Corruption, any plans to eradicate it, FIFA’s Sepp Blatter?

Corruption has dogged the game for so long and despite what the media would have you believe, it happens in every country.  Italy has been particularly criticised as it is so widespread over there or has at the very least been in the past with officials, players, managers and even chairmen taking part. For a long time, the English have come out of stables across the Home Counties on their high horses and appeared smug on the issue. Corruption in the English game? Surely not. Yet that judgement has been shown to be a problematic miss judgement and in latest corruption scandal it is the English who are sweating. So two questions remain (1 How should the players be punished? (2 What  should be done  stop corruption in the future?

The FA does not have great knowledge of corruption or have a great idea of how to respond, simply because England has been relatively clean when it comes to corruption. Their initiatives to combat this problem have been slightly naïve up until now. Any player who is approached by a third party about the possibility of aiding in illegal betting is told to go immediately to the club management and the FA.  An unsatisfactory approach on so many levels but mainly because it assumes the best sides of human nature rule the heart and that the player any given player not interested in taking part . But like a married man of three children , this flirtation could lead to far more than just talking. The initiative has failed , it may well of stopped corruption is the past but in the latest corruption scandal it was indeed The Sun that ‘done it’.  Footballers are human, forget the celebrity lifestyle and the riches, and humans have been shown not to be that moral when it comes to money.  Footballers have their faults and when temptation comes their way they are more than capable of being more than flirtatious. Footballers get a very bad press, and this is often miss guided, most of them do a phenomenal amount of good with all sorts of charity work. It is not simply about getting out the cheque book for them either, it’s about donating their time as well. The public shouldn’t demonise footballers and neither should they assume that they are always entirely honest.

Radio phones ins have all focused their attention on this issue, and this has led to usual anti footballer rhetoric which is complete over reaction. Words like greed and selfishness and complaints like try ‘having a mortgage’ have all come up as the public lambasts the footballing world. The assumption that this is all about greed and money is deeply flawed. Yes it is likely that at the top of the English game, dirty deals take place but this is far more than about money. It has been suggested by certain ex footballers that this about feeding the uncontrollable gambling culture, this is likely to be true. However the case can also be made that this very action is a gamble in its self as if the found out the public are never likely to trust them again. The idea of risk, for whatever reason, appeals to human nature. Yes greed does play a part but that is not the only emotion that is in play here. The idea that educating the players is the way to go in eradicating this problem , is in itself problematic because players already know that  illegal betting is wrong. That concept will not have any long lasting effects.

One prominent player this week has said that there are too many things that the average punter can bet on these days such as the number of corners, yellow cards and throw ins. The latest scandal has been about players deliberately getting booked and sent off at certain points of a game, in a concept known as spot fixing. Banning certain bets is the wrong way to go, illegal betting would simply take on new forms and there would be more scandals in the future once perpetrators found new ways of exploiting the system. Just because spot fixing is all the rage at the moment does not mean it will be forever. Fraud is a fact in life, it can be modified but never eradicated. Changing what people can bet on would hurt the game financially as large betting firms represent huge sponsorship opportunities for both individual leagues and individual clubs. If betting corporation got the hump and pulled out of football it would be a disaster for football on a commercial level.

One prominent football journalist made the case for life bans and the possibility of prison sentences for those caught. This would be a good start but would require cooperation across many different legal fields. Prison would represent a major deterrent for footballers, while they might feasibly risk their careers very few would want to end up in prison. Lifetime bans from the sport would be a major statement from the FA and represent a good start on the issue; they should consider implanting that change immediately. Often unfair for the people who are caught first who have not been suitably warned however this is not about the individual it’s for the wider good of the game. Making a statement is an important first step.

Individual FA’s cannot make the necessary  changes to make a real difference , English clubs play in European competition and England play in international tournaments.  This once falls on to the desk of someone who can be completely when it comes to issues around corruption, Sepp Blatter. Without FIFA’s input in stopping corruption in football, corruption will instead flourish. With FIFA’s at its lowest ebb yet, it should take the lead on corruption in the self-proclaimed beautiful game and get some much needed respect back. For FIFA in terms of respect and authority the only way is up.

So at the end of a black week for the English game, the FA and FIFA need to take the initiative and get back on to the front foot.  For the fans, it’s important not to overreact and to know what you are watching most of the time is genuine sport.  Most players are decent, hard working professionals who have spent many years to get to the top of their game.  For all those people riding around on the back of their high horses, it is time to park them back into their stables. For now though, it is over to you Sepp…