FIFA’s Corruption And Censorship At The World Cup: The Keyword Is Not Trust
From the England-Germany game report on FIFA’s World Cup website:
England pulled a goal back in the 37th minute when a short Lampard corner from the right was played to Gerrard who crossed into the box. Upson, atoning for his earlier error, rose highest above the Germany defence and with Neuer stranded, powered a header into the net. Meetings between these two sides often provide talking points and this one’s came 60 seconds later when Lampard’s shot from the edge of the box struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down, with the referee ruling the ball had not crossed the goalline.
There is no mention that the ball clearly crossed the line, with the reader left to ponder on precisely where it bounced down and why the referee might have made such a ruling.
Then we have FIFA’s report on the Mexico-Argentina game, with a notable absence in the description of Tevez’s first goal:
Maradona’s side were hardly lacking in attacking menace themselves, however, and Lionel Messi soon embarked on one of his trademark elusive runs before attempting a chip over Oscar Perez that the Mexico keeper judged well. Messi’s hunt for a goal at South Africa 2010 continues, but it was not long before the Barcelona talisman played a key role as another of Argentina’s star forwards opened his tournament account.
Tevez might have thought his chance had gone when Perez raced out to block bravely at his feet, but Messi was quick-witted enough to return the ball towards goal, where the Manchester City striker was waiting to head home. Breaking the deadlock enabled Argentina to take a firm grip on proceedings, and within seven minutes that hold was strengthened as Mexico reached for the self-destruct button.
No mention that “where the Manchester City striker was waiting to head home” was in a clearly offside position, or the bizarre scenes that followed which might just have played into Mexico reaching for that “self-destruct button”.
What’s interesting isn’t so much the banal and blatant official spin here, but that due to a growing suspicion of FIFA, whitewashing accounts like these may only make matters worse for Sepp Blatter and company.
It’s fairly obvious that when referees make mistakes, the finger is going to be pointed at FIFA — and, of course, they are responsible for maintaining high standards of refereeing at the World Cup and in the world’s game. FIFA’s stubborn resistance to even adequately explore goal-line technology is only the most glaring example of failure in this regard.
Many, though, sniff corruption rather than incompetence. The second largest number of visitors that arrived at this site through entering keywords into a search engine today did so by typing “FIFA corruption” into Google (the first was “Pitch Invasion”). The last time that same search term spiked so high was on Friday, June 18th, the day the US played Slovenia: and, pace Henry Winter, that game also had a high-profile refereeing controversy that had many searching for answers via Google. I’m guessing this was indicative of a global trend.
FIFA’s footprint is more obvious to casual viewers of the World Cup than it ever has been, as part of their self-promotional branding of the tournament. Their name is splashed on the screen at the start of every instant replay on television: FIFA, right before we see the ball cross the line by half a mile, or Tevez standing two yards offside, or Dempsey standing onside.
And so we have FIFA trying to keep the lid on these mistakes by cutting out comments on its website mentioning such unfortunate incidents and clamping down especially hard on YouTube videos featuring those particular incidents, as well as the obvious spin in the match report examples above. As Robin Goldstein at Blind Taste detailed right after the U.S-Slovenia game:
As of this writing, of the 343 comments to have been approved by the moderators on FIFA.com’s “Have Your Say” discussion board about today’s controversial US-Slovenia 2-2 draw in World Cup competition, not one of them contains even a passing mention of the main topic of discussion of every article that has been written about the game: the fact that referee Koman Coulibaly disallowed the third US goal for reasons that weren’t (and still aren’t) clear to players, fans, or television announcers.
Other soccer discussion boards, like the Washington Post’s Soccer Insider, were flooded with debate and discussion about the questionable call, which began almost immediately after it happened at about 16:40 GMT (the time zone used by FIFA.com). So were Twitter feeds (although at some point Twitter crashed, as it frequently has during the World Cup). The discussion over the controversy really exploded around the internet after the game ended at 16:51, and before long, USA’s tie with Slovenia already had more Google News blog hits (850) than Serbia’s upset of Germany (701).
But on FIFA.com, the silence about USA-Slovenia has been deafening. The latest comment to appear on the discussion board has a timestamp of 20:04. In the 193-minute span between the game’s end and the latest comment’s time stamp, only 24 squeaky-clean comments have been approved. For instance: “great fightback by the USA”; “this is the right result on the balance of play”; “way to go USA”; “the match was really exciting!”; “slovenia is the best team”; “USA are becoming a real nice team!”; and “Slovenia had a great chance to qualify in the next round!! But in the second half we were too defensive.”
