Russia and the World Cup

[sidders]

To return to the original premise of this post... nothing would damage Putin more than ten nations pulling out of the World Cup. That would show his people what the world thought of him.
He is going to use this event in the summer as a love fest for Putin. At the very least, let's hope the Russian team never makes it passed
the group stage.

[SwalePie]

To return to the original premise of this post... nothing would damage Putin more than ten nations pulling out of the World Cup. That would show his people what the world thought of him.
He is going to use this event in the summer as a love fest for Putin. At the very least, let's hope the Russian team never makes it passed
the group stage.

*past

At last!

[tarquinbeech]

To return to the original premise of this post... nothing would damage Putin more than ten nations pulling out of the World Cup. That would show his people what the world thought of him.
He is going to use this event in the summer as a love fest for Putin. At the very least, let's hope the Russian team never makes it passed
the group stage.

Surely you meant past?......ooops

[sidders]

More haste less speed.
But apart from the error with my grandma, what about the idea?

[upthemaggies]

It won't be a "love fest" for Putin anymore than the last World Cup was for Dilma Rousseff or the Winter Olympics was for Putin in Sochi.
Personally, I'd like to see Russia win it but they've got no chance, they're a very poor side right now and probably will struggle to get past the group stage so long as Egypt's Mo Salah isn't injured. Uruguay should top the group and Saudi Arabia you'd predict to finish bottom, although they have progressed to the last 16 previously. Host advantage didn't help South Africa, Ukraine, Poland, Austria or Switzerland in tournaments those countries hosted in recent years, all of them out at the first hurdle.

[sidders]

It won't be a "love fest" for Putin anymore than the last World Cup was for Dilma Rousseff or the Winter Olympics was for Putin in Sochi.
Personally, I'd like to see Russia win it but they've got no chance, they're a very poor side right now and probably will struggle to get past the group stage so long as Egypt's Mo Salah isn't injured. Uruguay should top the group and Saudi Arabia you'd predict to finish bottom, although they have progressed to the last 16 previously. Host advantage didn't help South Africa, Ukraine, Poland, Austria or Switzerland in tournaments those countries hosted in recent years, all of them out at the first hurdle.

Once again - the main issue skirted.

[upthemaggies]

Once again - the main issue skirted.

Denmark replaced Yugoslavia at the last minute in Euro 92, they'll have plenty of other nations more than willing to take the place of whoever chooses to pull out. If England decide on a boycott it will surely end any hope of them hosting a World Cup in the foreseeable, and rightly so. Germany, as holders, would be a significant loss but although the main newspaper there has said that they would back a boycott I'm not so sure their government would be in favour of it.

[BigFatPie]

No one will boycott it, just like no one boycotted the 1936 Olympics. They just don’t have the minerals.

[Trickytreesreds]

No one will boycott it, just like no one boycotted the 1936 Olympics. They just don’t have the minerals.

That's because Hitler didn't do anything off his soil until 1938.
Putin though, wants this world cup, for the same reasons Hitler did. To peacock on the world stage.
Corbyn sees no wrong where that part of the world is. A boycott of the world cup, would send a message. They should never have got it anyway. Hooligans and bribes.

[upthemaggies]

That's because Hitler didn't do anything off his soil until 1938.
Putin though, wants this world cup, for the same reasons Hitler did. To peacock on the world stage.
Corbyn sees no wrong where that part of the world is. A boycott of the world cup, would send a message. They should never have got it anyway. Hooligans and bribes.

England were among the four bids for 2018, so there's obviously a lot of bitterness in this country over this particular choice of host but the reason Russia wanted the World Cup was/is for the same reason that every other country who's bid to host it, money.
Putin won't be doing anything that any other president hasn't done at a World Cup, probably a few fleeting glimpses of him in the stands applauding the dancers at the opening ceremony and then shaking the hands of the winning team at the final as they collect their medals and the trophy. What else do you think he's going to be doing? Showing off his judo skills and wrestling with Siberian bears in the center circle at half-time?