Again, Greed Causes FIFA to Miss Big Picture
Joseph “Sepp” Blatter and his cronies at FIFA headquarters in Switzerland continue to stumble from one public relations disaster to another, all the while proclaiming that theirs is the most “transparent” administration in soccer history.
The latest miscue -- and it’s a large one -- involves the only worthwhile property that the sport’s international governing body has: the World Cup.
But FIFA’s unbelievable shortsightedness and uncontrollable greed now threaten to scuttle even that.
Blatter and his misguided cohorts have imposed an outright ban on the Internet use of photographs from the Germany 2006 tournament while the matches are being played.
In other words, thousands of newspaper websites around the world will not be allowed to show images from the June 9-July 9 tournament during the games themselves and are further severely limited in how many they can publish even after the final whistle has sounded.
As if that were not foolish enough, FIFA also has introduced restrictions on how many photographs can be used, and just how, even in print publications.
Understandably, all this has drawn the ire of the World Assn. of Newspapers (WAN), which has more than 18,000 members, as well as major international news and photographic agencies such as the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence-France Presse and others.
“We defend the freedom of the press to report events without any restrictions,” Monique Villa, managing director of Reuters Media, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
“This is our fundamental right, to report news as it happens -- be it football, politics or war -- and to disseminate it on all platforms without any distinction.”
Talks between WAN and FIFA broke down when FIFA refused to change its stance. WAN is contemplating legal action.
In a letter to Blatter, WAN wrote: “Your ‘final’ position on these restrictions ... remains completely unacceptable to the world media community.
“Your restrictions of our journalistic coverage of the 2006 World Cup not only deprive our readers and clients of access to important information on a public event but constitute both an interference in editorial freedom and independence.
“We are truly saddened and shocked that in the name of maximizing the commercial exploitation of these events FIFA should effectively turn its back on the news media which give life on a daily basis to football in all its different manifestations all over the world.”
According to FIFA, the restrictions are intended to protect its commercial rights holders -- in other words, those who put money in FIFA’s pocket.
News media members have to agree to FIFA’s conditions to gain accreditation to cover the World Cup. They face expulsion and possible legal action if the rules are broken.
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Thirty of the 32 World Cup teams will play warmup games this week, the only exceptions being Australia and Togo, which last week named German Otto Pfister, former coach of Ghana and Zaire, as its World Cup coach, replacing fired Stephen Keshi.
Among the week’s more intriguing matchups are two games involving four former world champions. On Wednesday, Italy plays host to Germany in Florence and England plays host to Uruguay in Liverpool.
Among them, the four countries have won nine of the 17 World Cups staged since 1930.
German Coach Juergen Klinsmann, still deciding between two goalkeepers, had intended to start Bayern Munich’s Oliver Kahn against Italy and then use Arsenal’s Jens Lehmann against the U.S. on March 22.
But Kahn could not overcome a thigh strain and Lehmann will be in the nets in Florence. If he recovers in time, Kahn will play against the U.S.
Meanwhile, Klinsmann said veteran Borussia Dortmund defender Christian Woerns, 33, no longer is in his World Cup plans after Woerns publicly criticized Klinsmann for failing to include him on the latest roster.
Italy Coach Marcello Lippi selected AS Roma midfielder Simone Perotta to take the place of injured Francesco Totti, who broke his ankle last week. Italy plays the U.S. on June 17 in the World Cup.
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The U.S. plays Poland on Wednesday in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The Poles handed Coach Bruce Arena’s squad a 3-1 loss in the first round of the 2002 World Cup.
Arena’s 19-man roster features 11 European-based players and eight Major League Soccer players, but Arena warned not to read too much into it.
“There are some players not on the roster who are going to be on the World Cup team,” he said.
The U.S. said it will play Jamaica on April 11 in Cary, N.C., in its final preparatory game before Arena names the 23 players he will take to the World Cup.
In addition to Italy, two other U.S. first-round opponents are playing this week. The Czech Republic plays Turkey in Izmir, Turkey, and although striker Jan Koller is not on the Czech roster, the player who has scored 40 goals in 66 games for his country has resumed training after knee surgery and said his chances of being ready in time for the World Cup are “promising.”
The Americans open their World Cup against the Czechs on June 12 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
In Frisco, Texas, meanwhile, Ghana, the third U.S. opponent, plays Mexico on Wednesday night, and although Ghana Coach Ratomir Dujkovic has included Chelsea’s $47-million midfielder Michael Essien in his squad, the more interesting developments involve the Mexican team.
Mexico Coach Ricardo Lavolpe, who is from Argentina, called up Argentine-born striker Guillermo Franco of Villarreal as well as uncapped forward Luis Angel Landin of Pachuca for Wednesday’s game.
Franco changed nationality last year to make the Mexico squad, which already includes Brazilian-born winger Antonio Naelson of Toluca. Lavolpe has been widely criticized in Mexico for using naturalized players.
In Mexico City meanwhile, Alberto de la Torre, president of Mexico’s soccer federation, said defenders Salvador Carmona and Aaron Galindo, both of Cruz Azul, will not have their one-year suspensions reduced and will miss the World Cup.
Carmona and Galindo were sent home from the FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany last summer after testing positive for steroids.
