hammers92 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 7:54 pm
BBC have covered it in depth every day. The first 20 minutes of the opening game riled a few feathers that they didn’t show the opening ceremony to talk about it.
There will be a few teams who will effectively have nothing to play for in their last group game. Would be good if some / all of them made a stand and demonstrated properly ahead of their third games.
It's not likely to happen given that most of the European teams will likely need a result to go through - but wouldn't it be great if (for instance) England on 6 points basically stuck two fingers up to FIFA and Qatar?
Ironing Board wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:20 pm
If the Soviet Union and the United States could boycott the Olympics in the 80s why can’t a few European nations boycott a World Cup?
I would've liked to have seen it boycotted too. It didn't happen. It doesn't mean Denmark should be ridiculed and called virtue signalling when they're one of the few to speak out against it, and actually threaten action.
What is virtue signalling is wearing a bloody rainbow armband. A token gesture targeted at the wrong party (Qatar). It's FIFA who are responsible for this sh*tshow. The issue of human rights violations should not be left to football to take a stand.
'stone hammer wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:48 pm
I would've liked to have seen it boycotted too. It didn't happen. It doesn't mean Denmark should be ridiculed and called virtue signalling when they're one of the few to speak out against it, and actually threaten action.
What is virtue signalling is wearing a bloody rainbow armband. A token gesture targeted at the wrong party (Qatar). It's FIFA who are responsible for this sh*tshow. The issue of human rights violations should not be left to football to take a stand.
Fair point. Then maybe every player who backs the stance should call out FIFA specifically in any TV interview they do.
If for example Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford (for whom I have a lot of respect) kicked off interviews with the words "FIFA and it's President are a disgrace, and I'm doing this under duress ...." it might be a start.
Plashet Grove Pete wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:06 pm
Fair point. Then maybe every player who backs the stance should call out FIFA specifically in any TV interview they do.
If for example Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford (for whom I have a lot of respect) kicked off interviews with the words "FIFA and it's President are a disgrace, and I'm doing this under duress ...." it might be a start.
But they aren’t though. Everyone is there of their own free will.
Plashet Grove Pete wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:06 pm
If for example Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford (for whom I have a lot of respect) kicked off interviews with the words "FIFA and it's President are a disgrace, and I'm doing this under duress ...." it might be a start.
As much as I would support it, they'd be potentially sabotaging their own careers. Playing at a World Cup must be the real highlight of a player's career, and FIFA would probably ban them for it (yellow card just for wearing an armband!). All power to them if they do it, but it shouldn't be their fight.
Fair play to the Danish FA, put their money where their mouth is & indeed the right way about making a political point whilst allowing the players to just play football.
I had great aspirations of boycotting the World Cup but a combination of working from home & 4 games of football a day is far too alluring...
'stone hammer wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:17 pm
As much as I would support it, they'd be potentially sabotaging their own careers. Playing at a World Cup must be the real highlight of a player's career, and FIFA would probably ban them for it (yellow card just for wearing an armband!). All power to them if they do it, but it shouldn't be their fight.
But surely, if Fifa did start handing out cards it would show them up for the nefarious money grabbers they truly are and the "one game for all" tag is just PR crap..?
Maybe we do need a Super League to sweep the hame clean...
If the European FAs from the main leagues all grew a backbone together than they could get what they want.
FIFA are a joke, they effectively pay off the smaller nations to fall in line and attribute the same power to all countries which allows them to continue on their merry way.
However FIFA would have nothing without the top European FAs. The World Cup doesn’t work without England, France, Portugal, Italy, Germany etc. If more the FAs went down the same route as Denmark in a co-ordinates fashion then they would have sufficient leverage to get rid of Infantino and the like.
DublinDave wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 11:39 pm
But surely, if Fifa did start handing out cards it would show them up for the nefarious money grabbers they truly are and the "one game for all" tag is just PR crap..?
Maybe we do need a Super League to sweep the hame clean...
'More than two dozen FIFA officials and their associates were implicated in a 24-year self-enrichment scheme that reached the highest levels of FIFA management. Central to the scandal were accusations of bribery connected to the awarding of hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.' (Source)
Shirley you don't need to see them hand out cards to confirm they are nefarious money grabbers, Shirley!? :lol:
While appreciating comments about “ respecting” other countries laws and beliefs it’s taking the money to look the other way that implicates Fifa and the participant FA’s, whatever Qatars long-standing and abhorrent to most views on gays and women they’ve had those through history so it’s no surprise. The stand could and should have been made over the appalling treatment of immigrant labour to build the infrastructure and the scandalous carbon impact the event is causing, you won’t change Qatars inherent religion based beliefs in any hurry, but allowing them to think they can simply bribe their way through what’s effectively slavery is totally unacceptable. All very well the Danes and Germans making a stand now, and at least they’re doing more than any of the others, but the fact all the nations are there and FIFA have trousered the money means any protest now is too little too late.
There is not one candidate who wants to compete against Infantino in the next election.
NOT ONE.
Keeping my fingers crossed that the sponsors will continue to walk out, as the Germans have done.
Not that it will make much difference. We'll just have more Oil money and Chinese....
If UEFA had balls, it would boycott the next FIFA event.
Countries have done that back in the day...
My view is this. Countries were powerless to stop a corrupt FIFA handing out this World Cup to the highest bidder. While it would be very noble to withdraw in protest at the immorality of it all, in reality it would be futile. Has England pulled out, overall would anyone really care? Let's face it, are we missing Italy?
So firstly I don't blame any country going, regardless of how much they disapprove.
The next point is that by being there, you have the opportunity to affect change by protest. What countries can do is make it uncomfortable for FIFA, so that they embarrass themselves even more (such as the armband ruling). The long term point is to force FIFA to never make this mistake again. That is all that can be achieved from this point. Sure Infantino will make his positive speeches, and pretend this is the best World Cup ever, but it isn't. Sponsors won't be happy, some members aren't happy, and hopefully the hosts will be even more difficult once their team goes out.
As someone else said, my biggest issue is the deaths of workers. I just can't watch a game of football knowing how many died building that stadium, so I'm not watching anything live or betting on any games.
Personally I'm hoping teams find more ways to raise those issues. I'd like England to play in black armbands, let's see FIFA ban them as well.
But fair play to the Danes and the Germans. They are at least trying to make a point.
Ironing Board wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:20 pm
If the Soviet Union and the United States could boycott the Olympics in the 80s why can’t a few European nations boycott a World Cup?
Perhaps they have noticed how effective those bans were? If you really want to change things then you need to do a bit more than boycott a few sporting events ...
stu1 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 3:37 am
If the European FAs from the main leagues all grew a backbone together than they could get what they want.
FIFA are a joke, they effectively pay off the smaller nations to fall in line and attribute the same power to all countries which allows them to continue on their merry way.
However FIFA would have nothing without the top European FAs. The World Cup doesn’t work without England, France, Portugal, Italy, Germany etc. If more the FAs went down the same route as Denmark in a co-ordinates fashion then they would have sufficient leverage to get rid of Infantino and the like.
Good post.(has you can't like it on Word Cup thread).
Ironing Board wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:20 pm
If the Soviet Union and the United States could boycott the Olympics in the 80s why can’t a few European nations boycott a World Cup?