As thiCk-skinnED ElECtED oFFiCiAls go, FiF
A、prEsiDEnt josEph s.BlAttEr is right up thErE withBillClinton. thE ChiEF oF thE zuriCh-BAsED group thAt ovErsEEs worlDCup soCCEr hAsn’t BEEn ACCusED oF groping Any intErns, But thAt’s ABout All hE hAsn’t BEEn ACCusED oF. votE Buying, mismAnAgEmEnt, Cronyism--AnD thAt’s just For stArtErs. yEt thE 66-yEAr-olD swiss shows no sign oF ABAnDoning his CAmpAign For A sEConD Four-yEAr tErm.
BlAttEr, A gEEk oF DispEnsing FiFA’s hunDrEDs oF million in AnnuAl rEvEnuE to inspirE loyAlty, EvEn stAnDs A gooD ChAnCE oF rEElECtion.At lEAst hE DiD、sinCE miD-mArCh, hE hAs sEEn A CrEDiBlE ChAllEngEr EmErgE in issA hAyAtou, prEsiDEnt oF thEAFriCAn FootBAllConFEDErAtion. hAyAtou, A 55-yEAr-olD FromCAmEroon, lEADs A group oF FiF
A、rEFormErs thAt Also inCluDEs FiF
A、viCE-prEsiDEnt lEnnArt johAnsson, A swEDE who lost thE prEsiDEntiAl ElECtion toBlAttEr in 1998. thEsE ContEnDErs’ mission: to EnD whAt thEy CAll thE CulturE oF sECrECy AnD lACk oF ACCountABility thAt thrEAtEns FiF
A、with FinAnCiAl DisAstEr.
rEprEsEntAtivEs oF thE worlD’s 204 nAtionAl soCCEr AssoCiAtions mEEt in sEoul on mAy 29, AnD thE rEBEls ArE givEn A ChAnCE oF unsEAtingBlAttEr.But EvEn thEy ConCEDE thAt thE FiF
A、honCho won’t BE EAsy to DisloDgE.BlAttEr’s stAying powEr sEEms inCrEDiBlE, givEn thE ArrAy oF misDEEDs AttriButED to him AnD his CirClE. howEvEr, thErE ArE signs thAt FiFA’s trouBlEs ArE BiggEr thAnBlAttEr is sAying.
thE insurgEnts hAvE AlrEADy won onE viCtory: thEy pErsuADED thE rEst oF thE ExECutivE BoArD to orDEr An AuDit oF FiF
A、FinAnCEs.ButBlAttEr--who ClAims, through A spokEsmAn, thAt thE ACCusAtions ArE A smEAr CAmpAign-shoulD not BE unDErEstimAtED、At lEAst puBliCly, sponsors AnD mEmBEr AssoCiAtions rEmAin rEmArkABly siiEnt with thE ControvErsy. For ExAmplE, thErE is no outwArD sign oF outrAgE From gErmAn sports EquipmEnt mAkErADiDAs sAlomon, whiCh is spEnDing muCh oF its $ 625 million mArkEting BuDgEt on thE worlDCup. "wE Don’t ExpECt CurrEnt DEvElopmEnts within FiF
A、to hAvE A nEgAtivE impACt on our ExpECtAtions" For thE worlDCup, sAys miChAEl riEhl,ADiDAs hEAD oF gloBAl sports mArkEting.
thE ConvEntionAl wisDom is thAt FAns Don’t CArE ABout FiF
A、politiCs. sAysBErnD sChiphorst, prEsiDEnt oF hErthABs
C、BErlin, A top-rAnkED gErmAn tEAm: "i’vE no FEAr thAt All thEsE DisCussions ArE going to touCh thE EvEnt." still, thE olympiC BriBEry sCAnDAls AnD thE Doping AFFAir in thE tour DE FrAnCE show thAt slEAzy DEAlings CAn stAin thE most vEnErABlE AthlEtiC spECtAClE. "For thE gooD oF thE gAmE" is FiFA’s oFFiCiAl motto. thE nExt FEw months shoulD show whEthEr it rings truE.
By mEntioning "thE Doping AFFAir in thE tour DE FrAnCE" ( thE lAst pAr
A、), thE Author is tAlking ABout
A、FiF
A、politiCs.
B．sports sCAnDAls.
C、FiF
A、FinAnCEs.
D．FAns’ wisDom.