Blatter presides over new FIFA crisis

[Osem]

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has chaired an emergency meeting under growing political pressure over a corruption scandal that saw arrests on Wednesday.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron is calling for Mr Blatter to resign. Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed Mr Blatter for a fifth term.

Mr Blatter says he has no intention of resigning, the BBC understands.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32917364

Putin's backing says it all I reckon. I think the key sponsors need to act decisively now and disassociate themselves from the FIFA charade. I'd also like to see the UEFA countries set an example withdraw from all world cup competitions until such time as FIFA can show it is reformed.

[denphone]

Yes l would like the UEFA countries to withdraw from all FIFA's competitions but sadly half the UEFA countries have their hands in the pig trough as well so it won't be in their interests to suddenly withdraw even though it would be the best and most honourable thing to do.

[mrmistoffelees]

Blatter is the most corrupt, lying, cheating git on the planet

(In my opinion of course)

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees

Blatter is the most corrupt, lying, cheating git on the planet

(In my opinion of course)

no sign of an arrest though

[denphone]

Typical of Blatter in his latest interview is that he is blaming others but not himself.

[Kabaal]

I don't understand why all the nations don't band together to dump FIFA. None of us want them and their old boy backroom system.

[Osem]

Come on now, how on Earth can someone who's been at the top of an organisation for so long be at all responsible for a lack of oversight which allowed this sort of thing to happen and remain undetected for so long?

If the UEFA nations pull out, the sponsors will have no alternative but to act. Of course Putin's portraying it as yet another unwarranted western attack on Russia and nothing at all to do with alleged corruption on a huge scale.

[Uncle Peter]

Blatter will have his tracks well covered and the feds will have to pull a blinder to make anything stick to the slippery snake.

Pity that certain football federations are still backing an individual who had all of this going on under his nose. Still trying to feed from the contents of the trough even though it's been knocked over, the spineless cowards.

[DocDutch]

I always thought Blatter has been made of teflon ... nothing sticks to him.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Osem

Come on now, how on Earth can someone who's been at the top of an organisation for so long be at all responsible for a lack of oversight which allowed this sort of thing to happen and remain undetected for so long?

If the UEFA nations pull out, the sponsors will have no alternative but to act. Of course Putin's portraying it as yet another unwarranted western attack on Russia and nothing at all to do with alleged corruption on a huge scale.

Two words Plausible deniability

[papa smurf]

one of those arrested will probably do a deal with the yanks and grass everyone up in exchange for immunity from prosecution .

[Pierre]

FIFA should be disbanded and a new governing body set up

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Pierre

FIFA should be disbanded and a new governing body set up

bent Bernie from f1 could run it

http://www.ibtimes.com/fifas-world-c...re-out-1941995

The latest statement came from Kia Motors, a presenting sponsor of the World Cup along with Visa, Adidas, Gazprom and Coca-Cola. Kia is “extremely concerned about the legal proceedings being taken against certain FIFA executives and will continue to monitor this situation closely," the company said in a statement released today.
Hyundai, Kia’s parent company, also said it was “deeply concerned” in its own statement.
The announcement came after a very strongly worded statement from Visa on Wednesday demanding that the federation make changes to the way it conducts its business. "It is important that FIFA makes changes now," the statement said. "Should FIFA fail to do so, we have informed them that we will reassess our sponsorship."

However..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32911782

So why aren't these huge and powerful global companies doing what the UK culture secretary John Whittingdale has asked, and following the lead of Visa - which said it would review its sponsorship deal if Fifa does not clean up its act?
Well, part of the answer is implicit even in the less mild sabre-rattling of Visa. Because it is striking that even Visa only said it might review its commercial relationship with Fifa, not that it was doing so.
The point, according to well-placed executives, is that Coca Cola, Hyundai, Budweiser, McDonald's, Gazprom and Visa (among others) have signed legally binding contracts.
So they may not be able to get out of the contracts without paying spectacular damages - given that they are each believed to be paying Fifa up to $200m (£130m) over four years for the marketing opportunities associated with the World Cup.

Seems that Blatter has the upper hand..