Heroes & Humans of Football Sepp Blatter & the FIFA corruption scandal (ft. the man himself)
In 2010, the footballing community was shouting about corruption. FIFA had just awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. Something didn’t sound quite right…
In this groundbreaking episode, Simon and Mehreen cover not only the life and corruption of former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, but also paint a picture of the geopolitical changes in global football and the rising power shifts from the West to the East.
The podcast features clips from an exclusive interview with Sepp Blatter himself, who candidly reveals details of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, meetings with Qatar and French President Nicholas Sarkozy, and FIFA officials’ roles in the Qatari corruption scandal.
This is a story of power, money, and corruption—akin to a mafia movie or Hollywood biopic. You won’t want to miss it.
Time stamps:
00:26: Introduction
03:54: Growing up in Switzerland
08:02: Coca Cola gets Blatter into FIFA
13:32: From bureaucrat to the biggest job at FIFA
19:57: Turning a blind eye or encouraging corruption?
24:58: Simon’s run-in with Blatter (and missing out on a spa day)
34:49: Qatari official meets the French President
37:59: Russia and Qatar win the World Cup bid
45:04: Chuck Blazer blows the whistle
49:37: A farcical election and questions of conviction
57:36: A lonely 80s of court cases, irrelevance, and attempt to stop the Ukraine War
01:00:22: What is Sepp Blatter’s legacy?
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