The FA are reportedly “fuming” with FIFA after being fined for allowing one of their youth players to heinously drink a non-sanctioned energy drink during the Under-20 World Cup last summer.
According to the Mirror, chairman Greg Clarke is to lodge a complaint after FIFA saw fit to levy a hefty £16,000 against the FA for one of their players openly and wantonly drinking from a can of Red Bull.
The unnamed player was spotted drinking Red Bull in the dugout during the finals out in South Korea last June – the issue being that FIFA’s official energy drink partner for the tournament was Powerade, a product made by their official corporate sponsors, Coca-Cola.
Yep.
Apparently, the ruling was passed shortly after the tournament but the FA’s anger has since been sparked anew after FIFA recently ordained that the Russian Football Federation only be fined £22,000 for fans racially abusing France players during a friendly in Saint Petersburg last month.
Mathematics fans will note that the punishment for racist abuse is only £6,000 more severe than that incurred by illicit quaffing of non-corporate-affiliated fizzy pop.
Say what you will about FIFA, but when it comes to their priorities, the entire organisation is as consistent as is humanly possible.