When English Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore announced his now infamous ’39th Game’ plan to an unsuspecting world earlier this year, it was nice to hear a high-ranking FIFA official for once condemn outright such a ludicrous and nakedly cynical cash-generating scheme. At the time, Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed bin Hammam denounced the Premier League as “putting money before responsibility and dignity,” and promised that he would “vote strongly against” the proposal.
This would be the same Mohammed bin Hammam who said Thursday, “We and the Premier League should be partners. If they want to play matches in Asia they are welcome, and we should know what the benefits will be to all our stakeholders.” It seems FIFA’s man in Asia has had a change of mind since meeting Scudamore in person, and discovering that, in bin Hammam’s words, he “does really care about football and fans and the national associations, and that touched us a lot.”
Touched doesn’t go far enough. The thought of Mr. Scudamore and Mr. bin Hammam working selflessly together for the future good of the game must move every soccer fan to tearfully recanting on any previously held views that the whole Game 39 master plan was just a glorified brand promotion at the expense of supporters, the environment and the last few remaining foundations of integrity in the game. Shame on us!
Bin Hammam’s about-turn is a result of Scudamore’s apparent promise to let him and the AFC in on the bonanza. “Most of the foreign revenue to the Premier League is coming from Asia,” bin Hammam claimed. “People love to see the Premier League clubs on television. That is not worrying in itself, but I am nervous that television companies are willing to pay huge amounts to the Premier League but not to invest in local leagues.” So pack your bags, Portsmouth and West Brom, there’s a humanitarian mission to be undertaken in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur — you’re off east to save grassroots Asian club soccer.