By comparison, in that same span of time—193 minutes—after the end of Germany-Serbia (which ended today at 14:20), there were already 175 comments posted. That’s more than seven times as many.
FIFA’s efforts at massaging the conversation about the games will only drive people from using their official sources, erode their trust in them as an organisation, and feed conspiracy theories. As Goldstein puts it: “This doesn’t just undermine fans’ trust in FIFA; it also squanders an easy opportunity for the body that administers the world’s favorite sporting event to become a place where fans can share, discuss, and debate the things that they care most deeply about—thus engendering goodwill and helping to spread the good word about soccer.”
Even though we don’t have any inkling of any actual corruption in South Africa, FIFA is surely only engendering unnecessary further suspicion by such heavy-handed attempts to control the storylines.
We all saw the ball cross the line, Sepp, and we’re going to talk about it whether you like it or not.
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They are just THAT bad, aren’t they?!
Cheaters never win. Usually.
Thanks for this input. It’s incredibly sad that an event that happens every 4 years, similar to the Olympics, is and has been for some time a perfect storm available to the “Haves” to show just how little the actual history of the sport or event means to these people as long as they’re stuffing their pockets with corrupt funds and wielding their power in whatever way that suits them. Seriously folks, does anyone really believe that the 3 “mistakes” mentioned here by the author are all actually human error? Anyone aware of the recent referee scandal that took place in the Italian Pro Football leagues? There is only one sensible answer to all of this controversy: No technology to improve the decision making in the games critical calls means continued empowerment to the people who control the sport globally, AND IT’S MONEY!!!
Censorship only confirms conspiracy. The simple fact is that FIFA cannot handle its game. Just the same as NFL refs that are part time miss plenty of calls, the lack of eyeballs and technology are really disturbing. The world’s largest sporting event, and they can’t even fix a goal.
If the NFL can have 7 + the booth, and still miss calls and need the replays, let’s be honest enough to say that officials that are dramatically out of position on purpose are outmanned, and have no chance of keeping up. The guy that is supposed to confirm that Lampard goal is 40 yards from the ball, BY DESIGN. That’s insane.
I like futbol the game. I do not like how it has maintained an ancient adherence to bad design.
MLS could take this a step or three forward. It may be “backwards” (not really) in its lack of pro/rel, but we could take the lead with 3 on-field officials, and a goalline official that stands on the endline opposite the sideline official. Having 7 officials might seem strange at first, but the NFL does it ALL THE TIME.
Let’s move into Century #21, please.
@Mat
Great idea. I’d love to see MLS blaze the trail and set global precedent if soccer officiating. Wouldn’t that be something?
While I can buy FIFA being generally corrupt and incompetent, I do find it hard to believe Rich’s supposition that they’re *intentional* mistakes. After all, if you’re for bringing more money into the game that you can then grift from, you don’t cheat the USA in favor of Slovenia.
Tom,
I’m really glad you wrote this and pointed this out. I noticed FIFA doing this after the Slovenia game as well and haven’t had a lot of time to go back and check out some of the other controversial games.
This Cup has been tainted by the horrible calls and no-calls. Whitewashing their comment board isn’t going to make this go away for FIFA.
I thought about this a long time today. The best comparison you can make is that between FIFA and the WWE, beacuse the referees in both organizations act the same way. It actually makes me sick thinking about how similar I find the two to be.
Due to the high stake from worldwide gambling and cash involved in the out come from these worldcup matches. FIFA’s reluctant to impose technology to these matches clearly reflects that they do want full control on the outcome of the game.
With technology in a worldcup matches, will therefore post an immediate threat to their ability to manufacture their desire outcome.
In other words, FIFA, has just make themselves to be the main banker in controlling of the outcome of these heavy bets in every worldcup or major football tournament.
Making the match official to decide the outcome of the game is just part of the manufacturing process to maximize their profit.
Well done FIFA, well done.
Come on people, the EPL website always does this, and I would venture as to guess that any website which has a vested interest in a particular issue will not highlight any negative aspects of said issue. It’s common sense. Nobody is fooled, and if anyone is, well then shame on them for not watching it and relying on a match report…
in a game that ends in brackets with instant elimination, the goal might not be to eliminate USA in favor of Slovenia, but instead to make sure that the weaker team advances to ensure a win for another team.
Now FIFA are refusing to display replays on the stadium’s jumbotron.
Blatter must be an acolyte of Stalin. The censorship here is beyond comprehension.
Blatter & Co. could as least act as if they have integrity. They just don’t care.
