FIFA Corruption arrests.

[armaghniac]

So where could realistically afford to host it?

USA/Canada
Europe
China
Japan/S. Korea
India
Brazil/Argentina
Australia
Middle East (weather/war issues)

Mexico? And of course South Africa.

[Walter Cronc]

So where could realistically afford to host it?

USA/Canada
Europe
China
Japan/S. Korea
India
Brazil/Argentina
Australia
Middle East (weather/war issues)

Mexico? And of course South Africa.

Certainly big safety issues with Mexico and as pointed out earlier, did South Africa have the finances to run the stadiums post W.C?

[topcuppla]

Could start to get interesting!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-33002674

[Franko]

It should only be in countries where kick off times in Ireland are 5pm to 9pm.

Ah no AZ - I (vaguely) remember the 7am kick-offs in Japan/S. Korea were brilliant craic... I was a student in those days though.  Rose tinted glasses...

[topcuppla]

Fifa 'paid Irish to stop legal action over Thierry Henry handball'

Fifa paid the Football Association of Ireland 5m euros (£3.6m) to stop legal action after France controversially beat Ireland in a World Cup play-off.
FAI chief executive John Delaney said he believed they had a case against Fifa after French striker Thierry Henry's handball in the 2009 match.
Delaney said a "legitimate agreement" was made to drop the claim after Ireland missed the 2010 World Cup.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter is quitting with the organisation in crisis.
Delaney's claim comes after a turbulent nine days for football's world governing body amid claims of "systemic and deep-rooted" corruption.
Fifa is facing two criminal investigations by both the US for widespread bribery allegations and Swiss authorities over the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes.
The Republic of Ireland were 16 minutes away from a penalty shootout for a place in the 2010 finals in South Africa before Henry handled in the build-up to William Gallas's extra-time equaliser in the second leg of the play-off in Paris.
The 2-1 aggregate win sent France to the 2010 tournament, where they were knocked out of the group stages amid a player strike.

A Fifa spokesman confirmed the payment, but said it was a $5m loan and was granted for "the construction of a stadium in Ireland".
The spokesman added that the FAI was to repay the money if Ireland qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which they failed to do. Fifa wrote off the loan on 31 December 2014. The Aviva Stadium was the only major ground redeveloped during that period.
On Thursday, the FAI said the settlement was made without any conditions and was reached "following strong legal advice", with the money going towards the new Aviva Stadium - opened in May 2010 after the old Landsdowne Road ground was redeveloped.
In a statement, the FAI said: "This is fully reflected in our financial statements, which are audited independently. The FAI accepted Fifa's settlement offer to avoid a long, costly and protracted legal case.
"The settlement has at no time influenced the FAI's criticism of Fifa as demonstrated by our consistent criticisms of Sepp Blatter."
Delaney said he and Fifa president Sepp Blatter "came to an agreement" after Blatter publicly dismissed the country's appeal to be made a "33rd team" at the tournament.
"We felt we had a legal case against Fifa because of how the World Cup play-off hadn't worked out for us with the Henry handball," he said in a radio interview with Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ.
"Also the way Blatter behaved, if you remember on stage, having a snigger and having a laugh at us.
"I told him how I felt about him, there were some expletives used. We came to an agreement".
"It's a very good agreement for the FAI and a very legitimate agreement for the FAI," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33011692

[screenexile]

Is that not par for the course for these legal things? FIFA are perfectly entitled to settle under a threat of legal action.

Did we ever think that the FAI was going to take on FIFA in a legal battle to get into the World Cup? We all know the score referees make mistakes and this was one you take your oil and get on with it. I think the FAI did alright to get 5 mill out of it and I'm pretty sure Delaney knew what he was doing at the time.

[Shamrock Shore]

I wonder will Louth County Board be on the blower now to the Leinster Council re the 'referee mistake' in 2010?

[brokencrossbar1]

I have to laugh at people saying that this €5m 'loan' was a disincentive (f**k I hate those types of words but it is the one to best describe it!)  to qualify for the World Cup.  Surely it was a nice wee safety net as I'm sure that there would have been significantly more money available in terms of sponsorship etc if they did qualify.  Whatever you may say about Delaney,  and he is an awful clown in many ways,  he is playing a very good game at the minute and positioning himself nicely as a 'white man' in an arena full of dirty men.

