Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/519957
54 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 31 MAY 2015 Sport FOOTBALL YOU realise how serious the investigations of FIFA execu- tives are by simply looking at the sheer volume of money in- volved in the alleged corrup- tion. Or by seeing Cameron and Merkel being relegated to sec- ond item in the news. Or even by the very roles the people at the centre of this scandal had: a former and two current Vice- Presidents, and a host of offi- cials who were responsible for the development of the game, the organisation of big tourna- ments such as the World Cup, and the management of media and marketing rights. It is about time we recognise that the balance between the power which this system of governance vests in these peo- ple, and the level of account- ability it requires is massively skewed. It is only football, I can hear some say. That's not the point. This handful of officials de- cides on which country stages the biggest public event on earth. In turn, countries host- ing major tournaments invest billions from their citizens' taxes in stadia and infrastruc- ture, often to end up lumped with white elephants. Sponsorships and media rights managed by FIFA have a com- mercial value that would make our finance minister blush. Yet recently, FIFA surprisingly awarded the 2026 World Cup broadcast rights in the USA and Canada without any bid- ding, presumably to counter the American networks' opposition to moving the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to winter. I can go on forever listing a series of blunders, which in re- ality have been the subject of innumerable pleas by investiga- tive journalists for years. There must have been part- ners in crime though. The recent indictments make ref- erence to sports marketing and media agencies as well as sponsors. As expected, this led to timely press statements by the multinationals sponsoring FIFA, whose main concern is to mitigate the projected negative image that this fiasco brings with it. At the same time, they hardly have an alternative to keeping hold of the lucra- tive market and exposure that football affords. Nevertheless, brand FIFA and football are not one and the same thing. When watching their favourite teams, fans hardly care whether the match is being organised by FIFA or anyone else. Yet, they are in their millions, and spon- sors cannot afford not getting through to them. Hence the race for inf luence with the few that decide on awarding the various sponsor- ship or media rights contracts. The main question is to what extent and to whom are these officials accountable? The answer is they are really accountable to themselves, in the sense that they only need to convince their 209 peers within the FIFA Congress (each rep- resenting a national associa- tion) to vote them in again and again. It is surreal that while all the front pages of the world are awash with calls for change within the organisation, 133 of these delegates re-elected Sepp Blatter as their president. For the fifth time. Following the announcement of the indictment of all those officials from North, Central, and South America, I can only wonder what happens in other parts of the world. Blatter's core support comes from associa- tions in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. On the other hand, US jurisdiction can only reach those who channelled funds through or committed any of the alleged illegal practices in the US. The western media keeps piling pressure on Blatter to go. Too many scandals have been unearthed on his watch. In any other organisation he would have resigned long ago. While that is hardly debatable, it would be a mistake to focus exclusively on Blatter with- out engaging also in debate on how the governance structures of football (and other sports) could be improved. As long as the status quo is preserved, people can change but the f laws of the organisa- tion remain (two of the officials arrested were themselves re- placing others who had in turn been suspended on corruption charges). The immediate aftermath of Blatter's re-election has been accompanied with calls of all sorts: for UEFA to leave FIFA, for European countries to boy- cott the World Cup, or for an- other tournament to be set up altogether. In my view, the way forward should keep the fan – the ultimate consumer – at the centre. Malta was part of the minor- ity that voted against Blatter. Indeed the Malta Football As- sociation had taken the bold step of being one of the five as- sociations that proposed Prince Ali of Jordan to contest the election. Despite its small size, the association was one of the few to show where it stood. In the larger scheme of things, football remains a game. Still, a game followed by almost every other household on this planet. Football is not FIFA, Sepp Blat- ter, or anyone else who might (and will, some day) replace him. Football is and must re- main a game. Whether it is a kick-about at the park or the World Cup final. A better world order for football Despite its small size, the MFA was one of the few to show where it stood for football Angelo Chetcuti Scottish Cup glory for Inverness INVERNESS won the William Hill Scottish Cup for the first time in the club's 21-year-history with a dramatic 86th-minute goal by sub- stitute James Vincent, securing a 2-1 victory against Falkirk Caley Thistle striker Marley Watkins scored a deserved opener in the 38th minute as the Premier- ship side dominated. However, the Bairns came storm- ing back after the break and Caley Thistle defender Carl Tremarco was handed a straight red card by referee Willie Collum for a 'last man' tackle on Blair Alston. When Falkirk defender Peter Grant levelled the scores with a header from an Alston free-kick it looked like as if it could be Falkirk's day but Vincent, on for Ryan Chris- tie in the 72nd minute, secured the Highland club's first major trophy when he notched from close-range after keeper Jamie MacDonald had parried a Watkins shot. It was another record for John Hughes' side who had already qualified for Europe next season for the first time due to their third- place finish - the highest since they were formed in 1994. Peter Houston's Championship side took a deserved round of ap- plause from their fans after the break but it was the Highland club who were celebrating the winning of a game which might have es- caped them. Dundee-bound Rory Loy was something of a surprise inclu- sion in the Falkirk side having not played since March after sustain- ing an ankle injury. Inverness right-back David Raven, who scored the winner against Celtic in the semi-final, was ruled out through injury. Captain Graeme Shinnie moved across from left-back and Tremar- co came into the defence for a rare start, with Danny Devine taking over from the suspended centre- back Gary Warren. Hughes's team dominated the first-half in which Watkins might have a hat-trick. In the ninth minute Shinnie's cross from the right was helped on by Aaron Doran but the former Bath City and Hereford player could not get the final touch from six yards out. Then, from Doran's cross from the left, Grant made a decisive clearance under pressure from Watkins. Falkirk's response was two ef- forts on goal from distance by mid- fielder Will Vaulks, the first testing Inverness keeper Ryan Esson, the second in the 27th minute hitting the side-netting, fooling many Bairns fans in the north stand into thinking it was in. However, all Falkirk supporters breathed a sigh of relief moments later when Grant made a saving tackle on Watkins as he set himself to pull the trigger from eight yards, and when Doran failed to connect with a volley from a similar dis- tance. Nevertheless, a Caley Thistle goal looked inevitable and it came when Doran threaded a pass from the edge of the box through to Wat- kins who escaped the attention of Grant and rounded MacDonald before slipping the ball into the empty net. His celebrations ended with him holding up a t-shirt which said 'RIP Roy Lewis' in tribute to the former Swansea rugby player and father of his friend, Worcester Warriors flanker Sam Lewis, who passed away recently. With seconds remaining only an- other great saving tackle by Grant at the edge of his own penalty area prevented Doran getting clean through on goal. It was difficult to see how Hou- ston's side could get back into the game but they started the second- half with much-needed pace and purpose. Vaulks had yet another effort from 25 yards early in the second- half which just went wide before midfielder Blair Alston skied a shot over the bar from 12 yards, before Vaulks again, chipped over the bar. The game took a turn, however, when Tremarco, after failing to control the ball under no real pres- sure in his own half, was robbed by Alston before hauling him down with Collum quickly flashing red. There was a penalty claim when the ball appeared to strike the hand of Ross Draper inside the box but Collum was unmoved but the mo- mentum was with Houston's side. With 10 minutes remaining Grant rose at the back post to bul- let in an Alston free-kick and it looked like extra-time would be the least Falkirk would get for their efforts. However, with four minutes re- maining Watkins drove towards goal on the break and when his low drive was pushed out by MacDon- ald to Vincent he knocked the ball into the net for an historic winner. Inverness captain Graeme Shinnie lifts the William Hill Scottish Cup