December 20, 2003

His Own Little FIFA-dom

For all of you dispensationalists with your prophesy charts at the ready, it may surprise you to learn that there is already a one-world government. It is called FIFA and the Beast at the head of it is Sepp Blatter. If you are looking for a model of the world under the control of a tyrant, just look at football - the original kind that some people call "soccer", not the North American version of rugby played with helmets and pads.

Blatter is kept in power by the equal voting rights of all the developing nations. When he was last up for election, he promised them the sun, moon, and stars if they kept him in power.

I'm no lover of Manchester United, but when Rio Ferdinand missed a drugs test through what seems a reasonable excuse, United let him continue to play until the matter was adjudicated by the England Football Association (FA). Blatter was unhappy and criticised United, insisting that players should be considered guilty until proven innocent. Blatter even questioned the validity of United matches in which Ferdinand has played since the missed test (even though he tested clean less than two days later). He has done this even though the rules are clear that Rio is free to play.

United made it clear that it didn't appreciate Mr Blatter interfering and that he was clearly out of line. But Sepp wasn't to be hampered by little things like the rules and certainly not by the propriety of non-interference in internal English FA matters. Nor was he going to countenance the suggested that football is not his personal fiefdom.

He put the screws to the FA commissioners hearing the case. The same body in an identical case in May over a missed test by a Manchester City player gave a £2000 fine and no suspension. They gave Ferdinand a £50,000 fine (that's US$85,000) and an 8-month suspension. He was also ordered to pay all the costs of the two-day hearing. This causes him not only to lose all of the remaining season with United, but also prevents him from playing for England in Euro 2004 (the quadrennial Euro-only version of the World Cup). It is one month short of the ban Mark Bosnich received for a positive test for cocaine.

Like I said, I have no particular love for Man United. However, I have only loathing for tyrants.

Posted by david at December 20, 2003 02:46 AM | TrackBack
Comments