Suchergebnisse für: play the game

Nur zwischendurch, die Meldung des Tages: Sepp bekommt also Konkurrenz, nun doch. Ich begrüße das, keine Frage. Bevor ich mich… 

JOHANNESBURG. Zum Zwischenfall des Tages, der Massenpanik beim Test zwischen Nigeria und Nordkorea in Johannesburg, gibt die FIFA, die wieder… 

VANCOUVER. Hier wollen sie rein. Mohamed Bin Hammam, Chung Mong-Joon, Michel Platini, Jack Warner und einige andere. Das ist der Fingerscanner zu Joseph Macchiavelli Blatters Büro im FIFA House in Zürich. Die Tür zum Machtzentrum des Weltfussballs öffnet sich nur für Sepp. Nein, es geht nicht um Fingerabdrücke, die die Cops von FIFA-Funktionären nehmen.

Die Frage ist, ob dieser Schlüssel zum Glück im Sommer nächsten Jahres neu programmiert werden muss. Ob die Finger eines anderen FIFA-Supremo eingescannt werden müssen. Oder ob sich Sepp nicht schon früher verabschiedet.

Einen außerordentlich fiktiven, grandiosen, frei erfundenen, satirischen Beitrag zur Situation eines großen Sportverbandes hat Andrew Jennings geschrieben.

Lesebefehl!

Eine Kostprobe:

„The Autumn of Football’s Patriarch“

by Andrew Jennnings

THE OLD MAN, he’s 74 in a few weeks, sits upright in his uncomfortable leather chair and gazes towards his interviewer a yard and a half from his eyes. He’s been waiting many months for her and, appreciating her good fortune, she is reverential, notebook on her knee and pen in hand but only the audio recorder balanced on the arm of her matching chair can capture the nuances of his long-rehearsed delivery.

All must be in its place for the set-piece, decorating his life’s narrative. Behind his head, a replica golden World Cup Trophy. On the coffee table is a branded banner, maybe 18 inches high, with his final attempt to be taken more seriously than he knows he deserves, the contrived slogan ‘For the Game, For the World.’

He is dressed as the mortician would like to receive him, pale blue shirt, slightly darker tie, dark suit, skull polished, remaining hairs smoothed back to his neck. Outside the polished aluminium window frame it is still late winter on the bleak hill above Zurich. (…)

Over-shadowing the endgame of Patriarch is the flapping jalabiyya of the man who once bankrolled him but now, between mouthfuls of honey, dates and coffee, practices swinging the curved executioner’s sword.

‘With Mohamed, we had a wonderful time together as friends up to the last congress in May,’ says Patriarch. ‘All of a sudden our friendship was broken. Ask him, why? I don’t know.’

OH YES HE DOES. Patriarch went behind the back of the man from the Gulf, and 14 months from now there must be retribution in football’s Chop Square. Such an inept manoeuvre shows the Big P is losing his touch. To mock a man backed by an Emir’s billions is unwise.

The alliances that will form the death squad are still being negotiated. There’s a second shadow, a kimchi billionaire of heavy industry and politics from the Far East and nearer home, dangerously near, across a few Alpine ranges to the south and closeted with his advisors in his modern palace overlooking Lac Geneva, the third shadow of a charismatic, curly-haired, beautiful former athlete.

Unlike Patriarch, this man’s tie, shirt collar and jacket always look dishevelled, as if he’s come straight from a kickabout in the car park. In his homeland, France, he cannot walk the streets without being mobbed. Patriarch never knew such popularity, such love. (…)

When his long-time Polish girlfriend Ilona walked out in late 2008 he knew his game would henceforth be going down, not up. Increasingly disorientated, he has fumbled his way through recent public appearances.

He giggled away concerns of John Terry’s philandering as ‘Anglo Saxon’ exceptionalism. ‘If this had happened in, let’s say, Latin countries, then I think he would have been applauded.’ There was a kind of group holding of breath. Then embarrassment rippled across the world.

