"Fifa report 'erroneous', says lawyer who investigated corruption claims"

[el punal]

FIFA couldn't organise their way out of a paper bag!

Oh yes they can. It depends on who they give the brown envelope to.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Odds on several secret Swiss bank accounts receiving a bonus payment before this news was broken.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Don't forget that the FA have to keep filling Wembley with international fixtures in order to pay for the huge debt they amassed by building it. If we drop out of FIFA no international teams will be allowed to play England and the FA have a huge white elephant on their hands.

You're absolutely correct, with a slight caveat.

England would still be free to play friendlies against other non-affiliated nations, such as the Basque Country national team, it's just a little unlikely that it would fill Wembley.

Also, we would still be able to play in one genuine competition (though it wouldn't fill Wembley); The Olympics.

 

[Goldstone1976]

I see that Greg Dyke replied to a question asking whether he was concerned that his comments might have damaged the image of FIFA thusly: "I think it's quite hard to damage the image of FIFA". I can't think of a recent FA Chairman more likely to take the FA out of FIFA than Dyke.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

It illustrates the extent of FIFA's arrogance if they think fudging their summary report will make the allegations of corruption go away. If anything I suspect it will motivate the investigative journos within BBC 'Panorama' and The Sunday Times to continue their long standing campaigns. They will love it if they can expose discrepancies in the creation of the summary report. Bring it on.

It seems understandable that Michael Garcia should go public - and so swiftly with his critical response to FIFA's summary report of his original investigation. Surely it was predictable that Garcia would respond to any perceived slur on his own professional reputation if FIFA have misrepresented his findings? Given FIFA's history of hiding behind a firewall of Swiss laws I am surprised that their terms of reference did not attempt to gag Garcia. Oh dear.

I also imagine that the national associations and / or individuals whose behaviour has been questioned by FIFA's summary will be pouring over the findings. Having called for the investigation I do think the FA was right to co-operate, even knowing that it might open itself to criticism of following questionable practices, and of indulging Warner in particular. But was this really on the scale of the serious and allegations of apparently institutional corruption against FIFA?

What about the other national Associations who failed to co-operate or whose records mysteriously disappeared? Are they completely off the hook? This only poses further questions as to how and why they are being indulged.

This just gifts FIFA a perfect opportunity to paint the FA into a corner and demonise us as purveyors of sour grapes. They are desperate to spread evidence of corruption around. Meanwhile the FIFA grandees curry favours with the emerging influences in world football, who just happen to have been awarded the next two World Cups. It must be particularly galling to be cited by FIFA, of all organisations. This will just become a huge binfest for the lawyers.

Are FIFA also arrogant enough to hope they have highlighted sufficient evidence of corruption across many of the dissenting associations that it would deter them from rocking the boat in future? - I really hope not. FIFA must not be allowed to continue unchallenged.

 

[readingstockport]

You couldn't make it up.

Oh you could. FIFA just did.

 

[Grombleton]

We're screwed staying in FIFA, much like we'd be screwed if we left FIFA. Annoying lose-lose situation.

 

[Triggaaar]

Perhaps some elements like time outs to support broadcasters in the US

No chance. We don't want to change football, I'd rather keep FIFA than change the rules of the game. The US don't need something to make it worth their while, they bid for the 2022 WC and lost against Qatar.

yep you are of course right - I reckon we might be able to persuade the Germans, Italians and maybe the spanis, as you say the US would be a good one.

Germans are a possibility, Italians unlikely (they love corruption). I'd think the US and Aussies would want change.

We have to start somewhere though and I would be totally happy if the FA said right we are out they are totally corrupt. Its time we took the game we invented back.

That may be tongue in cheek, but I think it's important to remember that it's not our game anymore, we're not special, and we have no divine rights. We want the governing body to change because it's so corrupt, and people are dying because of it.

I think FIFA's work to spread the game around the world is good, and we want it to be the massive world game that it is, not some private club with 'special' nations.

