FIFA To The Rescue

The soccer world is not immune to the devastating economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.  One doesn't need an MBA to figure that when your source of revenue goes - in the case of soccer the games, televising of them and incidental income such as parking and concessions - your profits go as well.  

It turns out that FIFA has cash reserves of $2.74 billion and is considering using some of that money to  aid ailing clubs around the world.  As reported in the New York Times, there is talk of using some of the reserves and borrowing against future television revenue to create a "football relief fund."

Instant Replay May Be On Its Way

More than six years ago, on March 7, 2010, I applauded the decision not to use instant replay om soccer.  My concern was that stopping a match to look at a video replay would break up the flow of the game, one of the sport's attractions.
 
Now, as reported in today's New York Times, video review is back. Although I was against the concept, it appears FIFA has thought it out pretty well as it begins experiments in six countries, including Major League Soccer.  The list of reviewable situations is deliberately short:  clear errors on goals, penalty decisions, straight red cards and case  of mistaken identity.  Unlike other sports, coaches would not be able to request a replay.  A video assistant referee can recommend a review but only the center referee can initiate a formal review.

The International Football Association Board, which administers the Laws of the Game, has run several days of tests in North Jersey and has been in contact with other sports about their use of replay.  Experiments in actual matches will not begin until 2017.

It appears as though technology has advanced since my post six years ago and I am encouraged that the IFAB is taking its time to conduct thorough research.  This might work afterall.

New Era for FIFA as Infantino Is Elected

Twenty-seven years ago, 18-year old Gianni Infantino of Brig, Switzerland, won election to the presidency of the local soccer team by promising to have his mother wash the team uniforms. Yesterday, the now 45-year old Infantino won a much bigger soccer election: for the presidency of FIFA.

As reported by Sam Borden in the New York Times, Infantino, the secretary general of UEFA since 2009, garnered 115 votes on the second ballot and now has the tough task of replacing the suspended Sepp Blatter, and turning around the pervasive scandals that have plagued the governing body of world soccer.  After the first ballot Infantino had a three vote lead and Sunil Gulati of U.S. Soccer, who had supported Bahrain's Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, switched the U.S. vote to Infantino and lobbied other CONCACAF nations to do likewise. 

"A new era has started as we speak," Infantino said after the vote.  One can only hope.  Best of luck!

Never Mind: FIFA's Sepp Blatter Resigns After 17 years

Less than a week after being re-elected for a fifth term as head of the governing body of world soccer, Sepp Blatter announced in Zurich yesterday that he will resign.  The New York Times provides thorough coverage.

“FIFA needs a profound restructuring,” Blatter is quoted as saying. Referring to his re-election, he then added, “Although the members of FIFA have given me the new mandate, this mandate does not seem to be supported by everybody in the world of football.” 

You think?

FIFA Re-elects Sepp Blatter - Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss.

What's a little bribery and corruption scandal?  Not much for Sepp Blatter who today in Zurich was elected to his fifth consecutive term as president of FIFA just several days after 14 soccer and marketing officials were arrested on various charges of what the New York Times called :staggering levels of corruption." Didn't seem to both the 133 countries that voted for Blatter.

The official press release on the FIFA website is here while the Times' soccer superwriter, Sam Borden, provides a more objective account of the vote.

Christie Rampone and the World Cup

Lost in the hubub over the arrests of numerous top FIFA officials and others on charges of bribery and the like is the fact that the Women's World Cup begins in less than 10 days when host Canada faces the Peoples Republic of China on June 6 at 2:00 p.m. eastern time in Edmonton.

Related to the tournament is yesterday's article by Juliet Macur in the New York Times about American veteran Christie Rampone.  Macur always writes good stuff, usually from a point of view, and this article is no exception, although the headline (which she did not write) is a bit overly dramatic.  A fax certainly rewrote Rampone's career, but not U.S. soccer history.  Given the talent, I suspect the United States would have reached the World Cup final, and probably won it, without Rampone.  But it was sure nice having her on the field with all the others.

More on the World Cup in the days to come.

Uncle Sam Goes After FIFA

Early this morning - too late for the newsprint editions of the morning newspapers - Swiss authorities arrested eight top officials of soccer's governing body, FIFA, on corruption charges filed in the United States.  The New York Times on-line edition has full coverage.