#Inferno-Infantino Is Selling Off Our Football
We all thought that after Sepp Blatter and the QATAR World Cup he initiated, nothing worse could happen. Far from it! #Inferno-Infantino is giving us a new superlative in marketing and, with the approach of the 2030 World Cup in six countries across three continents, is paving the way for Saudi Arabia as the next World Cup host in 2034 (SPORT1 report: Infantino confirms World Cup host).
FIFA's declaration of interest regarding the hosting of these two World Cups is a farce and a slap in the face to all of us who love and live football.
Other bidders, most recently Australia, are withdrawing their intention to also compete for the 2034 World Cup! One can only imagine why!
On its website regarding the 2034 World Cup award, FIFA sets out the framework conditions for bidding for this event and refers to the concept of rotation and approval by the FIFA Congress.
In doing so, Mr. Infantino and FIFA are choosing a time to announce this decision that is shaped by the terrible news from ISRAEL and the Gaza Strip, presumably in the hope that FIFA's decision will attract less attention. Is there truly no shame in Zurich? The many deaths for which FIFA bears co-responsibility through the construction of football stadiums in Qatar are apparently still not enough!
THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!
In light of what has been described above, FIFA's compliance guidelines sound like a bad joke:
Compliance at the FIFA World Cup
With the help of a comprehensive compliance program for the FIFA World Cup™, FIFA promotes transparency and ethical conduct, identifies risks, issues guidelines, establishes procedures, and, if necessary, immediately takes due-diligence countermeasures to support FIFA sponsors, participating teams, and the entire organization on-site with compliance matters.
Bidding process for the FIFA World Cup
FIFA has issued a new bidding process to make the selection of the FIFA World Cup™ host as open and transparent as possible, and to review key elements of the process, ranging from the equal treatment of participating member associations to the final evaluation of bid dossiers. All aspects are covered, from risk assessment to the issuing of guidelines.
Worldwide, many volunteer football enthusiasts in a wide variety of associations work to maintain the structures of our favorite sport. It is from the amateur clubs that the associations ultimately recruit the future superstars, to whom we, in turn, as football-loving TV viewers and stadium-goers, offer a stage for their performances and a basis for their financial resources.
We, the volunteers and football enthusiasts, are therefore football itself!
The associations are therefore responsible for ensuring:
1. the protection of their members' interests,
2. the protection of all players' health,
3. the preservation of fairness within the sport,
4. social impact,
5. the investment of financial resources in functioning infrastructure for our sport,
6. solidarity among the associations and across sports,
7. …
None of this can be seen in the actions of Mr. Infantino and the FIFA he leads. It may be that a wide variety of measures have been taken to curb corruption within this organization, but one doesn't get the feeling that these measures are actually taking effect. Ultimately, decisions would then have to be made that can at least roughly be measured against the responsibilities named above.
The only standards I can discern from the decisions of the world football association are megalomania and the maximization of financial profit! And all of this on the backs of football fans and volunteers! And the health of the players is likewise a matter of indifference to the slick gentlemen running the organization.
That's why, in my view, everyone is now called upon to put a stop to the sell-out of our interests:
1. The associations, above all UEFA and its member associations, especially the DFB!
Mr. Neuendorf, Mr. Zimmermann, Mr. Watzke, and all vice presidents! Live up to your responsibility, and, as a last resort, withdraw your participation in FIFA's competitions altogether!
2. Volunteers! You are the foundation! Nothing works without you! Threaten strikes, and as a last resort follow through on them, if your representatives don't have the courage to look after your interests!
3. Football-loving TV viewers and stadium-goers! Boycott FIFA! Leave your TVs off when FIFA events are broadcast, as long as your interests are not being represented! Football belongs to you! #Football_belongs_to_us!
4. Members of the media! Quality journalism comes with obligations! The media has been called the "fourth" pillar of the rule of law! Live up to that responsibility! Expose grievances and make transparent how decisions come about and what moral responsibility the associations bear!
We must not make things easy for ourselves and shirk our responsibility with the attitude of "There's nothing you can do about it anyway!" #Let's_not_look_away_any_longer! #Our_Football! #Not_with_us,_Mr._Infantino!
Further articles on FIFA's decision:
Spiegel: Infantino confirms tournament in Saudi Arabia
Zeit Online: The tricks of Gianni Infantino
Sky Sport: Infantino announces 2034 World Cup award via Instagram
ntv: Australia clears the way for the next scandal World Cup
WELT.DE: Via Instagram, FIFA boss Infantino announces the World Cup award
watson.de: World Cup awarded to Saudi Arabia via Instagram: Gianni Infantino's god complex
spox.com: "Adopted by consensus": Gianni Infantino confirms the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia