Russia's airlines & racism cast shadow over 2018

[Con]

Interesting piece by Brian Glanville in the October issue of influential London magazine "World Soccer".

Glanville quotes Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (Putin's puppet) as deploring his country's aviation after the recent disastrous crash which wiped out the leading ice-hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, saying: "We cannot go on like this. We need to create modern companies that cover all of Russia". And it is pretty well over ALL of Russia that World Cup teams will be obliged to fly.

The other thing Glanville denounces is the appalling racism that infects their club football. Glanville questions the choice of Russia for 2018.

Does he have a point, or is it envy that England didn't get awarded hosting the Cup after more than half a century since last hosting 1966 and all that?

[Old Master]

I think it's a bit of both.

Considering the penalties FIFA handed out to England over it's 'fans' behaviour and racism some years ago, I think it is pretty poor form to then hand the World Cup Finals to countries with problems as bad, or worse than those of the English fans.

England has made enormous strides in improving the behaviour and attitude of it's fans since those days and should be rewarded for that.


I wonder what will happen should Israel qualify for the Qatar finals given the Arab world's racist attitude to them?

Israel has to qualify in a European group instead of Asia because the arab countries threatened to kill the Israeli players.

[Con]

England has made enormous strides in improving the behaviour and attitude of it's fans since those days and should be rewarded for that.

True. I really thought England would be awarded 2018. And although I hoped against hope OZ would be awarded 2022 so that would stick in the craw of the game's detractors in this country, it didn't happen.

Maybe FIFA will still change it's collective brain & replace Qatar with da USA.

[BlackBrian_7]

I think it's a bit of both.

Considering the penalties FIFA handed out to England over it's 'fans' behaviour and racism some years ago, I think it is pretty poor form to then hand the World Cup Finals to countries with problems as bad, or worse than those of the English fans.

England has made enormous strides in improving the behaviour and attitude of it's fans since those days and should be rewarded for that.


I wonder what will happen should Israel qualify for the Qatar finals given the Arab world's racist attitude to them?
Israel has to qualify in a European group instead of Asia because the arab countries threatened to kill the Israeli players.

It wouldn't matter to FIFA or the host country, the Iranian President was allowed to go to Germany in 2006 despite being a known Holocaust Denier (sp?) despite it being highly illegal in Germany.

[Stitch This]

Israel has to qualify in a European group instead of Asia because the arab countries threatened to kill the Israeli players.

Which Arab countries were those?

[Soccer-Mad]

Correct about Israel and the Arabs.
Plus England need it to be played in England to have any chance of winning it again.
Seems double standards everywhere