Quote:
Originally Posted by Bagor
What do you mean step up to the plate and control FIFA? How are they supposed to control it when the numbers are against them?
The best way Europe can step up to the plate is to get the hell out of FIFA, rid themselves off and let the Asians and Africans have their own minor league ball.
They could have had Figo, Platini, Cruyff standing and it wouldn't have mattered.
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Sure, UEFA has two choices. Get out of FIFA and go play with themselves or step up to the plate and run a proper campaign.
Let's look at the numbers. There are 208 member associations, 54 of them in Europe. 105 votes to win the presidency, Europe just needs to find 51 more votes and for 40 years they haven't been able to do it. They have not even come up with a global platform. They have decided to make themselves unelectable.
Think of Havalange and Blatter as normal politicians. (leave the bribery aside for now). They have run campaigns based on promises and delivered on them.
Expand the World Cup from 16 to 24 to 32 (more places for the rest of the world). In 1966 there was 1 berth for Asia and Africa COMBINED!
Expand Youth tournaments and have them hosted in smaller countries (like New Zealand, Turkey and Colombia, last 3 U-20 hosts)
Expand Women's football
Sell a product called soccer and distribute the proceeds around the world
That's politics right? Know what your constituency wants, and deliver what they are happy to vote for time and time again.
Europe is sitting in opposition. They have 80-odd seats in a 208 seat house. Like opposition governments they have to do the dirty work, go shake hands and kiss babies. Come up a global solution better than Blatter's. Instead they sit on top of the mountain and poopoo everything.
The Club World Cup, the meeting of the continental club champions from around the world. UEFA treats it with absolute disdain.. The rest of the world sees this as a red flag. "If we give FIFA back to Europe, we're done for".