A man who has worked with him for much of two decades and watched him when he didn’t, says Patriarch is now a confused specimen. ‘In his own mind he casts himself as a victim, now doubting he can anymore walk on water.’

When Patriarchs summon God to support their cause, you can hear the mortician cough and reach for his measuring stick. ‘If I’m still wanted by the congress and God will give me health I will go, but if the congress says no, then I will say ‚thank you,’ meaning he’s undecided when exactly to reach for his coat and turn in the car keys.

Uh huh. Why did she wait so long to give us this second, fin de siècle announcement. It is because she defers to the Great Dictator but we are the lucky ones because she lets him dictate his obituary as he would wish it were constructed for his favourite newspaper, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

BACK TO Patriarch’s custom-built mirror. He dazzles himself with talk of his 35 year ‘mission’ to make the world a better place but still his meanness writhes in a dark corner as he tells her that ‘unlike former presidents’ (that’s one in the shrivelled nuts for the previous Patriarch, now aged 93 and, in Rio, beyond the reach of the Swiss cops) he has been ‘committed to a wide range of humanitarian projects.’

Fighting child labour: Tick that box. UNICEF, tick again. Fair Play, Respect, Discipline, Social Advancement, Mutual Understanding, Eradicate Polio, Improve Public Health.

Switch Ticking machine to rapid fire, fax results to NZZ Obituaries Department.

Keep reading, here’s Patriarch’s ‘Love Affair With Africa.’ Indeed he so much loves Africa that, lacking a son, he has bequeathed it to Nephew. Patriarch talks frequently of the Family of Football – but when there’s money to be extracted, it’s a very small family. Nephew has been given an enormous chunk of the television rights to the Big Games in South Africa this year and if that isn’t enough, he’s been gifted a large bite size of the ticketing for the corporations. (…)

read more on www.transparencyinsport.org

Ich war immer skeptisch und habe die nimmermüde, einmalig begeisternde Euphorie meines Freundes Andrew Jennings selten verstanden, diesmal aber komme ich ins Grübeln. Denn es ist ja so: Die neuen Herausforderer Bin Hammam und Chung haben nicht nur Geld und eine Hausmacht, sie haben im Laufe der Jahre Wissen angesammelt, das Sepp akut gefährdet.

Nicht zu vergessen: Während des Wahlkampfes um die FIFA-Präsidentschaft, während der gigantischen Schlacht um die Weltmeisterschaften 2018/2022 bleibt der Posten des Chefs der FIFA-„Ethikkommission“ verwaist – denn Lord Sebastian Coe hat sich ja vor mehr als einem Jahr beurlauben lassen.

Sollte man deshalb besser sagen: Die FIFA hat weder eine Ethik, noch eine Ethikkommission, noch Mitglieder einer Ethikkommission? (Der Link auf der deutschen FIFA-Webseite führt ins Leere, auf der englischen Variante steht seit langer Zeit: The new composition of this committee will be confirmed in due course.)

Geschäftsethik beweist die FIFA auch nicht immer. Der VISA-Mastercard-Gerichtsgang, der den Verband rund 100 Millionen Franken kostete, hat das einst grandios bestätigt. In den Gerichtsakten fand sich damals eine FIFA-interne Email, in der sich die Kameraden um den damaligen Vielfachlügner, danach von Blatter gefeuerten und kurz darauf zum Generalsekretär ernannten Jérôme Valcke gefragt:

„Was müssen wir tun, dass es wenigstens ein bisschen so aussieht, als habe die FIFA-Geschäftsethik?“

Sehr gute Frage. Nächste Frage bitte. Oder mal Jack Warner fragen.

