In a (not-so) surprising turn of events, FIFA President Sepp Blatter will be brought forth an ethics committee to determine whether or not he received bribes pertaining to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
For those of you who don't remember, those World Cups will be held in Russia and Qatar, respectively, raising eyebrows across the world as major powerhouses such as England, France, and a host of others. Russia and Qatar are not known for their soccer prowess, nor are they the most hospitable countries for a competition that draws hundreds of thousands of people.
Certainly these accusations make Blatter look like a sleazeball if they are true. And it isn't a coincidence that FIFA summons him before an ethics committee one week before elections for FIFA presidency, where Blatter will seek his fourth consecutive term.
Interestingly, one of Blatter's biggest competitors for the position is the Qatari head of the Asian Football Confederation, Mohammed bin Hammam, who has also been implicated in the accusations. He allegedly payed off FIFA executive Jack Warner to back the Qatari bid. Bin Hammam is now throwing Blatter under the bus, denying any of his wrongdoing and supporting the accusations against Blatter, with hopes of winning the election, showing the lowest of class if bribery did occur to earn Qatar the 2022 World Cup. Bin Hammam will now remove the knife from the back of Blatter.
I guess people shouldn't really be surprised by this. Cheating, bribery, and scandals are rampant in international soccer. Corruption must start somewhere and the most logical place is from the top. Let's hope that they revoke the 2022 Qatar award and re-vote in a clean election.
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