Sepp Blatter Toppled
by So-Called 'Masters of the World' (Le Temps, Switzerland)
Blatter's reputation has been tarnished by those who incorrectly imagine that they have the innate right to rule the world. ... UEFA - therefore indirectly Europe - with the support of the United States, wants to impose its will on the nearly 7 billion other human beings that inhabit the earth. ... Why haven’t we waited for the conclusions of justice? Justice? Hmm ... what kind of justice is this? American justice, which also appears to cover the territorial jurisdiction of the Swiss."
He'd become the
media's public enemy number one. In a rush to pillory the FIFA chief, Western
media forgot not only the presumption of innocence but all Sepp Blatter has
done for Africa and other developing regions of the world. This is a counter-argument
on Blatter's resignation by J. J. Arthur Malu-Malu, consultant to the Congolese Embassy in London
and a former BBC journalist.
They got him. In other times Sepp Blatter would have been
guillotined, thrown as food to hungry wolves or dragged before a firing squad.
But we're in the 21st century so he was pushed to the exit.
His reputation has been tarnished by those who incorrectly imagine
that they have the innate right to rule the world. The old veteran, wily from
head to toe, with his sharp gaze and mischievous smile, resigned four days
after his re-election as head of FIFA.
Some people reckon, in a hasty manner, that his decision is an admission of
guilt.
What is there to reproach Blatter for? Has he been caught
with his hand in the cookie jar? Is it established that he patiently built a
mafia network within the bosom of the powerful FIFA? Has he been convicted of
corruption? Why is he demonized when, in this case, everything remains opaque? On
the basis of what, has he been forced to drop everything?
These questions, all elementary, and many others, haven't occurred
to the judges who have tried and
convicted him without bothering with the usual precautions. Like parrots,
numerous columnists, who have a clear-cut opinion about everything, repeatedly trot
out the same feeble arguments. But for the moment these accusations are based solely
on fragile suspicion. The presumption of innocence?
They make of mockery of it.
Why haven’t we waited for the conclusions of justice? Justice? Hmm … what kind of justice is this? American
justice, which also appears to cover the territorial jurisdiction of the Swiss.
One might have some reservations about that - but let’s move on.
FIFA: Making it Safe for UEFA to Exploit the South (Le Quotidien d'Oran, Algeria)
FIFA may be "rotten." All the
world (or almost) is beginning to suspect that it is, but no one (or almost no
one) can be certain. If corruption is proven and judgment is made, then I will
bow down res judicataand be outraged, of course.
[UAFA President]
Michel Platini has headed the anti-Blatter movement. While
rumor has it that his name is closely associated with the Qatar affair, Platini hasn't given up his post at UEFA.
The former AS
Nancy footballer, who overnight turned into a fierce destroyer of his "friend"
the FIFA president, is like a demigod in the eyes of some media which nurse an
inexplicable bovine docility.
Blatter's re-election was the
result of a transparent procedure held on conformity with FIFA regulations. On what
basis does one oppose a vote that took place according to the rules of the game?
Like him or not, it must be said that this Swiss man has
done a lot for Africa and other regions. Under his successive terms of office,
federation headquarters were built here and there, stadiums were constructed
from scratch, the continent has hosted a World Cup [South Africa in 2012],
interference by political leaders in the running of FIFA federations was prohibited,
a policy of genuine revenue distribution was put in place, etc. Thanks to whom?
Senior officials of African football fully played the experience card instead
of handing FIFA's keys to a young and inexperienced Jordanian prince unknown to
the public whose candidacy was cleverly pushed by UEFA.
Can we remember that for decades, the organization of the
World Cup was a strictly European and continental-American affair, as if the rest
of the world counted for nothing? Under Blatter, Japan and South Korea also got
their share of the dream, jointly organizing the 2002 competition. Do we recall
that in 1974, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) was the sole representative
of Africa in the finals? Don't we know that earlier, there were so-called "world"
cups without a single African team? Can one point out that up to now, despite
the genuine rebalancing efforts undertaken by FIFA, Europe remains the
continent most represented in the finals?
This affair highlights the chasm between the so-called West
and the rest of the world. Football, invented by the English, has become the
heritage of humanity. It is undoubtedly the first world "religion"
practiced on all continents in which during live match broadcasts one takes communion
without the least discrimination. Whoever controls world football therefore "controls"
billions of the religion's adherents spread throughout the four corners of the
planet. Kids in Parakou (Benin), Birmingham, Mexico
City, Sydney, Doha, Shanghai and Geneva watch the same matches at excite at the
same time by the exploits of Messi, Ronaldo and others. Globalization has abolished frontiers.
If there is a sport that unites people and transcends political, identity,
ethnic, social and religious divisions, it is football, which has never worn the
title "sport of kings" as well.
If one knows that behind football, large financial interests
are at stake, it is easy to understand the fierceness of the struggle. UEFA - therefore indirectly Europe - with the support of
the United States, wants to impose its will on the nearly 7 billion other human
beings that inhabit the earth. Except that FIFA is unique in that all of its 209
members carry the same weight: one federation, one vote. Whatever they call
themselves, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia,
Brazil, Lesotho or Honduras, it’s all the same. There are neither special
privileges nor the right of veto. FIFA is not the U.N. Security Council where extended
powers have been unduly granted to five permanent members who abuse them at
will. Africa, which contains a billion souls, is relegated to the simple rank
of stooge in the ranks of the U.N. executive. Maintaining this archaism is an
aberration.
Blatter, who is approaching 80 years old, has chosen to blow
the whistle at the end of the game. The media’s public enemy number one, who
seemed to have been hale and hearty, despite his advanced age, leaves behind a
splintered organization. Hero or villain? We will certainly
know in the coming weeks.
