Attempts by FIFA to reframe a private initiative as democratic after the fact, have failed dismally. This goes far beyond a financial proposal. It concerns the integrity of FIFA’s decision-making, the independence of its disciplinary system, and whether the organisation still possesses any capacity to act as a custodian of the game. What is required is a full, independent investigation into the proposal, those involved, the flagrant conflicts of interest involved in the Balogun case now intimately connected to the proposed World Cup sell-off, and the complete absence of internal scrutiny before the plan was public. Until a proper investigation is completed and its findings published, no further steps on this proposal should be taken. And any Federation in agreement with this debacle and cover-up after the fact, is an impediment to the minimal, let alone the satisfactory, management of the game. An ambition we may have to abandon, it seems..

Let them all come out, wave, sing a few beats if necessary, and get off within the 15 minutes. As the laws of the game dictate.