[NYT] Blame Club Owners for Europe’s Failures

?? 2002? 6? 24? 18? 06?

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The conspiracy theories are kicking in about the World Cup. The fix is in, according to some fans who believe that the world soccer body, FIFA, has favored one of the hosts in this World Cup. Whatever else the fans want to believe, the concept of FIFA’s arranging for a tilt in the direction of South Korea is downright ludicrous.

Joseph S. Blatter has so many enemies under his own roof that if he, or his opponents, tried to fix something, the other side would be waving the transcripts in a heartbeat.

To its credit, FIFA has indeed tried to broaden its base in recent years, opening more spaces in the World Cup for African and Asian teams and insisting on referees from many countries. No matter how hard FIFA has tried to include all regions of the world, players still have to go out and play hard.

Bad or even mediocre teams will give up goals. In this tournament, South Korea has lived up to its slogan, “Korea Team Fighting.”

Want to know why Zidane and Figo and Batigol and Maldini all looked as if they were running in quicksand this past month? Because the European leagues and team owners are greedy. One does not hear Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, who also owns A.C. Milan, blaming himself because his captain, Maldini, has aged in dog years.

There’s your conspiracy, amici sportivi (sporting friends).

European soccer leaders have made money from the dead legs, dead brains and dead national teams. They should bank their Euros, and stop whining when their boys cannot keep up with the South Koreans.

June 24, 2002. By George Vecsey(ToKyo)

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