Culture facilitates the triumph of cynicism

By massaging the draw for the World Cup play- offs to suit France, Portugal and Russia, Fifa publicly betrayed their inner thoughts, writes MICHAEL WALKER

ONE OF of the more intriguing comments on Thierry Henry’s deceit on Wednesday in Paris came from Damien Duff when he mentioned adidas in a conspiratorial comment that Oliver Stone might be looking into as we speak. There was something about Duff’s comments that are worth a second glance.

Duff, who enjoys an adidas boot deal to the tune of a reported €111,000 per annum, may find that contract terminated.

“Fifa want the big teams in the World Cup, they want France in the World Cup, and, it may sound silly, but they want teams sponsored by adidas.

“Adidas sponsor the World Cup, they sponsor France. Michel Platini has a lot of influence as well.

“Fifa have to take a long, hard look at themselves now. The draw, and then the decision the ref gave. Incredible. I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, it’s just a joke.”

The average Irish instinct is that the chances of Fifa taking a long, hard and critical look at themselves are slim.

Fifa may not be run from some underground bunker where Sepp Blatter sits behind a desk, eye-patch on, stroking a cat, but the idea that they are not open to the influence of the likes of adidas, Nike, television broadcasters and the rest is equally risible.

What we have seen over the past two decades in particular is the development of a culture in professional sport that may not lead directly to Thierry Henry handling the ball and getting away with it, but to a general atmosphere that can allow this situation to arise.

It is the triumph of the already-powerful, the triumph of their idea that “second is nowhere”, the triumph of cynicism.

The one thing that we know from bitter experience is that those in power, in whatever walk of life, like to hang onto it, broaden it and then, when they think they might require a bit of PR work, ration it out.

But they don’t let go and they want to shape matters to their agenda. By massaging the draw for the World Cup play-offs to suit principally France, Portugal and Russia, Fifa publicly betrayed their inner thoughts.

After all, who would you want in South Africa: Russia, managed by Guus Hiddink and with Andrei Arshavin in form, or Slovenia, managed by Matjaz Kek and all the pulling power he can summon up for advertisers? (Worse for the money men, Slovakia also qualified.)

A World Cup is not merely a football competition, it is a commercial venture. And who brings more to the pot financially, France or Ireland?

Fifa can counter, legitimately, that one of their appointed referees altered the course of the Slovenia-Russia second leg in the hosts’ favour when he dismissed Russia’s Alexander Kerzhakov.

Fair enough, and they can also point out that Italy departed the 2002 World Cup finals in a blizzard of conspiracy claims about South Korea. Italy, managed by Giovanni Trapattoni, still went home early.

But four years later Trapattoni, who had by then been replaced by Marcello Lippi, probably displayed the same phlegm as he has shown since Wednesday when he saw Fabio Grosso tumble theatrically over Lucas Neill’s non-tackle three minutes into injury-time to secure the penalty-kick that would send Australia home, unfairly. Grosso did what he had been brought up to do. Trap knows that. Trap’s part of that.

Italy went on to meet Ukraine, who had got past Tunisia in their final group game thanks to Andrei Shevchenko’s blatant trip – on himself.

Again it was a shocking example of cheating, but nobody did anything about Grosso or Shevchenko.

So the culture builds and it is a culture of dishonesty. Win at all costs. Remember, second is nowhere.

In Italy, lest we forget, this led to corruption on a scale that saw Juventus demoted from Serie A. The man in charge of the investigation had previously overseen the “Clean Hands” probe into Italy’s murky business and political culture.

Gianluca Pessotto threw himself off a balcony prior to the Germany World Cup at the shame of it all.

Shame appears to be a concept whose time has passed, though. “Embarrassment” was the word Henry used yesterday. He asked for a replay after Fifa said there will not be one. Cynicism works both ways.

Henry may feel better about himself after saying that, and he may even feel his hands are clean when he boards that that flight to South Africa. And when France’s captain extends his and his sponsors’ hand to Nelson Mandela.

Given in need of better support

SHAY Given may well have thought his week couldn’t get any worse but it might just do that when he steps out at Anfield this lunchtime. Steven Gerrard is set to start for Liverpool.

Liverpool’s dramatic start to the season has in part camouflaged the fact that Manchester City haven’t won a Premier League game since September.

City have drawn five league games in a row and while going unbeaten can be thought of as a feat, after the money spent and signings made, drawing 3-3 against Burnley at home cannot.

That was City’s last game before the international break allowed them a few days at a seven-star (count ’em) hotel in Abu Dhabi. It took their goals conceded tally to 14 in 11 league games, a record that suggests City’s leaky defence will concede again at Anfield.

Keane pins blame on McShane

NOT everything Roy Keane says is an exercise in self-justification. The point he made yesterday about the dubious penalty Ireland received when 1-0 down, 70 minutes in, against Georgia, was valid. It can be argued that the three points gained made no difference to the final placings in the group – Ireland finished four points ahead of Bulgaria – but we will never know.

Keane also highlighted the marking of Henry as the real issue from Paris, not the naked cheating. The player closest to Henry was Paul McShane, whom Keane signed for Sunderland.