One episode in, I really like it in a train wreck kind of way, with some shot of Wizard Of Oz "don't look behind the curtain!" in there. There are various things I don't understand, chiefly why Sepp Blatter is going on at length about corruption ("you want a million, OK" regarding some then-famous Italian footballer joining him). Or is he just skirting the edge of any actual admission? Someone recently wrote a piece rebutting criticism of Qatar as the 2022 venue by essentially saying "they are no worse" than say Russia or China. Gee, maybe places like that shouldn't be allowed to host big competitions. And to those who say politics should not be mixed with sport, sorry, I think that is a naive wish. Big sport = big money = big politics, whether in the light of the sun or in the shadows. I absolutely think big sport should not be able to muzzle participant's freedom of expression.
Like the Olympics, FIFA demands and concessions needed to host have turned away most "normal" countries. Dodgy world leaders then enter the picture.
Qatar has said that the official cause of the migrant worker's death, in a country where alcohol is virtually impossible to get, is that he was intoxicated and fell off of the stadium. surprisingly his family think this is not true... a fifa president can rule for 3 three year terms. the current president said his first 3 years was covering blatter, so it doesn't count so he can have 3 terms, after the 3 years when he is covering blatter the corruption in football is obvious, how else can someone found to have ordered the death of a journalist own newcastle united?
Sadly, it’s a well known story, albeit well told. But it’s interesting that while Blatter was a poor chief, and presided over a very corrupt organisation, he maybe wasn’t guilty himself. It was the Commitee members at regional level. The latest World Cup in Qatar just made $7.5 billion profit I heard a commentator say. So it’s a great business model. But it’s what they do with the money that counts, down to grassroots and multi-gender level. For all its sins, holding the event in Qatar has given a massive boost to the game in Africa and the Middle East, led by the success of Morocco.
