Is FIFA really corrupt?

I've wanted to more objectively explore this question in a blog, looking at considered arguments for and against, but in doing a google search on that question, third one down was an interesting Guardian item on former Manchester United striker Eric Cantona's revealing doco on Brazilian football and politics (shown at at Amnesty International’s Sidelines film festival in June).

Cantona views Sepp Blatter’s “corrupt” governing body as “stronger than any country”. Here are some other excerpts from the article:

While 'he fears that globalised, commoditised football will be ultimately damaging to the sport,' he is equally convinced that the spotlight on Brazil for the World Cup will be a good thing

“It is why this World Cup is very important. Because the World Cup is there, now everybody can know a lot of things and they can speak and they can debate about things,” he said. “All the people, the journalists, TV [cameras], all the media from all around the world [will highlight the issues]. Unfortunately what’s happening is not very nice – it is horrible – but I think it is an opportunity for the country to take that in a positive way for the future.”

[Maybe the twin humbling defeats by the German and Dutch teams will send Brazil not only soul-searching about its football, but searching for its soul as a country.]

Around the world Cantona says he can see football becoming detached from its roots. Given the amount of money flowing into the game from broadcasting deals and ticket revenue, he suggests that a fifth of all tickets should be available at affordable prices. He laments the fact that footballers “from the street” will only be able to watch the sport on television.

“They just want to throw them away. But it is a shame because it’s these kind of fans who made football and it’s these kind of fans who have a child who will play football,” said Cantona. “Because most of the people, most of the players come from poor areas. To be a footballer you need to train every day when you are a kid, you need to go in the street and play in the street every day.”

He says “all the best players” grew up in poor areas, name-checking Maradona, Pelé, Messi, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. For him, football is 50% physical and 50% psychological. “You need to be angry, because it is not only about abilities. Abilities is 50% and 50% is mentally. And mentally is where you learn how to fight … it is in the street.”FIFA talks about fair play. But, where is the fair play if we take [their] example, where is the fair play?

“And in giving the World Cup to Qatar they show the world that they don’t really care about the sport,” he said. “In Qatar there is no hope, because people from Qatar they don’t play football. Eighty per cent of the people, they work for the other ones, sleeping in – you know – small areas, so many of them. Some of them died, they work for those other ones,” said Cantona.