May 29th 1:30PM Update: FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, re-elects Sepp Blatter as president despite US Justice Department indicting 14 officials on corruption charges.
England and other countries may consider a boycott of the 2018 Russia World Cup due to accusations of corruption coupled with potential for the incumbent and embattled president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, to be reelected!
Football, or soccer as we know it in America, is facing some epic issues.
These issues surround claims of corruption centered on the winning World Cup bids of Russia and Qatar, accusations of racism and LGBT discrimination in Russia who is the 2018 host country, the Russian invasion of Crimea in Ukraine and the potential for the presiding President of FIFA Sepp Blatter to win another term. To name just a few.
UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, could call for a boycott of the Russian event and a severing of ties with FIFA.
The controversy is also having an impact in the international relations arena with Vladimir Putin taking direct aim at the United States for leveling corruption charges against 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives.
From CNN, ‘Russian President Vladimir Putin has come out swinging in defense of FIFA’s embattled president and against U.S. authorities who’ve gone after soccer’s powerful, polarizing governing body.
The Kremlin posted Putin’s combative comments Thursday, a day after U.S. authorities announced the indictment against 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives in a corruption investigation, and the opening of a Swiss investigation into possible shenanigans related to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids that went to Russia and Qatar, respectively.
Some, like British Prime Minister David Cameron, have called for an end to Sepp Blatter’s presidency or at least the postponement of FIFA’s election set for Friday.
Not Putin.
He’s not only stood firmly behind Blatter, but suggested geopolitics is driving this law enforcement crackdown.
“The USA definitely (has) nothing to do with this,” the Russian President said of FIFA, which is based in Switzerland. “This is yet another obvious attempt to spread their jurisdiction to other (countries).”
Stay tuned!
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Article author Michael Haltman is the President of Hallmark Abstract Service in New York.
HAS is a provider of title insurance in New York State for residential and commercial real estate transactions.
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If you have any questions you can reach Michael by email at mhaltman@hallmarkabstractllc.com.
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