Corruption at the Top - Football v. Religion

It is a source of great frustration to me that it appears that Football and Religion suffer from the same problem, in that there would seem to be wide spread corruption and a lack of morals and ethics at the top of of  both organisations.

Both organisations suffer from those at the top seeking their own self aggrandisement and putting their own personal ambitions ahead of very things their organisations stand for. Neither Pope Benedict XVI or Sepp Blatter got where they are without playing a great deal of 'organisational politics' and doing deals to get ahead.

If either of these men were most interested in promoting the 'true values' of their organisations  then things may be very different.

The Catholic Church must stop the protection and cover-up of the wide-spread child abuse that seems endemic in this organisation, they should change the out-dated rules on contraception and maybe help stop the spread of aids in the third world and maybe, just maybe, these men of god would give up their privileged  film star life-styles, the first class travel and Michelin starred restaurants and put some of the money saved to actually help the poor...... is that not what their fictional Jesus teaches.

And maybe that's the rub - those in the Vatican are best placed and must be aware of the greatest fiction ever spread - is that why they fail to live by the world of the bible.....

....... but FIFA is no better. An organisation supposedly tasked with looking after the best interests of Football, and they are simply falling over themselves to get their snouts in the trough. The 'bungs' and 'bribes' and under-hand dealing that has allegedly gone on to deprive England of hosting the 2018 World Cup is pretty legendary,

But WHY is nobody questioning the decision to take the World Cup to QATAR in 2022 - How much money was paid in bribes to secure that...........

Can somebody from FIFA please answer the following,

From a purely practical point of view, Qatar is petty small and largely desert.

• Where are you going to accommodate 32 National Teams with the attending media circuses and necessary training facilities.
• Where are you going to accommodate the supporters from 32 different nations.
• Where are the football stadiums meeting the international standards and having sufficient capacity for the attending crowds.
• With day time temperatures in the 40s, when are you going to play the games.

There is a good article questioning all this from the Telegraph here


But most worrying, if you are trying to run a FUN and ENJOYABLE festival of football for THE WORLD, why have you chosen to have it in a country that RESTRICTS FREEDOM.

From the FCO Website - advice regarding visiting QATAR ( FCO WEBSITE HERE )

"Local laws reflect the fact that Qatar is an Islamic country. You should respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be aware of your actions to ensure that they do not offend other cultures or religious beliefs." Seems fair enough, unless of course having to change my behaviour such that I do not offend local customs is actually breaching my human rights.

"The importation of narcotics, alcohol, pornography, pork products and religious books and material into Qatar is illegal." So does this mean supporters from other faiths can not bring their bible, torah etc. and what does 'religious material mean' does this include jewellery such as crucifixes. Also, what does this mean for all the footballers who insist on 'crossing themselves' at every possibility - will this offend our Islamic hosts.

"DVDs and videos may be subject to scrutiny and may be censored."  and you can probably add laptops and memory sticks.

"It is a punishable offence to drink alcohol or be drunk in public.  Offenders may incur a prison sentence or deportation.  Alcohol is, however, available at licensed hotel restaurants and bars, and expatriates living in Qatar can obtain alcohol on a permit system.  You should not carry alcohol with you, including in your car (except to take it on the day of collection from the warehouse to your home)." This should be interesting....... bring on the FUN POLICE !!!

"You should dress modestly when in public, including whilst driving.  Women should cover their shoulders and avoid wearing short skirts.  You should behave courteously at all times."  Yes WOMEN, know your place !!! 
When the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius, I think some women may be wearing next to nothing, bring on the Brazilians.  

"Any intimacy in public between men and women (including between teenagers) can lead to arrest."

 As I said before 'bring on the Brazilians'. What does this mean, holding hands, hugging, kissing - the things that happen when your team scores.......

"Homosexual behaviour is illegal in Qatar" Seriously, who in FIFA thought that taking the World Cup to a homophobic, medieval and feudal society was a good idea.

How is this going to work unless QATAR changes its laws, and if it is necessary for QATAR to temporarily change its laws in order to hold the World Cup,  FIFA should be questioning whether this is a country that should ever have been considered in the first place.