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The Wild West Comes to Soccer

October 14, 2005

Not for the first time, Swiss FIFA President Joseph Blatter has criticized the world's wealthier soccer clubs -- such as Chelsea, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. According to Blatter, a number of clubs increasingly operate what he called a form of "wild west capitalism," an approach he said undermined the essence of soccer and resulted in a glaring discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots. "Many clubs are obliged to fight tooth and nail for their livelihoods while other luckier ones can afford nuclear warheads they're so well-off," he said. As agreed at the recent FIFA Congress in Marrakech, he wants to see a task force tackle the problem.

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