#360view: Ignorance is bliss at FIFA

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  • Indignent: Sepp Blatter.

    Amid Sepp Blatter’s latest bout of indignation, there was a truly troubling line that only emphasises the fact FIFA’s ills will not be cured by the removal of its more unsavoury members.

    On the subject of Friday’s presidential election, Blatter admitted he could not endorse a candidate – although, privately he most certainly does – but most concerning was this particular nugget.

    “Several national federations have asked me to find out to whom they should vote for. I told them to make their own conscience.”

    Never mind Blatter’s usual emotive language and inability to understand why any candidate should be preferred by a federation – their policies and plans for FIFA – just the mere fact he’s been asked for “advice” is bad enough.

    Assuming the Swiss was telling the truth (and “several” could be anything from two to 200), we are talking about extremely influential individuals either incapable or unwilling to investigate exactly who is right to take FIFA forward.

    People who run football in their respective nations, who should have an acute understanding about what is good for the game and what isn’t. Either they’re completely ignorant or just incredibly lazy; the manifestos of the five candidates are all just a Google away and were most likely e-mailed to each of the 209 federations anyway.

    We can only assume several replied with a “tl;dr”…

    Not only that, but the person they’ve sought counsel from, the one individual they believe best placed to guide them in what is a significant and hugely-important election, is the very man at the centre of its collapse. The man who has dragged the world’s most powerful sporting organisation through the mud as criminal activity went on under his watch as president.

    What it adds up to is that a number of FIFA delegates are incapable of thinking for themselves, have been nothing more than Blatter’s puppets and probably want more of the same, or simply don’t care enough.

    At best, you hope it’s the latter.

    Then again, what it also could reflect is the lack of an outstanding potential leader. That all five – Sheikh Salman, Prince Ali, Gianni Infantino, Jerome Champagne and Tokyo Sexwale – essentially mould into one and the lack of excitement and interest has created a natural apathy. It paints a pretty bleak picture.

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