Chapter 34 The Promise
"Your Highness, football has gained widespread attention and popularity in Europe. If FIFA's headquarters were to be established outside of Europe, wouldn't that cause a lot of issues?" His Homan asked, bracing himself.
Although His Homan knew it was nearly impossible to wrest FIFA's headquarters from Arthur's hands, he still wanted to try, no matter how slim the chance.
"Oh? What kind of issues specifically? Could you elaborate for me, Mr. His Homan?" Arthur asked with a faint smile, clearly intrigued.
Seeing that Arthur wasn't being unreasonable, His Homan felt a bit relieved and quickly replied, "Your Highness, currently, most of the countries that have football associations or are planning to establish one are located in Europe. This means that FIFA will be welcomed and recognized in Europe. I believe the headquarters should be based in Europe as well—it would make managing football affairs and organizing major tournaments much more convenient. After all, Europe is the center of the world, and football is no different."
After glancing at Arthur's expression and seeing that he didn't seem upset or angry, His Homan continued, more confidently, "If FIFA is based outside of Europe, there are two problems. First, there are far fewer football associations and clubs in other regions, and football isn't as popular. Second, FIFA is meant to manage and coordinate football affairs worldwide. If it's headquartered outside of Europe, managing global affairs could become difficult. Organizing tournaments might also suffer due to time zone differences, distance, and lack of responsiveness from many countries—especially in Europe."
What His Homan said wasn't wrong. Historically, the first World Cup organized by FIFA suffered this exact problem. Because it was held in South America, most European nations didn't participate, and the tournament's influence was largely confined to the continent.
But Arthur didn't care about any of that. If Australia was to support the creation of FIFA, then the headquarters had to be in Australia. When it came to hosting tournaments, Australia should also be given priority. That was Arthur's bottom line.
Arthur wasn't a charitable man. No matter how much money he had, he wasn't about to give it away to FIFA for nothing.
If they wanted his support in founding FIFA, then FIFA had to offer something in return—only then would Arthur consider backing them.
"That's not a problem, Mr. His Homan. FIFA is meant to be a global organization. We shouldn't limit our vision to Europe just because football is currently more developed there. If you are willing to base FIFA's headquarters in Australia, then Australia will support your efforts to establish the organization and will contribute to its events," Arthur said, his tone seemingly diplomatic but firm and laced with subtle threat.
"Your Highness, if FIFA is based all the way in Australia, I'm afraid the tournaments it organizes won't be well received in Europe. Because of time differences, travel distances, and financial limitations, participation could be low," His Homan hurried to explain.
He had sensed the subtle threat in Arthur's tone. Although Australia's conditions weren't nearly as harsh as those posed by European countries, who could guarantee that FIFA wouldn't fall under the influence of the Australian government in the future?
After all, when you're under someone else's roof, you can't help but bow your head.
"There's no need to worry about that, Mr. His Homan. If FIFA does go on to host global tournaments, Australia is willing to cover all associated costs, including travel expenses for any club or national team. I think that shows our sincerity. If that still doesn't satisfy you, then I'm afraid there's nothing more to discuss," Arthur said, waving his hand and standing up with a faint smile, cutting off His Homan's argument.
Trying to gain Australia's support while offering it nothing in return? Arthur could only describe that as wishful thinking.
FIFA and the World Cup it would create would go on to become one of the most powerful organizations and events in the history of sport.
If Arthur could seize influence over FIFA early on, Australia could leverage future World Cups to boost its global reputation and immigration appeal.
For a newly founded nation like Australia, international recognition and immigration attraction were the two most critical elements. If you wanted the world to recognize you as a powerful country, first the world had to know you even existed—right?
"Alright, Your Highness. I accept your terms. I'll speak with the French Football Association and push to establish FIFA as soon as possible, and we'll relocate its headquarters to Australia," His Homan said, finally conceding after much internal conflict. He wasn't willing to abandon the creation of FIFA, the crowning achievement that could etch his name into football history.
"Excellent, Mr. His Homan. You've made the right decision," Arthur said with a smile. "Australia will fully support you and help persuade the European football associations to establish FIFA—and we'll endorse you as FIFA's first Secretary General."
As the saying goes: after the stick, offer a sweet date. Having extracted many benefits from His Homan, Arthur had no qualms about helping him ascend to a prestigious post and secure his place in football history.
"Thank you, Your Highness. Rest assured, once I return to Europe, I will immediately begin working with France and other nations to accelerate FIFA's creation. Please prepare the necessary funding in advance. We could begin setting up FIFA as early as the end of this year," His Homan said, now visibly more excited and joyful.
His Homan was so eager to create FIFA for two reasons: first, to leave a lasting mark on football history, and second, to genuinely push the sport forward.
As Secretary General of the Netherlands Football Association, His Homan's passion for football was undeniable.
But when compared to personal fame, whether that passion was more important—well, only His Homan knew for sure.
Things had clearly gone in His Homan's favor. FIFA's founding was moving in the right direction, and Arthur had promised to help him secure the position of its first Secretary General.
With both his ambitions and passion being fulfilled, this nearly fifty-year-old man once again felt a thrill he hadn't experienced in years.
(End of Chapter)
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