It is fitting that FIFA world HQ is across the street form the Zurich Zoo (no offense to the Swiss or the good people at the Zoo – it’s a fine facility and I have walked it often).
How about we all just say f-you to FIFA and start another and accepted world governing body – they aren’t elected for life & there is no reason they have to be regarded as such. So they probably have a patent on the World Cup name – big deal – we get another name and hold a tournament every 3 or 4 years and be done with them.
FIFA, Blatter, Maingot – the whole lot of them need to go! They are corrupt and ruining a wonderful game.
It’s all about $$$$. UNless these bothced calls start affecting the profit margin Sepp doesn’t care. Integrity of the sport be damned, it’s all about the money……
FIFA is a corrupt institution
It’s clear that they talk about Fair Play which they don’t practice
For FIFA, Fair play is having their pockets full from the money they are making from bets and the media
Can you imagine a Worlcup final without Argentina, Brasil, Germany or Italy? Of course not……
FIFA is one of the most corrupted institutions in the world; probably at the same level than the Catholic Church.
FIFA are also censoring comments on their website regarding these bad decisions. I made a comment on the England Germany game. I commented that, although Germany deserved to win, technology should be introduced to prevent the Lampard ‘goal’ incident and Tevez’s subsequent offside ‘goal’ in the following game.
I checked the FIFA terms and conditions and the comment didn’t contravene their rules at all. Have a look through the 1000+ comments and see if you can find a mention of either incident.
Shocking behaviour by FIFA.
timmyg beat me to it. The banning of replays of potentially controversial plays from the jumbotron is a joke and makes one wonder, if they have enough time to review a video before play is resumed (like the Tevez goal*; I don’t count the Lampard goal-nongoal…that’s payback for 1966 England.
) then why exactly can’t they have video review of goals?
All officials are wired with headsets now as it is and in the ensuing fracas play won’t be interrupted. I mean, they can make a ‘beyond a shadow of a doubt’ rule so only things like the Tevez goal* or let’s say a player’s shot, other than Lampard
, bounces clearly 2 yards behind the line where only the most biased of shills would argue against it.
The replays on ABC showed 9 times that Tevez was offside* even before the first Mexican ran over to complain.
It can be done and wouldn’t effect the flow of the game in the slightest.
*this mark was to note that I do wish they would slightly alter the offside rule for things like this. I think it is more than a bit absurd to allow offside to be given when the ball is being played from inside 18 yards. I’m sorry if you are too lazy to mark your man when the ball is already inside 18 yards you deserve to give up a goal.
At this rate, you are going to see the final score printed on the ticket stubs…
To Mat’s comments earlier about more than one official on the field: the NHL tries this with two referees and you run into a whole different kind of trouble.
In the NHL you often have two officials who call penalties two different ways – what’s a penalty to one is not necessarily a penalty to the other. You also occasionally have referees making calls that aren’t theirs to make – where the other is closer or in better position.
And I’m really playing the Devil’s Advocate here but in the NFL, too often what the advent of replay gives you is the transfer of error from the official on the field to the official in the replay booth. Yes, sometimes they get it right but too often controversy still remains, primarily due to the wording of rules to allow the overturn of a call by replay.
Clearly, though, FIFA needs to allow replay at least for goal/no-goal and offside. This World Cup is showing that this point should no longer even be a topic for discussion.
Anyone can miss a call. We have to accept that as fans. When it happens twice, though it’s a pattern. And when it happens three times, it’s malfeasance. Pure and simple.
enemy of reality
June 28, 2010 • 7:56 pm
“At this rate, you are going to see the final score printed on the ticket stubs…”
LOL. Bravo EoR! Insight, foresight and humor all in one succinct sentence! I could see soccer turning into Pro wrestling in the US. U know what, people still pay to see those “matches” !
I prefer fixed wrestling to the Fixed International Fake Assoc.’s games though. One is an honest liar, the other one is a hypocrite.
The same thing occurred on their site regarding the missed handball by Henry in the Ireland v France qualifying game. In the entire write up (which every other sports reporting website focused on almost entirely) there was one sentences that said the goal “may” or “appeared” to be handled.
Time for a 3rd Ref replay
Go to http://www.3rdref.com/ and
VOTE FOR THE 3RD REF
Fighting For Fairness In The Beautiful Game!.
Thanks for raising this issue.
I became member of FIFA club to let them know about my displeasure of referee decision in a few games by
participating in the comment parts of the news. It was shocking to understand my comments were censored. Then
I realized there were no mention of any of the so obvious and bad refereeing on the FIFA site. You can’t see
any highlights of the games about the referee mistakes which have been making news headlines everywhere.
