Ex-FA chairman David Bernstein: football needs to 'put up or shut up'
'Put up or shut up.' That's the pretty straight forward advice from former FA chairman David Bernstein to football in general and Uefa in particular as a result of Fifa's latest, sorry crisis.
He has some credibility when it comes to standing up to Fifa.
At Sepp Blatter's most recent coronation, Bernstein took a long, silent walk to the congress stage and asked delegates to postpone the leadership ballot because, all of a sudden, it only had Blatter's name on it.
Unsurprisingly his protest fell on all but deaf ears but at least he had the courage to make his feelings known.
That's what he'd like to happen now - for a collection of European football powers to 'put up' and consider a boycott of the next World Cup, in 2018. Imagine, he says, if Italy, France, Spain and Holland all decided to go it alone. UEFA could stage a quasi Euro Championships instead, with invites handed out to other like minded nations outside Europe. That way at least some of the lost revenue encountered by pulling out of the World's biggest sporting event could be recouped.
More: Germany warns that Uefa could quit Fifa
As for the FA, they could not lead any walk out, England does not enjoy that sort of influence but it could stand shoulder to shoulder with others. Bernstein is certainly right about one thing - if nobody makes a significant stand this time around then they never will. Ever. Because then we're back to promises from officials reforming Fifa from within, promises which are at worst fanciful and at best will take years to materialise.
There are of course many obstacles to anyone picking up Bernstein's ball and running with it. Fifa's current malaise is really centred on Qatar 2022 and not Russia 2018. It's quite a stretch to get Putin's European neighbours to steal his tournament, all in the name of cleaning up Fifa. Also, Europe's most powerful official, Michel Platini is now and always has been quite openly a supporter of the Qatari extravaganza.
But at least Bernstein's radical proposal might get European football talking. His views add some weight to those of German Football League President, Reinhard Rauball who said at the weekend Uefa would consider leaving Fifa if the latest corruption investigation into Fifa is not published in full.
More: Ex-FA boss: England should boycott next World Cup
Of course there are others, even more powerful, who could use this potential tipping point for change. The Swiss government could take a closer look at how Fifa is run and monitor its flow of cash out of Zurich a little more forensicly. Also, the FBI is reportedly looking at whether corruption of any sort existed, and if it did, whether it involved US citizens or US institutions, such as its banks.
And then their are Fifa's sponsors, who are perhaps the most powerful of all. Hitting Fifa in its pockets is most definitely the kind of language it understands. If the sponsors say they've had enough, then the game really is up.
In its topsy turvy, lawless world there are two constants in Fifa: Its ability to make jaws drop and Sepp Blatter. And until the most bullet proof administrator in football history is unseated, it's unlikely Bernstein or anyone else for that matter, will get their wish.