 

[TomandJerry]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2014/nov/13/fifa-world-cup-ethics-committee-report-2018-2022-live-reaction#block-5464c7d6e4b0cf5ee6dbf867

Live coverage of the reaction

"Simon Johnson has finished talking to Sky News now. He said that he found it peculiar that England were singled out for distorting the bidding process by spending $50,000 on a gala dinner, while Qatar spent £1.2m sponsoring a confederation, yet that was believed to have had no impact.

He believes it is all an attempt by Fifa to shift the attention away from the Qatar bid for 2022 and on to England’s bid."

 

[happypig]

Dear FIFA,
I believe everything that you've said.

Yours sincerely

Colin Mad
1 Mad Gardens
Madsville
Madshire

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

England staging a unilateral protest would garner a lot of respect among other world FAs but would, I fear, change nothing. Agree totally that we need a bloc of powerful nations to stick together and insist on change or they will pull out.

Is that ever going to happen? Not in a million years.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

[tweet]532915768581963777[/tweet]

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Is this one of those moments where, ultimately, it will just flutter away and we will carry on as normal.

Or do you all feel like this IS the moment Blatter and co finally get found out?

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

It will be interesting to see if the US and Australian associations have the stomach to challenge FIFA as they both cried foul after the World Cup hosts were announced. I recall listening to an interview with an irate Australian FA official who threatened to sue FIFA for the $30m costs of their bidding campaign, plus damages. Will this FIFA report dampen their anger - or fire them up?

I guess it will boil down to whether the full Garcia report is ever disclosed, if any significant discrepancies or convenient omissions are identified and ultimately whether the FBI pursue a criminal investigation and compels the provision of unseen evidence. Assuming that FIFA's shredders haven't already been at work....

 

[Giraffe]

Absolute joke of an organisation. Time for England and a fee other countries that have been wronged to pull out.

 

[vegster]

It will be interesting to see if the US and Australian associations have the stomach to challenge FIFA as they both cried foul after the World Cup hosts were announced. I recall listening to an interview with an irate Australian FA official who threatened to sue FIFA for the $30m costs of their bidding campaign, plus damages. Will this FIFA report dampen their anger - or fire them up?

I guess it will boil down to whether the full Garcia report is ever disclosed, if any significant discrepancies or convenient omissions are identified and ultimately whether the FBI pursue a criminal investigation and compels the provision of unseen evidence. Assuming that FIFA's shredders haven't already been at work....

I'm hoping that Mr. Garcia has at least one copy of his full report in his safe against just such an outcome.

 

[TomandJerry]

I'm hoping that Mr. Garcia has at least one copy of his full report in his safe against just such an outcome.

“As Michael Garcia, the lawyer responsible for the report is a US citizen, a partner within Kirkland Ellis LLP and bound by US and New York State law ... can a freedom of information request to get a copy of the report be made?”

 

[TomandJerry]

English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke says Fifa's report into World Cup corruption is now pointless and believes it is looking "pretty ugly" for football's world governing body.
He made his comments after the man who investigated claims of wrongdoing said the report was "erroneous".
"It has undermined the whole process," Dyke told BBC Sport.

 

[vegster]

“As Michael Garcia, the lawyer responsible for the report is a US citizen, a partner within Kirkland Ellis LLP and bound by US and New York State law ... can a freedom of information request to get a copy of the report be made?”

Now THAT would be interesting.

 

[GT49er]

I'm hoping that Mr. Garcia has at least one copy of his full report in his safe against just such an outcome.

He needs one in another very secure safe somewhere for insurance!

Oh, please just let's ditch bloody FIFA now, and go back to football. Just think, FIFA might ban all those foreigners from playing in the Premier League. Then PL fans would have to watch say, a bunch of Manc lads taking on a bunch of scouse lads; big problem.....not. Might cure the financial haemorrhaging that's threatening the very existence of football too!