Platini named the new FIFA president

So, this is what we finally get—Johansson is out after 17 years... and of course, our own Markovic probably voted for his old mentor just to play favorites... I mean, if you read that article on ESPN, they’re claiming this could actually be a win for American soccer... which is a stretch. It’s certainly not some massive revolution, but honestly, things couldn't possibly get much worse than they are right now.
http://www.espn.com/soccer/article/338154.aspx

And honestly, we might just see that whole Platini-esque concept of regional leagues coming to fruition sooner than anyone expects...

Bryan Nelson352 said:So, this is what we finally get—Johansson is out after 17 years... and of course, our own Markovic probably voted for his old mentor just to play favorites... I mean, if you read that article on ESPN, they’re claiming this could actually be a win for American soccer... which is a stretch. It’s certainly not some massive revolution, but honestly, things couldn't possibly get much worse than they are right now.
http://www.espn.com/soccer/article/338154.aspx

Maybe Platini should get some payback 🤣 ( Hint: Euro 2012 )

Bryan Nelson352 said:So, this is what we finally get—Johansson is out after 17 years... and of course, our own Markovic probably voted for his old mentor just to play favorites... I mean, if you read that article on ESPN, they’re claiming this could actually be a win for American soccer... which is a stretch. It’s certainly not some massive revolution, but honestly, things couldn't possibly get much worse than they are right now.
http://www.espn.com/soccer/article/338154.aspx

Didn't that absolute moron Markovic say it was a total even-money bet that Johansson would stay? He practically put his life savings on him getting re-elected.

Yeah, great call, you genius Markovic..

wiredfalcon2 said:Didn't that absolute moron Markovic say it was a total even-money bet that Johansson would stay? He practically put his life savings on him getting re-elected.

Yeah, great call, you genius Markovic..

I read somewhere that Eurosport has concluded this whole election is basically a done deal for Johansson. Honestly, if we had someone in the States with a Platini-esque vibe to step in and push Markovic aside, it would be ideal... unfortunately, our version of Platini was just that quiet, unremarkable Sinovcic guy...

boldhound8 said:Maybe Platini should get some payback 🤣 ( Hint: Euro 2012 )

That's exactly what I was thinking about too...😬

So, when are we finally going to be done with this gangster running the show? If he had even an ounce of integrity, he would have resigned by now Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

What do you guys even know? People who were actually there at the vote say everything went fine—some even admitted they might have voted for Platini. Besides, landing the EP doesn't change much; his real focus is always been on club football. The FIFA system is a well-oiled machine, so don't expect any radical shifts. It’s not like Platini can just call all the shots alone; everything goes to a vote.

nimblemarlin17 said:What do you guys even know? People who were actually there at the vote say everything went fine—some even admitted they might have voted for Platini. Besides, landing the EP doesn't change much; his real focus is always been on club football. The FIFA system is a well-oiled machine, so don't expect any radical shifts. It’s not like Platini can just call all the shots alone; everything goes to a vote.

Exactly. It looks like Markovic picked the winning side...

It’s honestly pretty naive—borderline elementary school level stupid—to think that Platini is going to back whatever candidacy those specific countries voted for. It doesn't work like that. He’s going to pick whoever serves his interests best, and trust me, there are plenty of other moving parts in this deal beyond just who cast which ballot. There are clearly people out there who think politics is just one big game of revenge, but thank God the real world doesn't actually operate on spite.

Brandon Castillo4 said:It’s honestly pretty naive—borderline elementary school level stupid—to think that Platini is going to back whatever candidacy those specific countries voted for. It doesn't work like that. He’s going to pick whoever serves his interests best, and trust me, there are plenty of other moving parts in this deal beyond just who cast which ballot. There are clearly people out there who think politics is just one big game of revenge, but thank God the real world doesn't actually operate on spite.

But I’m actually in college😍

Stop wasting your time with emojis if you don't even get what they mean

I wasn't just aiming this at you, I’m talking about the big picture here. I saw an article in the New York Times claiming this is all perfectly "normal," which honestly makes me wonder what we were even thinking when we voted. If this is our standard, there's no way we're ever hosting the EP.

🙄

Brandon Castillo4 said:It’s honestly pretty naive—borderline elementary school level stupid—to think that Platini is going to back whatever candidacy those specific countries voted for. It doesn't work like that. He’s going to pick whoever serves his interests best, and trust me, there are plenty of other moving parts in this deal beyond just who cast which ballot. There are clearly people out there who think politics is just one big game of revenge, but thank God the real world doesn't actually operate on spite.

