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England need allies if they decide to quit FIFA

If a quickie divorce from FIFA were possible, England’s Football Association (FA) would be filing for it right this second. As relationships go, England and Sepp Blatter are done. Finished.

If a quickie divorce from FIFA were possible, England’s Football Association (FA) would be filing for it right this second. As relationships go, England and Sepp Blatter are done. Finished.

The governing bodies’ brazen abuse of their privileged position as controllers of the world’s greatest game is heartbreaking and English football is sick to the back teeth of it.

American attorney Michael Garcia’s instant appeal against Judge Eckert’s interpretation of his extensive report has at least prevented FIFA from being granted the “closure” they insisted upon at the revelation of their findings. Blatter does not want the headache of revisiting the flawed bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but he cannot quite put it to bed just yet.

The assumption that English media has a vendetta against Blatter just because Russia were awarded the 2018 finals ahead of them is way off the mark. Losing was never the issue. It was losing a fight that was never fair in the first place that rankled.

Having spent £21 million (S$42 million) of the FA’s precious money and £3 million of public cash — that could have been used to help hard-up people here in the United Kingdom — on courting what has since proven to be a corrupt Exco committee, England feels it has a right to seek transparency and answers.

To learn that the FA’s integrity has instead been brought into question feels somehow like a sick joke. If my country did not know they were pariahs already, they do now.

So, what happens next? The FA and English football have big decisions to make.

Do they just let it go, move on and accept that the 2018 and 2022 World Cups are not up for further discussion? Do they continue the fight, joining forces with other nations and the outraged American lawyer that says his findings were misrepresented so erroneously this week?

Or, and this is the interesting bit, do they look for a way out?

A radio poll yesterday revealed that 80 per cent of football fans in England would be happy for the FA to quit FIFA. Kneejerk or not, that is a huge percentage. But they cannot do it alone though.

Should the big boys — Brazil, Germany, Spain et al — threaten to walk away, it could change the landscape dramatically, as would an expression of disenchantment from the world’s most powerful clubs. FIFA needs its key players to stay on side.

Football is an amazing sport that deserves better leadership — and that is all the FA is complaining about. English football is not afraid to walk away. All they need now are some powerful allies.

Adrian Clarke is a former Arsenal midfielder who has played at every level of English football. Now an experienced sports journalist, he writes for publications around the world. Follow him on Twitter @adrianjclarke

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