[armaghniac]

I wonder will Louth County Board be on the blower now to the Leinster Council re the 'referee mistake' in 2010?

I believe a plan for 3000 seater Dermot O'Brien stadium will emerge. This will have a silver roof and will be built on a hill overlooking the Boyne so that it can be seen throughout Meath.

[Billys Boots]

I have to laugh at people saying that this €5m 'loan' was a disincentive (f**k I hate those types of words but it is the one to best describe it!)  to qualify for the World Cup.  Surely it was a nice wee safety net as I'm sure that there would have been significantly more money available in terms of sponsorship etc if they did qualify.  Whatever you may say about Delaney,  and he is an awful clown in many ways,  he is playing a very good game at the minute and positioning himself nicely as a 'white man' in an arena full of dirty men.

Agreed.

[easytiger95]

I have to laugh at people saying that this €5m 'loan' was a disincentive (f**k I hate those types of words but it is the one to best describe it!)  to qualify for the World Cup.  Surely it was a nice wee safety net as I'm sure that there would have been significantly more money available in terms of sponsorship etc if they did qualify.  Whatever you may say about Delaney,  and he is an awful clown in many ways,  he is playing a very good game at the minute and positioning himself nicely as a 'white man' in an arena full of dirty men.

Agreed.

Completely disagree - this will backfire on him spectacularly. Unless he can show this 5mil in the accounts and how it was funnelled into the Aviva debt, he is going to find himself in very hot water. In his eagerness to bash Blatter, he has exposed the gombeenism and cute hoor syndrome running through the FAI. He also lied by saying that he never voted for Blatter - he did, just not in the latest election. Delaney might just end up as the Irish personification of FIFA decadence and find himself on the outs.

[Hardy]

I wonder will Louth County Board be on the blower now to the Leinster Council re the 'referee mistake' in 2010?

I believe a plan for 3000 seater Dermot O'Brien stadium will emerge. This will have a silver roof and will be built on a hill overlooking the Boyne so that it can be seen throughout Meath.

Zey have ask, "Can't we have a replay?" (Laughter.) Ya. Ha ha. Zey have ask for zat. Really.

(Actually they never did, but the majority of gaeldom will swear they did. That's how legend trumps fact. Sure practically 100% of GAA people think John McDermott injured Peter Canavan.)

[JoG2]

I have to laugh at people saying that this €5m 'loan' was a disincentive (f**k I hate those types of words but it is the one to best describe it!)  to qualify for the World Cup.  Surely it was a nice wee safety net as I'm sure that there would have been significantly more money available in terms of sponsorship etc if they did qualify.  Whatever you may say about Delaney,  and he is an awful clown in many ways,  he is playing a very good game at the minute and positioning himself nicely as a 'white man' in an arena full of dirty men.

Agreed.

Completely disagree - this will backfire on him spectacularly. Unless he can show this 5mil in the accounts and how it was funnelled into the Aviva debt, he is going to find himself in very hot water. In his eagerness to bash Blatter, he has exposed the gombeenism and cute hoor syndrome running through the FAI. He also lied by saying that he never voted for Blatter - he did, just not in the latest election. Delaney might just end up as the Irish personification of FIFA decadence and find himself on the outs.

Completely disagree (but agree with the post above 'Tiger's one). The majority of the smaller football nations have voted for Blatter in the past as they get their equal share from the World Cup profit kitty. . To an organisation like the FAI, this is serious cash. For a nation with a small population, we're doing rightly. Are the historical FIFA presidency votes available for public consumption? Wouldn't mind a look if they are

have you not been following the news? its been in their financial reports

[easytiger95]

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/fai-s-5m-fifa-payment-not-apparent-in-published-accounts-1.2238001

I have been following the news, yes.

There is a very big difference, even in FIFA, between profit sharing from a World Cup, and a one-off, non disclosed, discretionary payment, given on a very questionable "legal" basis, of 5 million dollars.

[heffo]

Whatever you may say about Delaney,  and he is an awful clown in many ways,  he is playing a very good game at the minute and positioning himself nicely as a 'white man' in an arena full of dirty men.

Agreed in one sense but on the other hand, the fact it wasn't made public and was buried in the annual accounts will lead many to think it was dodgy..