Oh, FIFA.
Just when it looked like FIFA couldn’t get any more corrupt. Apparently, Sepp Blatter and a number of other FIFA higher-ups received watches worth approximately $20,000 (some reports have the watches valued higher) as gifts during the World Cup.
Now, the FIFA ethics committee (oxymoron) has ordered the executives to give the watches back or face ethics proceedings because the watches have more than “symbolic or trivial value.” Blatter addressed the matter via twitter Friday, with one of the all-time most clueless, bullshit statements in history.
Everyone in the global football community has a responsibility to act ethically. Football fans rightly demand this. FIFA has taken the lead.
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) September 19, 2014
The watches were distributed to representatives of all 32 countries competing in the World Cup, as well as to the 28 members of FIFA’s executive committee. Additionally, five watches were given to representatives of other South American national associations, for a total of 65 watches. For those of you doing the math, that's $1.3M+ in watches.
The watch incident first came to life when several officials (The U.S.’s Sunil Galati, Australia’s Moya Dodd, Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein) reported the gifts to the ethic committee and gave their watches back.
One executive, UEFA president Michael Platini, has declared that he will not give back his watch. Instead, he will donate roughly $27,000 to charity. Platini is also a FIFA vice president.
“We receive many watches...you receive many watches...we all receive watches,” said Platini.
I, for one, have not received any watches. Maybe Platini will give me one of his.
