FIFA's Take Is To Blame Britain For Corrupt Bids Process

((HT: Sky Sports))

Shocking no one, really...

The findings of the FIFA-requested inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 bidding processes that eventually awarded the World Cups to Russia and Qatar were revealed as clean. But the villian, as exposed by FIFA in their review press conference was Britain...

Naturally...

But the former US attorney who came up with the review is now critical of the edited version that FIFA has released themselves claiming that the edited version is wrong.

Michael Garcia has a 400-plus page report that was edited down to, about, 10-percent of that for the public review.

FIFA's top judge, Hans-Joachim Eckert, came up with his own version
((HT: Deadspin))

FIFA report

Here's the Hometown Headlines review of the findings and England is not happy...


Garcia will go in front of the FIFA Appeals Committee- which should have the attention span of a cocker spaniel when it comes to listening to their original author.

The HQ doesn't think this will go anywhere other than an appointment on a calendar...

Of Course... FIFA Dropped The Mexico Gay Slur Case

FIFA's disciplinary panel has decided that they won't take any action against the Mexico football federation after the "investigation" of fans using a chant against the rival team's goalkeeper in previous matches this tournament in Brazil.

The chant, which (once again) the HQ will not print, is used in Mexican leagues as a tradition- calling the keeper (loosely translated) a male whore when he executes a goal kick...

FIFA says the chant "is not considered insulting in this specific context"- whatever in the blue hell that actually means.

The president of the Mexican federation, Hector Gonzalez, was interviewed by ESPN FC's John Sutcliffe who (along with national coach Miguel Herrera) didn't think the chant was all that bad in the first place when the issue first came up...
((HT: ESPN))


The HQ would like to congratulate FIFA in reinforcing who they actually are to the rest of us..

Mexico Futbol Director Defends Indefensible Racist Chants

((HT: ESPN))

Earlier today, ESPN's John Sutcliffe interviewed Team Mexico's Director of National Teams Hector Gonzalez about the FIFA investigation of racist chants raining down from fans of El Tri in the Cameroon match.

The investigation centers around the use of the word "puto" - a gay slur that you'll have to look up yourself.

Gonzalez actually defended its use in stadia


Not to be outdone, team coach Miguel Herrera agreed- to ESPN:

"About the chants, we don't have anything to say, we are going to concentrate in working hard, that is what corresponds to us," Herrera said. "We support our fan base. They just do it to put pressure on the other goalkeeper.

"That chant was invented in the Mexican league by one team and all the Mexican fan base has adopted it, therefore I don't think it is something that serious.

"I think for us there is more important stuff to solve than a chant that is just an expression to put pressure on the other goalkeeper that has been taking place in Mexico since a long time ago."

The Mexican Federation is ultimately responsible for fan behavior and it looks like FIFA may come down hard if they can prove the words were used.

Or, to be more accurate, if FIFA want to find the evidence...

Barca Gets 14-Month Transfer Ban

FIFA decided to flex its collective muscle on one of its model franchises yesterday when an investigation uncovered that FC Barcelona was mishandling their transactions involving athletes under the age of 18.

Their statement read in part:

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol (RFEF) and Spanish club FC Barcelona for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

“The investigations concerned several minor players who were registered and participated in competitions with the club over various periods between 2009 and 2013.”

It looks like the summer and winter transfer windows will now remain without Barca's participation. The club plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)- which is notorious for voting in favor of people they like and voting against those they don't regardless of the evidence presented.

There are select conditions involved in youth transfers and FIFA claims that Barca violated the terms on ten players and also fined them the equivalent of a little over $500,000- which, for Barca as a franchise, is around seven dollars of their budget...

Barca will have some transfer decisions this off-season including both goalies and Carles Puyol, so it will be interesting to see if the deals they have in place for replacements will be able to stick...

Here's Valdes' injury that will keep him out for seven months and keep Barca fans gnashing their collective teeth...
((HT: UEFA))

Cristiano Ronaldo Responds To Sepp Blatter's Impression

So, it all starts with "the" question everyone wants to ask FIFA head Sepp Blatter about who is the greatest footballer on this or any other planet at present...

Go, Oxford kid...
((HT: Oxford Union))


And, then, CR7 goes off for a hat trick in a 7-3 win for Real Madrid yesterday and does this...
Go, Commander...


So much for all those Twitter pleasantries, eh kids...???

Sepp Blatter Thinks MLS Hasn't Caught On...

((HT: Al Jazeera))

In a long-reaching interview with the folks at AJE, FIFA President Sepp Blatter gave the folks over at Major League Soccer hell for not catching on fast enough...

Whatever the hell that means...
Here's the chit-chat with Marwan Bishara for their "Empire" program...


The money quote:

"There is no very strong professional league," Blatter said. "They have just the MLS, but they have no professional leagues which are recognized by the American society."

Define "recognized..." and that's the rub in this whole thing...
Attendance is up 10-percent from year-to-year on average with the additional franchises from Montreal and Vancouver coming on line...

Blatter also wants the league to adopt the August-May schedule instead of what they have now.

The HQ would suggest that league attendance would plummet since they would be competing with college football in LA, Denver, Columbus OH, Dallas, Houston, Portland, Salt Lake, San Jose, and Kansas City... Chicago and New York- not so much...

What Blatter doesn't know is that the other football is all over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday- key broadcast dates for futbol in the United States...

So, good luck on competing instead of maintaining your own identity...