FIFA/UEFA

In 2007 FIFA lost £50 million on financial mismanagement.  £3.6 million went to ex general secretary Irs Linsi who was handed a new contract by finance director Grondona two months after Blatter sacked him.  

You probably don’t believe that – but it is not only true, it is part of the tradition of FIFA.  There’s more on this wonderful organisation below.

Meanwhile UEFA ran a TV advert in 2007 about how millions of Europeans are overweight, and how they are sending out a powerful message.  They were indeed doing just that.  By confirming McDonald’s as the main sponsor of Euro 2008.   The deal includes a network of McCafes at all Euro2008 venues.

Which is why we make UEFA “The most dangerous organisation in football: 2007” – narrowly beating Manchester Utd.

But there is more…

In November 2007 the head  of Indonesia’s Football Association (that is the body recognised by FIFA as being suitable to run football in the country) Nurdin Hallid, was thrown into prison for gross corruption, including the misuse of $18 million worth of funds intended for the country’s poor.  The FA of Indonesia then met, and decided he could keep his job.

Now, really, just pause for a moment and read that again.  HE KEPT HIS JOB while in jail on a fraud charge amounting to 18 million dollars – and FIFA then did nothing about it.

FIFA lied repeatedly

Mastercard began legal proceedings in 2006 when Fifa awarded Visa International sponsorship rights for the World Cup, however, a federal judge in New York overturned the decision in December, but the ruling was sent to the appeal courts in the spring of 2007

In the US court’s original ruling, the judge said Fifa had “lied repeatedly to Mastercard” about the details of its agreement with the company. The dispute arose over whether a 2006 contract superseded an agreement made with Fifa in 2002, which Mastercard claims gave it right of first refusal to new deals.

Fifa will pay Mastercard around $90m for discontinuing the relationship, with $87.5m to be paid by the end of the second quarter of the year and the remaining $2.5m to be transferred by the end of the third quarter.

Visa, which was not a defendant in the case, said it had “pursued the case with interest”, and will now become sponsor for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The following tournament in 2014 has yet to have been awarded a host.