FIFA Orders Brazil To Overturn Ban On Selling Beer At World Cup Matches

Too Much Free Time

from the I-am-the-law dept

Tue, Jan 31st 2012 12:05am — Glyn Moody

One of the recurrent themes on Techdirt is the sense of entitlement the owners of various kinds of monopolies display, and their common belief that being able to maximize the profit from those monopolies trumps any other consideration.

For example, FIFA, the world governing body for soccer/football, uses its monopoly on organizing the World Cup to demand some rather extraordinary privileges. Here are just some of the things the UK government was prepared to accept as part of its bid to host the 2018 World Cup:

The U.K. said it would meet FIFA’s requirements to create a 2-kilometer perimeter around stadiums, and said the right to conduct commercial activities there was subject to the approval of FIFA or its appointees. The government also agreed to suspend some labor laws that affected FIFA’s activities and to lift restrictions on the import and export of foreign currency.

FIFA is currently trying to assert similar rights in Brazil, where the 2014 World Cup will be held: Fifa General Secretary Jerome Valcke said the right to sell beer must be enshrined in a World Cup law the Brazilian Congress is considering.

Alcoholic drinks are currently banned at Brazilian stadiums and the country's health minister has urged Congress to maintain the ban in the new law.
FIFA evidently believes that keeping its sponsors happy (Budweiser is a "big Fifa sponsor" according to the article quoted above) is much more important than local laws or people's health. Valke explains: "Alcoholic drinks are part of the Fifa World Cup, so we're going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that's something we won't negotiate," he said.
"A bit arrogant"? Surely not...

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Filed Under: beer, brazil, fifa, rights, world cup
Companies: fifa

32 Comments

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Swedish Turnip (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 12:13am

"Alcoholic drinks are part of the Fifa World Cup"

So is hooliganism, surely the two cannot be related?
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- Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 31 Jan 2012 @ 1:01am
  
  Re: Soccer Hooliganism
  The only answer to soccer hooliganism.
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Josef Anvil (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 12:22am

Clash of the Moronic Titans
Just reading about an alcohol ban clashing with a monopoly is enough to hurt my head. If alcohol is so dangerous that it needs to be banned at Brazilian stadiums then it should be banned countrywide, period. Should FIFA have the right to bypass the laws of the countries that host it's event? Hell no.

Either outcome in this strange battle will just support one bad idea or the other. How do you choose the lesser of two stupids?
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2012 @ 12:34am
  
  Re: Clash of the Moronic Titans
  Agree with the law or not, it is the law of Brazil and not of law which has reach outside of the country, and it is not a law which is any more stupid then US laws saying when you can buy alcohol ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_law ). Even if it is a stupid law, if those in Brazil want it, who are we (excluding those from Brazil who are reading this) to argue with them.
  
  This is simply a story of FIFA telling Brazil to change their local laws since FIFA doesn't like it, and saying that Brazil must change their laws and it is non negotiable.
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  - John Fenderson (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 12:25pm
    
    Re: Re: Clash of the Moronic Titans
    "it is not a law which is any more stupid then US laws saying when you can buy alcohol"
    
    And it is equally as stupid as many US "dry towns" where alcohol is prohibited.
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- frosty840, 31 Jan 2012 @ 12:44am
  
  Re: Clash of the Moronic Titans
  It has been found that the behavioural response to alcohol is largely an illusory/cultural construction, other than the general loss of coordination and long-term depressant effects.
  
  If the norm in Brazil is that drinking alcohol at football matches causes a specific danger then it is perfectly sensible to prevent the drinking of alcohol at football matches so that that specific danger does not occur.
  
  There is no need, if there is not a generally dangerous cultural reaction to alcohol in Brazil, to ban the general consumption of alcohol.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2012 @ 12:58am
    
    Re: Re: Clash of the Moronic Titans
    If beer is exempted, what would be next? Cigarettes?
    
    I wish their official hold their standard and don't allow internation events to trample the law.
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2012 @ 6:59am
  
  Re: Clash of the Moronic Titans
  If driving over 20mph is so dangerous in school zones 20mph should just be the max speed everywhere. That's how stupid you sound. If its too dangerous to keep lions as household pets zoos shouldn't get them either. If porn is so dangerous for minors. To view then no one should get to see it.
  
  Nothing is situational, everything is absolute
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2012 @ 9:04am
  
  Re: Clash of the Moronic Titans
  Really? Really?
  
  What's moronic is that there has to be a law to keep people from acting like assholes, or are you defending drunken hooligans?
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Rikuo (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 1:03am

Hey this is tame. Didn't the Olympics want a "guilty-until-proven-innocent" policy in place for those who advertise during the Olympic Games without their permission?
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2012 @ 1:44am

"World Cup law"?
New World (Cup) Order?
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Chris From Poland, 31 Jan 2012 @ 3:12am

ACTA in Poland
Offtopic, since the PHP for the feedback box does not seem to work: dear Techdirt, over the last months this website became the go-to source for information on SOPA/PIPA & ACTA. Please write more on the ongoing debate against ACTA in Poland, since this is essential if other countries are to hold such an open debate as well. Right now ACTA is the sole topic of our media and our people and it looks like Poland has a fighting chance of nuking this shit for the benefit of others. Please write more, keep people informed and fight the good fight!
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2012 @ 5:17am

Here's a better solution, the governments should just say 'screw you FIFA, and screw you other sport leagues, we aren't changing our laws or subsidizing you in any way'.

