A needed alternative to FIFA

Let's hope sports historians will look back at this week as the beginning of the end of FIFA, the organized crime family that has ruled global soccer competitions for decades. As if the arrests of some of its members on Wednesday wasn't sufficient evidence of how institutionalized corruption is within FIFA, the re-election of Sepp Blatter to a fifth term as president on Friday proves the organization can't be salvaged.

Now is the perfect time for major soccer powers around the world to withdraw from FIFA. Germany, Argentina, Holland, Brazil, Spain, Italy, France, England and other countries -- including the United States -- should pull out of the qualifying rounds for the 2018 World Cup and organize their own tournament for 2017.

By withdrawing now, these countries will once and for all destroy whatever legitimacy FIFA retains after this week's events. The 2018 World Cup, cynically awarded to a country, Russia, where racism in soccer stadiums is among the worst in the world while FIFA was launching an anti-racism campaign, would be a shell of a competition without the top teams.  Major sponsors would pull their support, further making the tournament a huge money loser. 

Bankrupt by no longer having its World Cup piggy bank, FIFA would implode. The 2022 World Cup, its hosting rights sold to Qatar by corrupt FIFA executives, would never happen. The slave laborers building the 2022 World Cup infrastructure in Qatar would be liberated. 

Among the leaders who can help organize an alternative international championship tournament and governing body is Sunil Gulati, head of the United States Soccer Federation.  A bright and fair man not tainted by FIFA, Gulati nominated the opponent to Blatter this past winter and was among the 73 country soccer heads who voted against Blatter's re-election on Friday.  Along with major soccer powers, some of these 73 countries may jump at the chance to be part of an alternative to FIFA.

FIFA must be dismantled. It needs to be stripped of its power. Hopefully, when this happens, lovers of the beautiful game around the world will commemorate this week's events as the start of an era when soccer got rid of the relic known as FIFA.

Sunil Gulati with Charley Bruns, February 2015








(Deflated soccer ball photo from korifaeusmagazine.files.wordpress.com)