Bernstein Calls for European Countries to World Cup Boycott.

The article in full:

The Football Association has been urged to lobby Uefa for a European boycott of the next World Cup - unless Fifa implements meaningful reform.

Former FA chairman David Bernstein told BBC Sport it was time for "drastic" action against the governing body.

He believes the tournament could not be taken seriously without Europe's major nations and that a boycott would be supported by the English public.

Meanwhile, Bernstein has resigned from Fifa's anti-discrimination taskforce.

He described it as "ineffectual" and wishes to end his ties with the organisation.

In an exclusive interview, the 71-year-old also said:

•Fifa is a "totalitarian" set-up that reminds him of "the old Soviet empire" and is "beyond ridicule".
•The credibility of football is "suffering enormously" under the current Fifa regime.
•Choosing Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup was "one of the most ludicrous decisions in the history of sport".
•Fifa president Sepp Blatter will remain in power "unless someone does something about it".
Bernstein was speaking after Thursday's report into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was questioned by the man who conducted the investigation, Michael Garcia, just hours following its release.

It is the latest controversy to hit Fifa, which has been riddled with allegations of corruption in recent times.

Bernstein led the FA for three years from January 2011 - a month after Russia and Qatar were named hosts for 2018 and 2022 respectively, with England missing out on 2018 - and he wants Fifa to change its ways or face a challenge that it finds impossible to ignore.

"England on its own cannot influence this - one country can't do it," he said. "If we tried to do something like that we'd be laughed at.

"I think England within Uefa undoubtedly have the power to influence Fifa, but to do so they would have to consider withdrawing from the World Cup, the next World Cup, unless proper reform - including Mr Blatter not standing [for a fifth term] - is carried out at Fifa.

"If I was at the FA now, I would do everything I could to encourage other nations within Uefa - and there are some who would definitely be on side, others may be not - to take this line.

"At some stage you have to walk the talk, stop talking and do something."

When asked again if we was calling for the FA to unite with Uefa to boycott Fifa and the World Cup, Bernstein replied: "Unless it could achieve the reforms that would bring Fifa back into the respectable world community, yes I would.

"It sounds drastic but frankly this has gone on for years now, it's not improving, it's going from bad to worse to worse.

"There are 54 countries within Uefa. There's Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Holland - all powerful. You can't hold a serious World Cup without them. They have the power to influence if they have the will.

"I think it would be supported by responsible people in this country and actually by the public, because although the public of course want to see England play in the World Cup, I'm sure they would be prepared to take a degree of sacrifice to see that happen."

Similar views have been expressed by German Football League president Reinhard Rauball, who suggested Uefa could leave Fifa  if Garcia's findings are not published in full.

Bernstein acknowledges Fifa's power but is adamant the governing body can be pressured into change if the World Cup is targeted.

"Fifa is sort of a totalitarian set-up," he said. "Bits of it remind me of the old Soviet empire. People don't speak out and if they do they get quashed.

"The [Garcia] investigation is possibly flawed but when the investigator complains that his own report is being misinterpreted, it's beyond ridicule."

He added the credibility of football was "suffering enormously".

"The World Cup has such a hold over everybody that there's a fear of disturbing it, but there are times when events and issues are more important than the football," he said.

"I think South Africa showed that, when sport was a very important part of breaking down the apartheid regime.

"I'm not comparing the importance of these issues with that - please understand that. But nevertheless, sport can be used to achieve."

Bernstein backs the authorities ("Swiss government, Swiss tax authorities, FBI, Brussels, the European community") and sponsors to hold Fifa to account, but thinks Uefa poses the greatest threat.

Much of his anger stems from the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, where blistering summer temperatures means the event could be switched to winter.

"The choosing of Qatar was clearly one of the most ludicrous decisions in the history of sport," the former Manchester City chairman said.

"You might as well have chosen Iceland in the winter. It was like an Alice in Wonderland sort of decision.

"The attempt to change the timing is also absolutely wrong. It's like a false prospectus; you put a bid in on one basis and then when you've won you change to another.

"There's also a background of political, social and employment issues that keep emerging and I think there's a danger that Fifa and football might be embarrassed by what emerges in the coming years.

"It's certainly not sour grapes. England didn't lose to Qatar, we lost to Russia. Qatar is clearly a totally unsuitable place to hold a World Cup."

bigH 13 Nov 14 13:04 Joined: 04 Apr 03 | Topic/replies: 4,051 | Blogger: bigH's blog
spot on Quatsch.

The only way that FIFA can lose it's stranglehold on the game is if all the FA's of the major nations e.g England, Germany. Italy, France, Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, USA, Russia etc got together and resigned from FIFA en masse with the intention of running their own World Cup.

Without these nations as members, FIFA are powerless

Great minds!

Hopefully this along with the threat of UEFA leaving will be the start of the end for FIFA

The world cup is always sh1t. I hope it's boycotted and never hosted again. The last 2 in particular were atrocious.

The head of the German FA says UEFA could withdraw from FIFA if the report into the 2018 & 2022 World Cup bids is not published in full.

That would sink the FIFA and their world cup as the European TV money would dry up. 

However I have a feeling that UEFA would probably have already committed to playing in a few more world cups

I would like to see the premiership show some balls and continue without a break for the world cup in 2022 I believe if England,scotland,wales,rep ire and northern Ireland could name their best 11 players ever to play the game as a starting line up we would struggle to get past the group stages a stupid place to hold a world cup we may as well have the next one at the north pole ffs at least if the premiership continued we would be in for an exciting season and would have more to concentrate on then footballers keeling over in ridiculous conditions