Really, too many people look at sport figures as if their idols worth worshiping, just look at the outrageous amount of attention/worship Joe PA is getting in his death, despite being fired just a month or two before for not reporting sexual abuse to the police.
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- The eejit (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 5:33am
  
  Re:
  "Thou shalt not commit idolatry."
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Chris-Mouse (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 5:20am

Just out of curiosity
What happens to FIFA if the Brazilians tell them to get stuffed, and manage to convince the rest of Latin America to go along?
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- crade (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 7:33am
  
  Re: Just out of curiosity
  Thats what I was thinking, Brazil should just stop going to the world cup and start their own world soccer tournament. FUFIFA has a nice ring to it.
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- Marcelo Negrini, 4 Feb 2012 @ 5:35pm
  
  Re: Just out of curiosity
  I�m Brazilian, and I can�t tell you it will never happen. In Latin America football (soccer) is a source of corruption and social control. FIFA and the national federations are almighty and do as they please, since politicians do billions and get elected on top of football. Beer will be sold freely at the World Cup in Brazil, no matter how much posturing some congressmen are doing, knowing it is all for show. This is why we are third-world, or, as it is politically correct to say, "emerging countries".
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slarabee (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 8:06am

Football and Beer
Well at the risk of agitating the rest of the world outside America I would have to say that football is rather boring without drunken riots.

And of course regarding American football well we need beer so we don't ask ourselves the obvious questions like "Why is it called football if no one uses their feet?"
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2012 @ 8:20am

Glynn,

These countries have a CHOICE in the matter, they can choose not to host the World Cup. It's always their choice - no one is forcing them to host the events. Also, it's not just about keeping their sponsors happy, but also about keeping their fans happy.
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2012 @ 8:30am
  
  Re:
  yeah look how happy they are
  http://hooligansblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/q5_a1_1.jpg
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Richard John (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 9:22am

How do they screen for hosts?
You think FIFA would have a list of requirements it would have for any World Cup host, including forcing people to drink beer. It shouldn't be something that pops up as a "by the way" two years before the event is to kick off.
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- know coward, 2 Feb 2012 @ 7:07am
  
  Re: How do they screen for hosts?
  "You think FIFA would have a list of requirements it would have for any World Cup host, including forcing people to drink beer. It shouldn't be something that pops up as a "by the way" two years before the event is to kick off."
  
  This ^ if it was a requirement it should have been in negitiations from the get go. Poor planning on FIFA's part is not an issue brazil should have to deal with now.
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Franklin G Ryzzo (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 9:32am

I do not always watch football, but when I do I will be drinking beer goddammit!!!

Stay hooliganing, my friends!
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Al Bert (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 10:54am

on the other hand
Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that's something we won't negotiate.
So, to paraphrase: "My arrogant words are justified by my arrogance." It's a step away from being a LOLCAT circular definition.
While yes, i think the demands over alcohol are ridiculous and typical of the entitled, the concessions made by the UK seem quite a bit shadier. That's just my first take anyway.
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Jesse (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 12:41pm

Allow alcoholic drinks and ban peaceful protests (in the name of public safety).
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JaDe, 31 Jan 2012 @ 12:48pm

It'll get even better...
Just wait till it gets close to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where alcohol is banned outright.
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Joe Fenton (profile), 31 Jan 2012 @ 5:20pm

Compromise
They should compromise - lift the ban on SELLING alcohol at stadiums, but keep the ban on BUYING or CONSUMING alcohol at stadiums. Problem solved! :)
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DAN, 31 Jan 2012 @ 7:12pm

The USA set the example!
How is this different the Professional "sports" in America? It seems that pretty dictate or license the terms here and FIFA has decided they can do so also.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2012 @ 10:19pm

You people sound like you're two steps away from advocating prohibition, because that really worked well the last time anyone tried it.

In this case FIFA is right -- but for the wrong reasons.

Techdirt, you disappoint me for failing to observe the obvious.
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- Dan Nup, 1 Feb 2012 @ 7:37am
  
  Re:
  Yes, prohibiting the sale of alcohol inside stadiums, while allowing it everywhere else, including immediately outside the stadium, without any license, where people, 18 or older, can drink publicly, is almost like Prohibition. (/sarcasm)
  
  By those standards, the US is still under Prohibition.
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Shane Roach (profile), 1 Feb 2012 @ 11:40am

Beer Riots
Maybe instead of having laws against beer, Brazil should enforce existing laws against rioting in the street. I don't intend to prove it right this minute, but my instinct tells me that is the origin of that ridiculous law.

My opinion on this has little to do with IP law, but if you intend to host a huge sporting event, and people all over most of the world like to have a beer when they watch, then you might consider not being self righteous about the morality surrounding drinking a few beers while watching soccer while inviting said people to play in your country.
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Povinne ruceni, 29 Apr 2012 @ 7:42pm

Really
Really it approve FIFA?
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