FIFA '15 -- The Re-Installation Looms

Well, the election is scheduled for Friday, not sure what time, but the intrigue is bounding on leaps and bounds.

At least the United States and Australia have joined a growing number of nations (the 209 nations recognized by FIFA each get one vote in this election) who will vote against Sepp Blatter and attempt to elect Jordan's Prince Ali-bin Al Hussein to be the head of FIFA. 

First glance, one has to wonder if Hussein's best interests would actually be served by not having a World Cup in his part of the world, but that's something which has been, for the moment, at least glossed over.

Most people basically accept that, should Blatter retain office, this would be the death knell of any future USA move to host a World Cup.  I would think it further:  Blatter getting re"elected" tomorrow probably makes expulsion from FIFA for the United States a foregone conclusion.

According to one of the latest news sources with feelers in Switzerland, the Hussein camp now believes it has at least 90 of the 105 votes it would take to oust Blatter.  In a first round of voting, by FIFA by-laws, Blatter would need a 2/3 majority to retain office (140 votes).  Any subsequent round would be a simple majority of 105. 

The Guardian in the UK has people stating that, between votes Hussein believes he has outside Europe and 45 votes that UEFA feels it can deliver, that Hussein will, in fact, be the next head of FIFA in two rounds, as he might have exactly the 105 votes he needs.

As of right now:

• The election will proceed
• and there will be no revote on either the 2022 or the Russia 2018 Cups.

Russia has blasted the United States effort as trying to tamper with the 2018 World Cup (and this person can't really blame at least the accusation -- given the current nature of soccer, quality of teams be damned, Russia would have to be considered the favorite in the present political arena (which see their "victory" on the medal table in the Homophobia-lympics last year -- something Putin has used to great political advantage!). Russia is strongly voting for Blatter.

It appears as if Asia and Africa are solidly in the incumbent's camp -- which leads to one unavoidable conclusion.

If Sepp Blatter is re-"elected"/installed as FIFA head on Friday, he will be even more in the back pockets of the match-fixers such as Tan and Perumal than he was in the first place.  His entire re-placement into the office will be because of nations where match-fixers run the sport, leading no sane person to believe Blatter himself is not a match-fixer of his own right.

The head of UEFA, Michel Platini, has demanded, face-to-face, that Blatter resign, and will not rule out the exclusion of (most of) Europe from the 2018 World Cup.

David Gill of the UK is supposed to become FIFA's vice-president, but is reported to have said the only way he will is if Hussein is elected on Friday.  He will resign before taking the office if Blatter wins.

Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice.