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Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous
details details.. if you ask the Ethiopian crowd, they will say it was because FIFA wanted to stick it to Meles (and honestly, who doesn't?!) but I think that using futbol as a bully pulpit is counter-productive to the kind of unity building which FIFA can and likes to do..
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Yes, the answer's in the details, on both sides. The truth is that FIFA has a very individual agenda and a very awkward relationship with European football as a consequence. The most pressure that FIFA receives within the game is for what the more established countries see as its over-committment to promoting football in developing countries. For better or worse, FIFA is committed to that. It's problems have come from the fact that sport in Africa is far more politicised than it is elsewhere (besides maybe in parts of S'th America). As such, FIFA continually finds its non-political stance compromised when dealing with these nations, and has to make decisions there that it doesn't have to elsewhere. There really is a clear difference between Sarkozy demanding to see Henry and the Nigerian prime minister threatening to dissolve the national team. I agree that FIFA's relationship with African football is a problematic one butnot one with a negative agenda.