FanHouse SeppBlatter

Ah, the Confederations Cup. Can't you just smell the excitement?

Since it's inception in 1992 as the King Fahd Cup, it's been a bit of a curiosity. Is it a full-fledged International tournament? Is it simply a dry run for the World Cup? Is it something the nations and players participating even care about?

The answer is probably a little bit of each and we'll find out a little more when the tournament kicks off Sunday in South Africa when the hosts play Iraq in Johannesburg.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter should not have to remind clubs that they are obligated to release all players aged 23 and under for the Olympics. That's what he did today, though, after several European clubs attempted to hold back big name players from the competition.

Barcelona, for example, insists that it will not allow Lionel Messi to go to Beijing, because the Olympic soccer competition not a FIFA-sanctioned event. They reportedly have the backing of La Liga on this matter. Likewise, Werder Bremen is attempting to hold back world-class striker Diego from Brazil, and Schalke 04 has no plans to release Brazilian right back Rafinha. Both those players, however, are with the Brazilian national team in defiance of their clubs' wishes.

Blatter's statement comes just days after Real Madrid pulled Robinho from the Brazilian squad after discovering he had a groin pull. Robinho, however, is 24, so Madrid is under no obligation to release him, though the move didn't make the Brazilian Football Confederation any less angry.

This saber-rattling could continue right up until the opening ceremonies, though I suspect the clubs will eventually relent. What's Barca going to do, bench their biggest young star in retaliation? Argentina and Brazil are serious about winning gold, and they're not about to let any Europeans stand in their way.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter should not have to remind clubs that they are obligated to release all players aged 23 and under for the Olympics. That's what he did today, though, after several European clubs attempted to hold back big name players from the competition.

Barcelona, for example, insists that it will not allow Lionel Messi to go to Beijing, because the Olympic soccer competition not a FIFA-sanctioned event. They reportedly have the backing of La Liga on this matter. Likewise, Werder Bremen is attempting to hold back world-class striker Diego from Brazil, and Schalke 04 has no plans to release Brazilian right back Rafinha. Both those players, however, are with the Brazilian national team in defiance of their clubs' wishes.

Blatter's statement comes just days after Real Madrid pulled Robinho from the Brazilian squad after discovering he had a groin pull. Robinho, however, is 24, so Madrid is under no obligation to release him, though the move didn't make the Brazilian Football Confederation any less angry.

This saber-rattling could continue right up until the opening ceremonies, though I suspect the clubs will eventually relent. What's Barca going to do, bench their biggest young star in retaliation? Argentina and Brazil are serious about winning gold, and they're not about to let any Europeans stand in their way.

Could someone explain to me why FIFA president Sepp Blatter felt it was necessary to comment about the Cristiano Ronaldo situation? Doesn't he have bigger fish to fry, like overseeing South Africa's readiness for the 2010 World Cup, or rigging the next FIFA vote to make sure he's re-elected? Or are those small things when compared to ensuring that Ronaldo gets what he wants?

It's not just that he felt the need to say something, either. It's what he actually said:

"There's too much modern slavery, in transferring players or buying players. We are trying now to intervene in such cases. The reaction to the Bosman law is to make long-lasting contracts to keep the players, and then if he wants to leave there is only one solution, he has to pay his contract."

"Modern slavery." Is he serious?

Earlier this week, Peter Godwin wrote this scathing editorial in the New York Times about South African president Thabo Mbeki's implicit support of Robert Mugabe's repressive regime in Zimbabwe, which sits on the northern border of South Africa.

As Godwin wrote, Mugabe has rigged elections and used torture and death squads to remain in power in Zimbabwe. While the rest of the world wishes to delegitimize Mugabe's regime, Mbeki has quietly supported it. He was photographed here with Mugabe on an official visit to Zimbabwe -- reportedly while some of Mugabe's opponents were being tortured or killed. What's more, South Africa has a seat on the United Nations Security Council, and Mbeki has blocked all attempts to put the situation in Zimbabwe on the agenda.

Godwin's solution is to threaten to pull the 2010 FIFA World Cup from the country. He suggests that protests to FIFA could apply some political pressure to Mbeki to stop supporting Mugabe.

Apparently, Mr. Godwin is entirely unfamiliar with FIFA president Sepp Blatter.