Imagine Gianni Infantino going for a stroll down some fancy promenade by an expensive beach in Doha.
He gets the phone call he’s dreaded for some time now – Russia and Putin aren’t all they’re hyped up to be, and he’ll have to publicly condemn them and possibly throw them out of World Cup qualifying, and his Uefa counterparts will eventually have to do the same but with Spartak Moscow in the Europa League.
It’s tragic when you think you know someone and they turn out to be the exact thing everyone has warned you about.
Here’s the truth. For a very long time, the sporting world, at some stage, has stood back and let Russia conspire, manipulate, bribe, cheat and throw their weight around.
After the incredible reports started to emerge about state-sponsored doping, the IOC jumped through so many hoops to ensure Russia had the opportunity to compete in some capacity.
Sure, the athletes technically were only wearing white, blue and red, competing under som …
- March 3, 2022
