Power, Corruption & Lies

Less than a week into the new pariah state World Cup – and we’ve been greeted to sporting brilliance, upsets, beer-starved fans and the usual dazzling displays from goalkeepers you didn’t even know existed until the tournament began.

But most of all, this World Cup has been pimpled with political signals, markers of allegiance and not-so quiet acts of rebellion.

It was bound to happen in a country such as Qatar. Where homosexuality is illegal and where human rights are merely an accompaniment – served at the restaurant’s discretion - to the main dish. Qatar has wanted everyone to just get on with the football – after all, that is what they spent nearly £220 billion on - yet there have been a cluster of insolent European countries – sat at the back of the classroom, throwing pens and leaning back on their chairs – unwilling to fall into line.

The seven rebel nations are (or should I saw were) England, Wales, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Swiss and The Netherlands.

To label such moderate, timid, largely metropolitan countries as rebels seems rather odd. But given the great chasm of difference between West and East – it’s probably the most accurate word to use here and highlights the crudeness of all this.

All had wanted their captains to wear the OneLove armband as a message of anti-discrimination and solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Until a coloured armband suddenly became very dangerous with threats of yellow cars and game bands, before the decision was made to keep them in the locker rooms. This decision was made just three hours before England’s first match against Iran. Not a very clean affair.

Some braved it. Like the Ex Arsenal and England international Alex Scott who wore her OneLove armband in perfect shot for her on-pitch analysis. Hats off.

Worth noting here too that Iran performed their own silent protest in that game against England. Some players refusing to sing their national anthem in opposition to the treatment of women from government forces following the death in custody of a 22-year-old for wearing her hijab “inappropriately.”

Back to the Europeans and England manager, Gareth Southgate, came out all glum and bare-faced in front of the media to answer for the reason behind dropping the armband.

Commenting: “Those discussions have been ongoing between several European nations and FIFA. I do understand FIFA’s situation in that you can set a precedent and it’s difficult where to draw the line.”

This sounded more like a dimly-orchestrated PR concerto than an embittered defeat for a cause worth standing for. Internet-based rage ensued. Armchair commentators quick to judge, arguing the Home Nations have buckled at the first hurdle. Three Lions for some, not all.

Ex England and Arsenal starlet Ian Wright gave his comments.

Adding: “It would have been such a powerful protest. The LGBTQ+ community will all see they’ve actually put something on the line, like they do every day of their lives.”

But when you stop to look around at some of the other nations playing on the Qatari swamp who’ve been deprived the chance to show allegiance to various causes – only then do you realise that the enemy behind all this may not be the buck-toothed Southgate nor even the FA – but the puppet masters themselves. FIFA.

Earlier in the week, the Belgian’s were told by FIFA to remove the rainbow-coloured ‘LOVE’ wording from the collar of their away shirts.

The Belgian, English and Cymru FA’s all notified FIFA of their plans for armbands and LOVE branding months ago. They received no reply from football’s parent body. Until it was pulled and reprimanded at the eleventh hour.

Denmark had their plans for a ‘blank’ kit somewhat dismantled after they came out for their opener against Tunisia with the Danish flag proudly front and centre on their shirts. Although this is probably as a result of some small clause furrowed deep down inside the truly mind-numbing bible of FIFA shirt regulations, the initial plan was to bring to Qatar a protest wardrobe of plain red and black kits. The Danish FA not wanting their crest displayed in an environment that holds such a bleak human rights record.

The Danes had trouble off the pitch too when a Danish journalist was asked to remove his OneLove armband in the middle of a piece to camera out in Doha one night.

The team has been criticised heavily in the Danish press for not braving any sanctions that may come about wearing the armband.

In response, Jakob Jensen CEO of the DBU (Danish FA) argued: “We’re now getting hammered the most, but I think the hammering should be on FIFA for not allowing what is a very simple message.”

After their armbands were snatched from them and feeling silenced by the sport’s biggest organisation, the German side chose to cover their mouths for the squad photo before their fixture with Japan. Swiftly after, the referee rushed over to keeper Manuel Neuer to check the armband he did ‘choose’ to wear was FIFA approved. It was. I’m sure when the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, heard that news he must have wiped the sweat from his brow right onto his guest for the evening who was sat next to him – the German Interior Minister – who was… ummm… wearing the OneLove armband.

