Sport and politics don't mix

Terry Baddoo is co-host of World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN International. He will regularly contribute Postcards from South Korea to CNNSI.com during the World Cup.

SEOUL -- The World Cup finals are ready to roll, and not before time in my view, after a buildup that was hijacked and tarnished by the game's hierarchy.

The FIFA presidential election -- which, as anyone who's interested will know, was won in a landslide by Sepp Blatter -- garnered more headlines than even the state of David Beckham's injured foot or Zinedine Zidane's strained thigh.

Granted, FIFA does vie with the International Olympic Committee as the most powerful governing body in sport, and the dirty-tricks campaign that characterized the election did make for some juicy copy.

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But, is it really desirable that the showpiece event of the world's greatest game should play second fiddle to a boardroom drama?

The World Cup is about the players. The World Cup is about the coaches. The World Cup is about the fans.

What it should not be about is the men in gray suits and blue blazers and their unseemly struggle for power.

With that in mind, one of the best things to emerge from the last few days of high-level squabbling is the suggestion that the FIFA presidential election should be held at another time -- any time other than the last few days of the buildup to the finals, when the focus should be on celebrating football.

Sport and politics don't mix, I was always told. And long may it be the case, in my opinion, at least as far as future World Cups are concerned.

 

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