FIFA’s Matip Decision Incoming

Thanks, FIFA. Thanks for taking the time to consider whether you will or you won’t punish a player for making a personal choice to not be involved with an organization that he feels is unhealthy and perhaps pernicious. The particulars of this saga have been covered extensively but let’s do the quick run down. Joël Matip does not want to play for Cameroon. He had a bad experience and he’s not the only player to voice his displeasure with the Cameroonian national team. Matip says that he retired from international football and has instead decided to focus on his club football career. He was not called up for the AFCON tournament by Cameroon. And that was almost the end of it.

But somebody wanted to get stinky. So, FIFA decided that they had better look into looking into the matter and then come to some kind of consensus about whether or not to bring the hammer down but everybody better just wait in limbo until they get back from the money baths retreat.

A decision by FIFA about whether or not to investigate Matip is expected today. Matip will be cleared to play for Liverpool with no further action taken and the matter will be closed OR the fat cats will decide to investigate the situation for foul play and convene for at least another ten days to dust the scene for fingerprints.

Liverpool and Matip insist that the problem is Cameroon’s and Cameroon’s alone, stating that the player was upfront about his international retirement. Cameroon want Matip to suffer and are demanding that he should be banned from playing for Liverpool while AFCON rolls on.

“We are sure we did nothing wrong,” said Jürgen Klopp. “We are sure Joël Matip did nothing wrong.”

We are sure FIFA right now is sitting in a tub of liquid insolence, clapping to the help for more cheese doodles and waiting for the official Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo board to arrive.

For now, we wait.