If we're talking about picking the absolute highest quality bid, then the Italian candidacy is clearly the winner here. And honestly, who even gives a damn if some single club gets relegated to a lower division? If those kinds of rigid regulations were actually enforced back home in the States, I don't think a single professional franchise would even be standing today.

So, there you have it—that's my take on the superior candidate.

I mean, is it even worth mentioning that Platini is a total legend for an AC Milan icon?

I am truly pleased to see that Platini has stepped into that role.

Kimberly Barnes2 said:If we're talking about picking the absolute highest quality bid, then the Italian candidacy is clearly the winner here. And honestly, who even gives a damn if some single club gets relegated to a lower division? If those kinds of rigid regulations were actually enforced back home in the States, I don't think a single professional franchise would even be standing today.

So, there you have it—that's my take on the superior candidate.

I mean, is it even worth mentioning that Platini is a total legend for an AC Milan icon?

But seriously, what exactly makes the Italian bid so much better? It feels like a total joke of a setup with stadiums that are in worse shape than ours.

Still, I have a feeling they’re going to pull it off. My uncle was hanging out with Zvone about 6 or 7 months ago, and Zvone was telling him it’s basically a done deal—that the Italians just need the EP to fund all their stadium renovations and new builds.

And even having Platini on board isn't going to change much regarding the EP itself. I mean, I’m glad he won, though; maybe he can finally shake things up and get that old man moving a little.

Jeremy Phillips54 said:But seriously, what exactly makes the Italian bid so much better? It feels like a total joke of a setup with stadiums that are in worse shape than ours.

Still, I have a feeling they’re going to pull it off. My uncle was hanging out with Zvone about 6 or 7 months ago, and Zvone was telling him it’s basically a done deal—that the Italians just need the EP to fund all their stadium renovations and new builds.

And even having Platini on board isn't going to change much regarding the EP itself. I mean, I’m glad he won, though; maybe he can finally shake things up and get that old man moving a little.

😕
we’ve only got one stadium with a covered east side, and even then, everyone acts like the damn roof is gonna cave in any second.
what kind of "quality" American stadiums are you even talking about?

So, Platini wins, even though Markec didn't cast his vote for him (now they're just spinning it like everything is fine and this works out great for us🙂). But I see some people here have already moved on from the topic, so who knows, maybe Platini will move on too🙄. As for the EP, the only thing that could have actually helped our bid was getting Markec elected as the head of FIFA, but since he wasn't in the running, 👋. The real issue is that we need someone like Platini for our local soccer elections, but the joke is that the closest person for that role is Reno Sinovčić😵...

Bryan Nelson352 said:I read somewhere that Eurosport has concluded this whole election is basically a done deal for Johansson. Honestly, if we had someone in the States with a Platini-esque vibe to step in and push Markovic aside, it would be ideal... unfortunately, our version of Platini was just that quiet, unremarkable Sinovcic guy...

Man, he's far from being clueless. The real issue is that he isn't Platini, and honestly, he's no better than Markovic!

I suspect Platini managed to pull this off by promising to curb the dominance of the "big clubs" within the Champions League. It seems he secured those votes from the federations in places like Ukraine, Poland, and Mexico. Personally, I find this current Champions League format rather appealing; this year’s round of sixteen is arguably the most star-studded we've seen in years—not to mention the sheer thrill of seeing the Boston Celtics knock AC Milan out of the bracket 🙏. As for Markovic, the man is a fool; it’s the same old tired routine from him, constantly droning on about "this is what I did" or "that is what I achieved" 🙂

Jeremy Phillips54 said:But seriously, what exactly makes the Italian bid so much better? It feels like a total joke of a setup with stadiums that are in worse shape than ours.

Still, I have a feeling they’re going to pull it off. My uncle was hanging out with Zvone about 6 or 7 months ago, and Zvone was telling him it’s basically a done deal—that the Italians just need the EP to fund all their stadium renovations and new builds.

And even having Platini on board isn't going to change much regarding the EP itself. I mean, I’m glad he won, though; maybe he can finally shake things up and get that old man moving a little.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm rooting for them—quite the opposite, really, as I find their whole culture and mindset to be pretty grating—but if we are being completely objective, how can we even compete?

The only reason they would win is under the guise of "popularizing and developing soccer" or something along those lines, specifically targeting those smaller regions. It's essentially a way to jumpstart development for facilities, boost stadium attendance, and expand the footprint toward the East and such.

Sure, we have the official stamps of approval from the government and mayors, but let's be real: money talks, and when it comes to the Italians, the cash flow is never really in question. You're looking at guaranteed sell-out crowds, top-tier stadiums, and massive popularity; plus, being World Champions provides plenty of leverage for their selection. But again, I'll say it: money makes the world go round...