Einige Fragen, die ich FIFA-Medienchef Nicolas Maingot gestellt habe, sind noch offen. Derweil ein kurzer Nachklapp zum gestrigen Beitrag, eine Zusammenfassung, erschienen u.a. in Berliner und Süddeutscher Zeitung:

by Christer Ahl, former chairman of the IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission Last weekend the German magazine ‚Der Spiegel‘… 

[caption id="attachment_5747" align="aligncenter" width="301"] Die russische Ausgabe, Juri Felschtinski et al.: „KGB igrajet w schachmatui“[/caption]

Die Geschichte von Juan Antonio Samaranch und dem KGB zieht ihre Kreise. „KGB plays chess“ ist derzeit das sportpolitische Top-Thema zwischen Vancouver, Madrid, Lausanne, London – und natürlich Moskau. Doch wenn ich es recht verstehe, muss Samaranch nicht viel befürchten, und die IOC-Führung kann sich weiter blöd stellen, das Prinzip der drei Affen vervollkommnen und die Öffentlichkeit für dumm verkaufen. Alles nur Gerüchte, wie mir IOC-Kommunikationsdirektor Mark Adams mitteilte?

Nothing but rumors? Not at all.

Zum Thema: Braucht es eine Welt-Anti-Korruptions-Agentur im Sport:

Open letter to the IOC President and the International Olympic Committee, gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark on the occasion of the 121st IOC Session and the XIII IOC Congress

Call for action against all forms of corruption in sport

Dear President Rogge and IOC Members,

We believe the time has come to act against all forms of corruption in sports.

We are alarmed that the sporting community is now in a situation where worldwide illegal gamblers and match-fixers are operating at all levels of sport. Their activities are a small slice of an illegal gambling market that is worth hundreds of billions of dollars and poses an imminent threat to the core values and credibility of sport.

Also, we believe that within a number of sports and national associations non-transparent and corrupt practices continue. For instance, the ISL affair in which a small group of leaders in international sport has cashed in more than 100 million dollars as secret personal commissions in return for TV and marketing rights should be met with a strong response.

We believe that there is a number of other forms of corruption in sport: human trafficking, money laundering and tax evasion. These activities are thriving thanks to the non-intervention of the sports community, local and national governments, sports sponsors, the media and other stakeholders.

We believe that the global sports community has an obligation to act as a role model of transparency, accountability and democracy if it is to promote positive social, cultural and personal values to society and youth.

The International Olympic Committee is the worldwide leader in sports. It has the moral aspirations as well as financial and political clout to show effective political leadership in this matter.

Therefore, we urge the IOC to take immediate, concrete and convincing steps to counter all forms of corruption in sport in order to safeguard the social, cultural and educational values of sport.  

We ask you to urgently consider all relevant measures, including

• a definition of common standards of good governance and accountability
• a strengthening of the role of the Ethical Committees in sport so they can be allowed to act truly independently and have capacity to sanction those who violate the rules
• a modernisation of the way international federations manage democracy and transparency
• mechanisms for exchange of information and intelligence related to corruption
• and, if necessary, the establishment of an international anti-corruption institution for all countries and all sports

In a defining moment for world sport, we call on the IOC to take decisive steps.

Play the Game: „The secret Olympic Congress in Copenhagen„ Die Fortsetzung der Geschichte, die mich heute arbeitsmäßig etwas eingeschränkt hat.… 

Rios Olympiagastgeber, Bewerber sind sie ja nicht mehr, haben eine hübsche Weltkarte der neuen olympischen Ordnung erstellt:

10.05 Uhr: Moin. Das Bella Center hat sich geleert. Mehr als 1000 Reporter, die gestern nur wegen Obama und der Vergabe der Olympischen Sommerspiele 2016 gekommen waren, sind längst wieder verschwunden. Für das olympische Tagesgeschäft interessieren sich weltweit nur wenige Dutzend Journalisten. Immerhin einige mehr, als gewöhnlich die Sitzungen des IOC-Exekutivkomitees, der FIFA-Führung und anderer wichtiger Weltverbände verfolgen. Aber doch eine erschreckend kleine Zahl.

As promised the other day: The extended and overworked version of my presentation at Play the Game conference last week in Coventry – with important backgrounds about the new „associate member“ of the Olympic Journalists Association:

The ISL bribery system: 138 million CHF for high-ranking officials in the Olympic world

A few weeks ago I had several discussions with IHF-President Hassan Moustafa. He told me:

We are a Handball-family. If anybody has a problem, we have to find a solution within our family – not outside the family.

