Even more Qatar! – sports history

The Western world of football lost an important battle within FIFA last week. Within five years, the center of gravity of international sport will therefore shift to the Middle East. Even more Qatar!

On May 13, 1976, everything changed at FIFA. That day, the association concluded a sponsorship contract with Coca-Cola for five million dollars. This money has been used, among other things, to develop football in at least a hundred countries in Africa, Asia, Australia and America. Sepp Blatter became responsible for this development program as technical director of FIFA.

These events cast their shadow 25 years in advance, but the world of European football did not see it back then. He thought it was ridiculous to promote football in those distant countries. This allowed Blatter to make friends in Africa, Asia and America undisturbed for a long time – at the expense of Coca-Cola. The football associations of these continents then all voted for Blatter again and again for the presidential election. Of the 211 member countries of FIFA, Europe has only 55 votes. Asia and Africa have 101, almost half of the total.

ABC

Therefore, if you want to understand the FIFA of that time, you only have to remember the first three letters of the alphabet: A for Africa, B for Blatter and C for Coca-Cola. It doesn’t matter that Blatter has been replaced by Infantino since 2015, because the current president is also betting on Africa and Asia.

That’s how simple FIFA has been since that contract in 1976, now nearly half a century old. Nothing has changed under Infantino. Everything clicked in FIFA, but nothing moved at all. FIFA is indeed in the eye of a hurricane with a force 0 wind.

Forces from outside

However, things almost went wrong with FIFA in 2010 after Qatar was named as hosts of the World Cup. The United States was also a candidate for this tournament and, as an involved party, this country opened a corruption investigation. The FBI reported to the front. Swiss justice did not trust him either, so FIFA was suddenly seriously threatened by influential outside forces. It was no longer about the majority of the 211 votes, but about the agents who stormed the hotels where FIFA executives had spacious accommodation.

These police investigations have left FIFA reeling, as of the 24 sports officials who gave the World Cup to Qatar, at least fifteen were subsequently expelled, suspended or convicted. The world of football could hardly defend itself against these unexpected forces. There is no distribution of power within FIFA, as we are used to within Trias Politica. The Federal Council writes its own laws, the Federal Council monitors its own laws, and the Federal Council punishes anyone who does not respect its own laws.

It is only when there is outside intervention that something can change within FIFA, such as between 2010 and 2015. So these years were ideal for the perfect storm within FIFA to prevent further scandals of corruption or these terrible football events like today in Qatar. Governments and civil society organizations have missed the opportunity to fundamentally reform the world of football with a better distribution of power. This momentum was missed, which the Western football world will have to bear the brunt of in the years to come. What we are currently experiencing in Qatar with captains’ fanfares, rainbows and hysterical speeches is just the beginning.

Three predictions

Here are my predictions. FIFA will soon move its headquarters from Switzerland to Qatar or another country in this region without inconvenient legislation. Anyway, no new investigation will come from the United States, because this country could organize the next World Cup. FIFA then controls these uncontrollable external forces.

Moreover, FIFA will decide next year that the 2030 World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia. And that with 48 participants, most of whom will play on zero. The KNVB won’t oppose it, as the Netherlands are candidates for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, alongside Belgium and Germany. Denmark’s call to break with FIFA will therefore go unsupported, shattering European unity before we have even started. His own ball first.

This European defeat also finds an echo within the International Olympic Committee, which has already had initial consultations with Qatar on the Summer Games. So this is my third and last prediction: in three years, the IOC will decide that Qatar will host the 2036 Olympic Games, in winter of course.

This week’s events thus cast their shadow 25 years in advance at the expense of the world of European football. Any form of optimism about the future of FIFA is therefore totally misplaced. All you have to do is remember the first three letters of the alphabet: A for Arabic, B for Bierloos and C for Corruption.

Even more Qatar!