Paul Kennedy's View: The power of the purse FIFA PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER could have been excused if he had little time for Item 11 on the agenda at the FIFA Congress. Only one more item was left – the election of the FIFA president – and Blatter was in no mood to discuss the item at hand: ''Proposals, Interpellations and/or questions.''

The proposal came from the Costa Rican federation. It was titled ''Financial support for teams from national associations that qualify for the final competition of FIFA competitions subject to age limits.''

Blatter, the chair, was taken aback when the Ticos took the floor.

''We need help to prepare our youth teams, our women and our futsal teams,'' insisted Costa Rican federation president Hermes Navarro.

After two days of arcane discussion on accounting methods – Blatter's opponents tried to link FIFA and Enron – talk had finally turned to soccer. Costa Rica's concerns are shared by many countries. It has loads of talent but little money.

The discussion on Item 11 wasn't long. Blatter said it was a legitimate request but insisted times were tight. Bottom line: It ain't going to happen. The proposal, though, went to the heart of the changing relationship between FIFA and national associations since it came into big money from World Cup television.

''When things get good,'' noted American Chuck Blazer, the general secretary of CONCACAF and an influential member of the FIFA executive committee, ''people start to get hungry.''

Blatter's predecessor, Joao Havelange, built his empire – he was president for 24 years – by aligning FIFA with adidas, which provided aid to Third World countries. Blatter's opponents charged that FIFA selectively chooses countries to provide direct aid based on political allegiances.

FIFA gives each federation $1 million spread over its four-year cycle. Millions more are spent on the Goal project, which provides subsidies for development projects: stadium works, coaching and refereeing programs and the like.

Politics aside, there's no doubt about the merits of the Goal project. Nor is there any about its impact on the FIFA presidential election.

It's called the power of the purse.