I have heard quotes like this before. My old friend Joseph Blatter once said:

We don’t go to strangers. If we do have problems in our family, we use to solve the problems in the family. What happens in our family is not a topic for a jurisdiction outside our family. Regular courts are not a part of our family.

In this picture we can see Joseph Blatter with his longtime friend Jean-Marie Weber. They are members of the family, both the FIFA-President, also a member of the IOC, and the man who has paid an unbelievable amount on bribes to other family members. They are longtime friends.

Ich habe seit Ewigkeiten vor, dieses Blog auch auf Englisch zu führen, weil ich denke, dass es vergleichbare Angebote, die nicht von Sponsoren der so genannten Olympischen Bewegung oder gar von Sportfunktionären finanziert werden, kaum gibt. Nun beginne ich damit. Die Geschichte, die ich gestern erlebt habe, ist Anlass genug: Denn ich habe ja mit Jean-Marie Weber einen neuen Journalisten-Kollegen in der Olympic Journalists Association (OJA). Ab heute wird es regelmäßig englische und deutsche Beiträge in diesem Blog geben. Ich denke, das ist auf Dauer spannender und erweitert unseren Horizont.

In der Causa Weber habe ich soeben diesen offenen Brief an alle Mitglieder der OJA und einige andere interessierte Kollegen, Funktionäre und das IOC Press Office gesendet. Let’s talk about it. Have your say!

Von: Jens Weinreich
Gesendet: Sonntag, 14. Juni 2009 13:30
Betreff: open letter to members of the Olympic Journalists Association

Dear colleagues,

I have had a shock. My head is spinning. My legs are weak, my brain spins. I grip the edge of my desk and croak for a glass of water.

Coming back from Coventry, England, where I attended the stimulating Play the Game conference I was greeted by the new directory of the Olympic Journalists Association (OJA). I do thank Alain Lunzenfichter, Steve Wilson and Adrian Warner, Wakako Yuki, Karolos Grohmann and Pirate Irwin for their honorary work in the OJA Executive Committee.

But something in it leaves me trembling.

In the new directory I found my name alongside a new „associate member“ of the OJA. His name? Jean-Marie Weber. In a moment, I’ll tell you more about Mr Weber.

But first, I am curious to know, who has elected Jean-Marie Weber? He has never been a journalist. But he does have one special role in the Olympic movement.

He paid the bribes. Huge bribes. Bribes for maybe 30 years to high ranking sports officials. Is this now a qualification for membership of the Olympic Journalists Association?

I can’t afford this membership fee. My children must be fed first.

Apparently he was elected in 2009. The Constitution of OJA says an „associate member“ can be nominated by the Executive Committee. The definition of an „associate member“ like Jean-Marie Weber is the following:

„This will be offered to any individual, newspaper, federation, television network, sponsor, association, promoter etc. … whom the Committee considers has made a contribution to the Association or whose professional duties impact on Olympics.“

Oh yes! Mr Weber’s activities have impacted on Olympic sport big time. Massively. He’s the man who bought sport with big bags of banknotes.

How about 138 million CHF in bribes? Or financing dreary publications like „sport intern“ since the rest of us were babies?

[caption id="attachment_3616" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Mohamed Bin Hammam (l.) und Joseph Blatter (r.) in Doha 2003[/caption]

Es gilt wieder einmal einiges aufzuarbeiten in diesem Theater. Habe etliches verpasst in den vergangenen Wochen. Fangen wir also an mit dieser wunderbaren Pressemitteilung der Fifa vom 15. April, in dem unser aller Freund Sepp Blatter (rechts; die Rückendeckung gibt, natürlich, Peter Hargitay), der Verkehrsrowdy, seinen langjährigen Wahlhelfer Mohamed Bin Hammam (links im Bild) und dessen Widersacher in der asiatischen Konföderation AFC auffordert, sich zu benehmen. Entzückend, ein Stück Fifa-Prosa, ganz große Kunst: