I’ve got a lot of US readers these days and one difference between Europe and the US is the popularity of soccer. It’s the biggest sport in Europe and by some way. The other day I scanned the front page of Italian sports daily La Gazzetta Dello Sport and the front page story was the possible transfer of a player called Andrea Pirlo from one club to another. A stage win by Contador in the Giro didn’t merit as much attention, despite the race being owned by the newspaper. In short, the potential recruitment of one player was deemed more newsworthy than a crucial stage of the country’s biggest bike race.
Soccer, or as it’s known here, football, is governed by FIFA. The international body is based in Switzerland, the same country is also home to the International Olympic Committee, as well as the Court of Arbitration for Sport and of course, cycling’s UCI. FIFA has long had, shall we say, a louche reputation. Despite millions and millions of European fans, many of whom live for the sport with a tribal fervour, the governing body has often appeared like a club run for the benefit of its executives who cite “globalisation” and bringing the sport to a wider audience as their noble goal. Sounds a bit familiar, eh?
