25 Feb 2015 15:03:22
How do you all view the prospect of having to break for possibly 2 months around November/December 2022 so that the Qatar World Cup can be played in semi-reasonable conditions?
I don't know about y'all (to use an adopted colloquialism) but, to me, football is primarily about clubs, not nations, and the massive disruption to not just the leagues and cups, but also possibly the economic structure of the sport, is unconscionable.
The geopolitical aspects of this whole affair are intriguing and, to me, are why football is such a great sport - it has so many levels, in the game itself, the characters from all over the world, the refereeing controversies, the dubious legitimacy of the governing boards, the tribal and international rivalries - plus the metaphorical relationships to society, morality and ethics.
I mean, should the European nations club together to boycott the decision, and, if they did, what affect would that have on international relations? Given the way the Middle East is, does anyone think that this World Cup will go ahead anyway?
25 Feb 2015 16:19:26
What annoys me is that the Qatar bid ignored any health and safety advice on players playing there in the summer. I think they always knew it would have to be moved. In that case, this information should have been part of their bid, so that countries knew exactly what they were voting for.
The whole thing is one huge fraud, but I don't know why anyone's surprised.
25 Feb 2015 17:17:30
But at least uncle Sepp won't go cold at night.
The whole bidding process is a joke from start to finish.
25 Feb 2015 17:27:44
I genuinely can't believe they got away with Qatar winning the bid in the first place. Then you have FIFA planning to disrupt pretty much the world of football as a result it is beyond belief.
I think the PL clubs should flex their muscle, where we lead others will follow. Start offering contracts which include the 2022 year to state that the players will not be permitted to leave during the season. If the PL refuses to budge, then players will have a choice, pick their nations over lucrative contracts, I know what 99.9% would choose. I doubt any players have contracts up to 2022 yet, so it won't be difficult to introduce I imagine. What would a World Cup be without many of the Worlds stars and with more and more TV money coming the PL way it only means better players and a larger share of the Worlds elite are based here.
FIFA is a joke and the sooner they are put in their place the better, Qatar, unbelievable.
25 Feb 2015 17:30:07
How on earth did Qatar win? They aren't a footballing nation and we all knew it was pretty inhospitable in the summer. Breaking up the League is a terrible idea and I'd go as far to say that we will get some very strange results following the World Cup where 'lesser' teams that do not have as many WC players will push higher than normal. It significantly disadvantages the top teams in all League's.
25 Feb 2015 18:14:46
The real joke here is Blatter, How he got away with it when clearly teyhere was some brown envelopes passed around is beyond me. Its a middle finger to all the major leagues and I there will be a lot of unhapppy players, clubs, staff, and most importantly fans if it breaks up the season.
It needs to be addressed. Every year that passes Fifa are losing more and more credibility in my eyes. Some major overhauls needed me thinks.
25 Feb 2015 19:08:58
I must say, Beast's idea to combat it on a player level is interesting, but doesn't it only work if the leagues have decided to continue their seasons during the world cup? Otherwise what's the point?
The corruption and lack of accountability in the governing bodies is mirrored by the cheaters on the field. The decline in morality overall stands in stark contrast to the increase in global interest. But then with so much money at stake perhaps it's not surprising.
25 Feb 2015 20:26:30
With all the money coming in from the Middle East over the last couple of years in terms of investment I don't think FIFA had much of a choice. They are trying to push the game into as many cultures as possible and I can see why they have done it (along with a bucket of cash).
I personally don't agree with messing around many governing bodies but I don't know how many of the major European clubs such as PSG, Man City, Real Madrid, Barcelona etc can have any complaints as they all have affiliations with the Middle east.
25 Feb 2015 22:03:42
Juan, that's fine. But if you want to get football to these areas, then at least be up front with the changes and upheavel that will need to be made, when the bids are made, rather than pushing things through the back door after the event.
25 Feb 2015 22:14:44
I agree completely Noucamp. I thought that England, The U.S. and Australia would have been more suitable contenders but I think if Fifa do not strip Russia after all the controversy around the country at the minute then they will have a lot to answer for.
26 Feb 2015 07:52:00
An interesting thought that players sign contracts excluded release to the world cup, why oh why would they do that. Most players ultimate goal is play in the world cup finals and they wouldn't have to make a choice as the players hold the power. You can just imagine the EPL promotional power with the top stars refusing to play in the EPL and the standard being set by the likes of Barton / Barry etc etc.
Despite what people think most players want to represent their country and they also hold the balance of power. Just imagine this website with Utd having no international players, look at it now when we have a squad full of internationals, meltdown within a couple of weeks.
Agree with Noucamp, no issue with Qatar winning it is the fact their bid was not judged with a winter world cup.
Anyways off to look forward to 2022 when we have a team full of players like Barton / Barry etc lol.
25 Feb 2015 20:40:58
I have noted the Ed's comments on a potential breakaway European league and wonder how a November World Cup would impact the decision, would it hasten it and if already set up would the players still be contractually obliged to go to Qatar?
{Ed002's Note - It is of no consequence and if it happened before then it is likely the players would all be excluded in any case.}
26 Feb 2015 16:11:47
Keenoh, maybe you think differently to myself. But I feel confident in saying that given the choice between earning £300k a week for 5 years or playing in a one off World Cup in Qatar, the vast majority of players would choose The contract. Remember this isn't the 80's anymore, club football holds more sway for most people now, let alone in 7 years (what will the average premier league player be earning then?). You will always have some that are more patriotic than they are greedy, but what would you choose?
Fifa would buckle if the PL and clubs showed some backbone as others would jump on board. The World Cup would be moved elsewhere and held in the summer as normal, but only if the clubs fight back.