FIFA arrests (now with improved Blatter/Platini bans!)

[The Archregimancy]

Speculation is that this might be connected to ....

new evidence has emerged showing that Jérôme Valcke, the powerful secretary general, was aware of a $10m payment from South African officials to Jack Warner described by US investigators as a bribe.

Before the nature of the press conference was even revealed, the Guardian was speculating:

So how much pressure will the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, come under after the latest claims made against Jérôme Valcke that allege he knew about a $10m payment from South African officials to Jack Warner described by US investigators as a bribe? Blatter has so far appeared to be coated in Teflon, but the fact that the latest claims involve a powerful man to whom he is so closely associated, really could damage him. Enough for him to be toppled?

All quotes towards the bottom of this live newsfeed page:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/liv ... laims-live


Edit:

This might be the smoking gun that's done the trick:

[DesAnges]

That has to be it, Arch. Valcke was Blatter's right hand man, nothing he sighed off could could have gone unknown by Blatter.

[MERIZoC]

Oh, wow. That's probably what it was, though I wouldn't be surprised to see more shit come out in the next couple of days.

[Eastfield Lodge]

Hang on, isn't Blatter not spending the rest of his life as President a sign of the apocalypse though?

[Farnhamia]

That has to be it, Arch. Valcke was Blatter's right hand man, nothing he sighed off could could have gone unknown by Blatter.

Henry: Don't tell me. I don't want to know about it. You guys have my full permission, and I never said that. I mean, I'm not even here, so how could I? Radar!
Radar: Sir?
Henry: Make an entry in the daily report that I wasn't here today, and bring it to me so I can sign it.
Radar: Uh, sir, if you sign it, it'll show you were here.
Henry: Then you sign it for me.
Radar: Yes, sir. Should I sign your name?
Henry: You'll have to, because I'm gonna say it was a forgery.

[Dumb Ideologies]

Someone should catch him before he locks himself in the Qatari embassy and claims political asylum.

[Frasers]

so prince ali for next president then, surely?

[MERIZoC]

so prince ali for next president then, surely?

Maybe not. Elections aren't for a while.

[New Skaaneland]

Lennart Johansson?

[Vassenor]

There were at least two other potential competitors who both pulled out so as to not split the opposition vote.

[Mister B]

Reform of FIFA's spending controls and a re-bid for the next two World Cups to follow please.

[Vassenor]

Reform of FIFA's spending controls and a re-bid for the next two World Cups to follow please.

There's not going to be real change until December at the earliest, by which time it's going to be too late to do anything about Russia.

[Steamtopia]

Putin should be the next FIFA president. What could possibly go wrong?

[Farnhamia]

Putin should be the next FIFA president. What could possibly go wrong?

He'd probably annex rugby.

[Steamtopia]

Putin should be the next FIFA president. What could possibly go wrong?

He'd probably annex rugby.

Ethnic Russian rugby players were going to be banned from speaking Russian at games. It was completely justified, we even held a referendum.

[Dooom35796821595]

Reform of FIFA's spending controls and a re-bid for the next two World Cups to follow please.

There's not going to be real change until December at the earliest, by which time it's going to be too late to do anything about Russia.

Sure there is, just strip the game from Russia and give it to England.

[Eastfield Lodge]

There's not going to be real change until December at the earliest, by which time it's going to be too late to do anything about Russia.

Sure there is, just strip the game from Russia and give it to England.

No, because at that point, you'd have to re-do World Cup qualifying.

[Frenline Delpha]

Just to be clear, it is still early enough to remove the world cup from"Qutar?"

[The Archregimancy]

Sure there is, just strip the game from Russia and give it to England.

No, because at that point, you'd have to re-do World Cup qualifying.

No you wouldn't.

The qualifying draw is scheduled to take place in St. Petersburg in July, but changing where the World Cup takes place has no material impact on World Cup qualification for the non-European confederations (and at least two have already started qualification) - it only changes the destination where the qualifying teams play.

It would potentially impact UEFA qualification (this is assuming the hypothetical that FIFA would replace Russia with another European host) since Russia would need to qualify, and the new host wouldn't. However, UEFA qualification doesn't get underway until September 2016 anyway, so it wouldn't be logistically impossible - or even that difficult - to re-do the European draw in 2015 or early 2016.

However, I consider it likely that Russia will host regardless.

It's Qatar that has cause to worry this evening.

[Mister B]

Reform of FIFA's spending controls and a re-bid for the next two World Cups to follow please.

There's not going to be real change until December at the earliest, by which time it's going to be too late to do anything about Russia.

It could well be that this would be the result of the re=opened bid and that Russia continues to be the best option to host in 2018. I'd just like that confirmed under conditions where the vote is not at risk of being swayed by bribery.

[The Archregimancy]

Blatter is (allegedly) being investigated by the FBI.

sources familiar with the case told ABC News today that Blatter is being investigated by the FBI and U.S. prosecutors as part of the probe that led to last week’s stunning indictments.

[The Matthew Islands]

Blatter has either resigned because he knows he's about to be taken down, or less likely he has had a moment of clarity and realised that he just cannot command the respect required for the role as head of FIFA.

[The balkens]

BREAKING NEWS: DEAR LEADER HAS RESIGNED AS FIFA PRESIDENT

Wait......

WHAT!?

[Maineiacs]

BREAKING NEWS: DEAR LEADER HAS RESIGNED AS FIFA PRESIDENT

Wait......

WHAT!?

Make waaaaay for Prince Aliiiiiii!

Ok, I'll stop now.

[New Skaaneland]

No, because at that point, you'd have to re-do World Cup qualifying.

No you wouldn't.

The hosts don't have to qualify, so something would have to be added.

It should be said too though that there have been situations before when teams who qualified didn't get to play in the tournament, at least in the European Championship. Denmark failed to qualify for Euros 1992 in Sweden, but they were allowed instead of Yugoslavia (who were in a state of war) and they actually managed to win the whole thing. It's not likely that they'd replay the whole qualification just to swap one team for another.