If Sir Alex Ferguson’s recent comments were quoted accurately – and let’s face it, huge doubts must always exist, he will not be shedding any tears over England’s failure to secure the hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup. He led Scotland to Mexico ’86 but now feels that the tournament has lacked interest since Italia ’90 and that the European Champions League is a superior competition. “Have you seen the last six World Cups?” he asked “It is better going to the dentist I suppose”
“The Champions League has proved itself since its inception” he insists “it is better than the World Cup. It is unbelievable. There are some fantastic games. Yes, you have to get through the group stages before you get to the really exciting stage, but it is a fantastic tournament.”
It leads one to ask whether the World Cup has had its day, whether club football is now the new future. The brazen events which occurred in Zurich this week, in full view of world television audiences, has cast an ugly shadow on football. FIFA is increasingly seen as a corrupt organisation, intent on looking after the best interests of its own delegates rather than the future of the game.
Award winning journalist Andrew Jennings has led the way investigating corruption in world football. The investigative sports reporter spent four years delving into the dark side of ‘the beautiful game’. Jennings concludes that FIFA President Sepp Blatter and his associates have misappropriated their position at the head of the world game in their desire for power, control, and a lucrative pay off.
Sir Alex may have hit the nail on the head. The time has possibly come to seriously consider letting the bloated, corruption riddled FIFA showpiece to die a peaceful death and allow clubs like Manchester United to fly the flag for their respective countries instead.
I recall seeing somewhere that media moguls Silvio Berlusconi and Rupert Murdoch are teaming up with Microsofts’ Bill Gates and Sheik Mansoor to set up a football organisation to rival FIFA – hang on, that was only in my dreams!
Should football persevere with the discredited FIFA World Cup?