I think FIFA members are old and out of touch with people, media and the game itself. I think not only video
technology should be introduced to the International level soccer games but also they should get rid of the old
members of FIFA and bring fresh blood and spirit to the game.
So far there has not been any even remotely convincing reason for not having video referee.
The president of FIFA refers to “Human Element” of the game for not having video technology. BUT the human
element not only result in very bad decisions and stripping of a team from their rightful position in
tournaments but also could contribute to corruption and bribery in the games.
This is 21st century and it is no more acceptable to continue the games the way it was in stone age. Censorship
is no more acceptable. FIFA reputation is on the line. All my friends and whoever I know have the same feeling
and express their dismay at FIFA attitude towards use of video technology.
By the way none of the bad decisions has effected my team so far but it really make me angry when I see so
many mistakes by referees. I don’t blame referees, I blame FIFA since FIFA does not allow referee to have the
right tool they need to avoid making wrong decisions.
Here’s something else to consider: Many of the referees come from countries (such as Italy) where match-fixing scandals occur once every decade or so, or from Third World federations that don’t have the money to invest in training referees and linesmen….because officials from those same federations are skimming that money for their own purposes. Blatter lets this happen because the Third World represents his power base (just look at Jack Warner with Trinidad and Tobago and CONCACAF), so he’s not going to clamp down.
FIFA is as corrupt as the Catholic Church (and I say that as someone who was born and raised Catholic), and that corruption not only is pervasive but reaches the very top.
Technology in the beautiful game is sorely needed! Look at the positive effect it has had on rugby and tennis. In these modern times it seems so obvious this is the way to go!
Everyone have to take the responsibility of what they have done.
I am glad to have found a website talking about the questionable calls. I was googling early on in the World Cup and was disappointed that no one else seemed to be talking about it. Well, this explains some of why that would be. I do not trust FIFA anymore–especially not when one considers they have been riddled with paid off refs in the past too.
for years it has been clear to anyone with even half a brain to see that fifa is the most corrupt body of all times what they have got away with is just incredible and as for blatter i would need a whole days typing to list the wrong doings of this vermin . so my question is how comes nobody including football associations of any countrys ever says or do anything?
an answer for bill, your wrong you do cheat the usa ,heres why, the usa wouldt put up with fifa when the game of football gets bigger and their days would be numberd
SA cartoonist Zapiro’s take on FIFA and Blatter:
http://www.africancrisis.co.za/images/Cartoon_Zapiro_2010_FIFA_World_Cup_South_Africa.gif
thk you comment
thk for comment
I don’t blame referees, I blame FIFA since FIFA does not allow referee to have the
right tool they need to avoid making wrong decisions.
Goal line Technology.Graham Poll about stupid and stubborn FIFA.
Legendary ex-international and premiership referee Graham Poll answers questions about Goal line Technology.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3whiRDP9w2U
================
Goal-Line Technology.Ridiculous FIFA. Frank Lampard’s Disallowed Goal – RTE Sport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElRS2aSoqv0
FIFA – They are French – that says a lot.
You have to admire them for the way that they have applied themselves to basically cornering the market. As a business venture, they have been perfect. However I strongly object to the fact that we have no choice. The only way that I can see for things to change is by a pretty impossible set of circumstances: Namely that all the players unanimously object to the rules that bind them to FIFA and sign their allegiances to a rival body, but…given that they owe their livelihoods to those associated with FIFA. it is unlikely.
Spain Champion???????????????????????????
Germany who scored 4 against Argentina, Netherlands who defeated Brazil, could not score even one against Spain????????????????????
Paraguay failed a penalty and felt against Spain, that Paraguay that could end Spain, that Paraguay that defeated an amazing Japan?????????????????????
Spain who defeated a team of elderlies Germans in euro 2008, and got first in first stage of world championship 2010 playing against 4th level teams as Malta.
Spain league which can pay $120’000,000 for a single useless player as Ronaldo, which spends almost a billion in its championship. Sudafrica 2010 remembers me Italy 1934, England 1966, Argentina 1978…. the difference….. those champions has the capacity to win, unlike this Spain; however, those times were suspicious too.
FIFA sold the 2010 world championship to the best bidder, that is the truth. From now and ahead there is no more fantasy and competitivity, just a preset event with a signaled winner.
Like everything in this imperialist world.
Freedommmmmmmmmmm! fight for the right because it is the right