President of FIFA and perennial xenophobe Sepp Blatter is often the subject of derision and criticism.
When he’s not making ludicrously sexist remarks about female footballers needing to wear tighter shorts or idiotic comments about Cristiano Ronaldo being a slave at Manchester United, he’s incurring people’s wrath by banging on about there being too many foreign Johnnies in domestic teams.
Tonight England will take on the Netherlands in an international friendly at Ajax's Amsterdam Arena, the fixture has been widely criticised and re-opened the club versus country debate. While I sympathise with the Premier League managers who have taken issue with such a match being scheduled only three days before the start of the new season, I still feel that tonight's game is of some value.
The England manager Fabio Capello will no doubt learn something from what unfolds in the Amsterdam Arena, even if it is more obvious to him than it is to the rest of us. More importantly, the game will at least give the younger members of the England squad greater international experience for the future.
The anxious period of anticipation that some know as summer has finally segued into the new season and already there are talking points galore.
There are new managers, new players, new stadiums and new members of the football league, but some things never change. Ferguson is still moaning, (it’s the goddamn Community Shield, remember your blood pressure) Barton is still fighting anyone who comes within range, Bellamy is acting like a prick, there are still people out there willing to part with vast quantities of money for Peter Crouch and Newcastle United are still a “joke”.
With the new season well and truly upon us, it’s about time we all shared our new season’s resolutions.
Every football fan has one, whether it’s to go to more away games, watch more Spanish football, watch less international friendlies or spend less time in front of Sky Sports News.
“I just wanted to say, I really like your car.”
“Thanks, it’s a pretty good car. But come on, yours is much better.”
“You think?”
“Yeah, of course. It’s was the fastest car in Europe last season and it won every race by a mile. Mine’s nowhere near as good. Its engine’s temperamental, it doesn’t drive well abroad and it won’t start in the cold weather.”
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you my car plus £40m for your car.”
“You must be joking. Why would you do that?”
“I’m serious.”
“What, really?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok then, I'd be an idiot not to do that”
Sometimes events defy logic. The transfer of Inter Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona for a fee of around £40m plus Samuel Eto’o is one such example.