Blatter’s support is driven by a feeling of smaller federations that the powerful nations don’t care about their concerns. Many exist in parts of the world where it’s understood that graft is a necessary part of survival. They aren’t dumb – they understand that people are getting rich through kickbacks and that a certain degree of bribery is part of how things get done. They may look at the arrests and outcry from the west and think it’s an example of #FirstWorldProblems.
If we want to reform FIFA and put Prince Ali’s beautifully articulated vision in place then we need to do more than rage against those that have taken advantage of the disenfranchised.
We need to truly address the disenfranchisement. We need to convince the 133 that their concerns will be heard and their needs met in an open and transparent FIFA.
For many of the 133 that simply wasn’t the case for generations. Now, they feel that they are at least part of the system even if the system is broken.
Fix that and you truly fix FIFA, even if you don’t get the pleasure of seeing the old man put in his place.