Beyond the Pitch: World soccer’s political battles WSG v JMD

http://www.beyondthepitch.net/podcasts/edition/index.cfm/beyond-the-pit…;

The broadcast was posted as world soccer body FIFA suspended Mr. Bin Hammam for another 45 days pending an investigation into charges that he last year bribed Caribbean soccer officials to secure their support for his electoral challenge of Sepp Blatter’s FIFA presidency. Mr. Bin Hammam was earlier suspended for 90 days after the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) overturned FIFA’s banning from involvement in soccer for life of the Qatari national. The former FIFA vice president has also been suspended as president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) pending an investigation into his financial and commercial management of the group.

The first 28 minutes of the podcast offers a fascinating discussion of “how racism has become yet another key political wedge issue that can be used as currency in the battle for control and commerce rather than a real instrument for change” as well as “how even FIFA and (European soccer body) UEFA continue to fail the anti-racsim and anti-discrimination efforts worldwide, essentially undermining the process for change because the monopoly of administrators in the game show little to no regard for people of colour, minorities or even the cause for women, working on a perverse calculus where even the press is used as tool for collecting cheap political points.” The podcast also looks at how UEFA president Michel Platini “is positioning himself and UEFA for his bid for the FIFA Presidency.”