are high enough so that everyone who makes it to this stage can hold the World Cup (which he said is not that difficult), it should simply be drawn by lot who gets it. That way you could eliminate all the BS. I think I'd agree with that. Spain, Netherlands, England, Russia, etc. - I'm sure they all could have done a great tournament, does it really make that much difference? Just letting luck decide would seem more fair than it is now to me.
     
  11. Iasius

    Iasius Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Even though it wasn't exactly Inter's best and we were already guaranteed last place, it feels good to have beaten them 3-0 in the last game. At the very least we continue our streak of never being beaten by Italian teams at home.
    I hope we can catch up in the Bundesliga next year to reach at least the EL. It would be a shame to have our team ranking drop so much by not participating for one year.
     
  12. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    ^^
    What a strange season this year, eh? Bayern nowhere, Bremen nowhere, Schalke nowhere, Stuttgart, HSV, Wolfsburg nowhere; and BVB really looks like the favourite to take the title now - who'd have thought that before the start?...
     
  13. Iasius

    Iasius Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I don't think anyone could have predicted that. It's so odd.

    I did think Schalke overachieved last season, but basically fighting relegation for half a season?

    Stuttgart is just the usual though. For three seasons now, they struggle first half of the season and then go on a tear. Will be interesting to see if they continue that (almost-)tradition.

    Bayern without Robben struggling is also no surprise to anyone who's seen them last season, but struggling this much?

    And Dortmund is just awesome. I'm not exactly a Dortmund fan, but I appreciate a good side and they're playing really well and with such a young team! I think in their last game the second oldest in the starting eleven was 26, youngest average age ever for a Dortmund.
    They were basically broke a couple years ago, had to focus on young talent and it paid off very well for them. Of course, averaging 80,000 at home does mean they get regular income.

    I like Jürgen Klopp as well. Here's a nice "interview" with after their 4-0 away win in Hanover:

    [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaMAKx4vUdY[/yt]



    I haven't given up hope in the Bundesliga, I mean we were 16 points behind third place last season with 14 matches left to play and still got there, but that was quite unusual as well.
     
  14. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    Haha, that's a funny interview. I do think Mainz and Freiburg will trade places with Bayern and some other club in the end though. And I completely agree about Dortmund, I feel exactly the same way about them. They also don't just win but play exciting football to imo.
     
  15. chineserapper05

    chineserapper05 Captain Captain

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    :lol: at the twente goalkeeper for that own goal in the tottenham game.
     
  16. Iasius

    Iasius Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    This is still my favorite football related interview:

    [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HazkU8zmbAw[/yt]

    I love it. :D

    I'd add Hanover in there. I don't think either of those three will play European football next season.
     
  17. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    At the risk of opening up old World Cup wounds, I did like Russell Howard’s suggestion last night for what Russia’s WC slogan might be…

    “Let’s kick racism back into football!”

    :devil:
     
  18. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    ^ That was great from Howard...I also enjoyed reading about what Russian fans got upto in midweek at one of the Moscow games :rolleyes:.

    wonderful ey FIFA.
     
  19. Angel4576

    Angel4576 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Fucking pisspot countries. They'll be taking it to Afghanistan next. Miss a penalty, get beheaded. Score an own goal, have your nuts chopped off. Oh, and all are welcome, except foreigners.
     
  20. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    Crikey first Hughton now Alladyce! Used to be you were sacked for doing a terrible job, now manager's are being sacked who aren't actually doing that bad! Meanwhile you'd have put money on Avram Grant being the next to go...

    Wonder who the new owners of Blackburn have in mind...