All this is given greater clarity when you listen to the players at the heart of this bureaucratic sandstorm.

England keeper Jordan Pickford lamented: “We all wanted Harry (Kane) to wear it, but I think the decision got took out of our hands as a squad and as players and I think it went higher up than that really.”

Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen aired the same grievances.

Adding: “I’m unfortunately afraid to say anything at all. I don’t feel comfortable talking about this and that is telling enough. We are being controlled. I shouldn’t be saying anything about it because tomorrow I want to appear for kick off at 10 O’ Clock.”

If indeed it is FIFA controlling the message – ensuring little protests and political slogans are banished – much in the same way Rashid Ali al-Marri, one of three given life sentences in May for protesting a law that shrinks the voting eligibility in Qatar are banished to prison – then it asked a serious question.

Why are FIFA protecting their hosts?

Well, given the nature of an organisation such as FIFA – a belching, obese example of Power, Corruption & Lies – they have every reason to come to the aid of the hosts.

For this is a story that requires a trudge back through the alpine meeting room minutes, chartered flights and whispered phone conversations. The deep-filled filling cabinets and liaisons with the diplomatic underbelly as Swiss bank notes are counted, boxed and scurried away behind Granite vault doors. All against the soundtrack of the faint rattle and hum of note counters as ‘The Beautiful Game’ slowly fades away.

Money – naturally – is the big pull here. Figures released recently put overall revenue for the Qatar World Cup at a record $7.4 billion, a billion dollar increase from Russia 2018. It’s a consistent trend and ever since the mid-80s libertarian boom of the free-market – sponsorship, business interests, TV rights have all played central roles in deciding the next host.

1986 saw such boom. FIFA’s profits from Mexico ’86 stood at nearly 25%. Only eight years before that – for Argentina ’78 – that share hovered only around 5%.

FIFA’s decision in 1964 to transfer the power to choose hosts from FIFA Members to the 24-man Executive Committee (EXCO) ensured corruption remained an integral part of affairs for football’s governing body. It is in Qatar that we see the footprints of such a pattern so pungently.

Therefore a country may only have to court with a majority of EXCO – that is 13 members – to be able to host a World Cup. 13 men choosing where the unique product of a World Cup that sells consumerism, tourism, investment, revenue and international validation goes to. 13 minds that can, and have, been easily bent. A dangerously high concentration of power.

To top off the corruption saga, FIFA moved to Switzerland - Europe’s open secret for backroom deals. The fiscal dry cleaners of the business elite along the shores of a truly spotless

It’s no coincidence that the last two World Cups – Qatar and Russia – are both authoritarian police states. That way, with less eyes that question, it’s a lot easier to partake in the dark arts of bribery and the allocation of funds to crooked sporting bids.

Even Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 were found to have bribed their way into the conversation. Germany only won their bid after one EXCO member abstained and before one member was paid off, German media reported at the time.

And when it came to Russia 2018, some squeaked. Jack Warner and Rafael Salguero – two malignant EXCO limpets that have clung onto the sport – confessed to taking millions worth of bribes in exchange for their vote to Russia. It seems Warner, along with three other EXCO members, slinked their way back to the racketeering table for this year’s World Cup too. One more handsome pay cheque. A last throw of the dice.

This was all deliberate. FIFA, under the eye of Sepp Blatter, organised the bidding process in such a way that encourages nations to show off and boast their political muscles, international influence and enviable private sector wealth. An easy lunch for any EXCO member then whose pupils beam large and knees buckle at the sight of a CV with a healthy quantity of noughts.

The problem is that with an organisation such as FIFA, who will bow and waggle for the highest bidder, the door for any country regardless of football heritage, infrastructure or human rights track record is wide open. Pay the money, take the ride.

Because certain states – young nations - see the chance to host a World Cup as validation. A seat round the table for the future of the world almost. It acts as a great promoter of one’s nation and their abilities. A Scout’s badge to pin onto the pinafore of the desert jackals to signify that yes, indeed you are a modern forward-thinking nation that shan’t be left out of future international discourses no more.

With this great hoo-ha, FIFA may be forced into even more reforms that should extended beyond their initial 2015 reforms. Whether that’ll happen – is a mystery. Obviously. Its FIFA…

Maybe Harry Kane will wear a special armband one day and FIFA will suddenly implode and we can all get on with applying the necessary plasters to our game. Maybe...