The seeds of dissatisfaction with FIFA president have been there long before his re-election last week for his fifth term. Threats of resignation from key staff and other nuclear options like a World Cup boycott emerged before the election in case Blatter won, but since the vote on Friday things have gone quiet on that front.
Until now.
English FA Chairman Greg Dyke says that a boycott of the 2018 World Cup in Russia will be considered when the UEFA representatives meet in Berlin. Dyke thinks that if there were ten 'large' nations behind the boycott that it would have an impact, otherwise it would be pointless.
Dyke also thinks that should the meeting in Berlin come to nothing, that a boycott could still happen depending on the findings of FIFA and Swiss authorities, via the Sunday Independent:
I think everyone will wait and see what the FBI and the Swiss come up with. The interesting one was the Swiss because the Swiss prosecuting authorities don't do that kind of thing, I am told by the people in Switzerland, but they're involved.
Dyke is also confident that the 2022 World Cup won't be in Qatar and will be re-awarded:
If the Swiss authorities come out with evidence that Qatar 2022 was awarded after bribery then I think a lot of us will be asking for it to be reopened.
Despite widescreen support for Blatter's opponent Prince Ali Bin Hussein in the FIFA presidential candidacy from UEFA, a number of prominent European nations are reported to have voted for Blatter such as France, Spain and 2018 hosts Russia. Dyke says that for a boycott to be effective, UEFA must be united, and that Michel Platini has a big job on his hands (via BBC):
If it is true, that maybe up to a third of Uefa countries voted for Blatter, it will be very difficult to get a cohesive Uefa plan of action on this.
See Also: Michel Platini Is Refusing To Rule Out The Nuclear Option To Stop Blatter
See Also: This Bleak Graphic Of The FIFA Leadership Just Sums It All Up Really
See Also: It Turns Out That 'The Simpsons' Called The FIFA Corruption Scandal Over A Year Ago
Photo Credit David Maher
