England calls for a delay in FIFA election, just 150 more to go . . .

Status quo. Blatter is set to continue as FIFA chief

Despite it being the top story on nearly all main British news programmes that both the English and Scottish FAs joined forces to delay the upcoming FIFA election – today’s news looks as though the election will go ahead as planned and the sole candidate, current president Sepp Blatter, will continue.

That is because the English and Scottish FAs hold as little weight in world football as the Kazakhstan or Azerbaijan FAs. It is all equal so these two are not going to make a difference.

For a delay in the election to go through, three quarters of the 208 nations that come under FIFA have to vote in favour, just the 150 something to go then.

Of course England wanted a delay in the hope that a new candidate, who has not been investigated for corruption, would stand. In their eyes Blatter and the current FIFA set up are responsible for the failed 2018 World Cup bid. Just as much as the likes of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan would be happy for Blatter to continue, not only do their low-profile leagues not care about an absence of goal-line technology but also under a Blatter regime, they may even get a sniff at hosting a World Cup like South Africa, Russia or Qatar.

Because England is one of the top football-playing nations in the world in terms of participation and support, if not international success, FIFA see them as a big-wig trying to gain all the power. Even Prince William said the election should be delayed, but only the British care.

For all FIFA’s corruption and wrongdoing, which is finally coming to the fore, they see themselves as an organisation standing up for the little guy and there are hundreds of these little guys not paying any attention to what is happening in Zurich.

This means we will have the status quo for a little while longer. England’s players will try and qualify for competitions in the back of beyond, every week managers and fans will complain at a decision that could have been easily resolved by technology and Blatter will laud in his power over the world’s most popular game.