Blatter-Platini €2M disloyal payment
A €2 million transaction from Sepp Blatter to Michel Platini, paid 9 years late, became the 'disloyal payment' that triggered their bans from football.
Snapshot · Fin vs History
Hanging Out The Blatter it | The History of The World Cup (Part 4/4)
Explore episode
Jun 18, 2026
Where this was said
United Passions
At 51:30 · chapter starts 49:40
The payoff for the Chuck Blazer subplot arrives as Swiss plainclothes police, acting on FBI instructions, storm a Zurich hotel and arrest FIFA's top officials just two days before Blatter's presidential re-election vote. Blazer's hidden keychain recording device — brought to the 2012 London Olympics FIFA meetings — was the linchpin. A €2 million payment from Blatter to Platini, made nine years late and described as back-payment for consultancy, becomes the 'disloyal payment' that triggers both men's bans by the FIFA Ethics Committee (whose very existence prompts incredulity from both hosts). Blatter's original 8-year ban is eventually overturned by a Swiss court, and he is cleared again on appeal as recently as March 2025. The segment's comic centrepiece is United Passions — FIFA's $27 million corporate vanity film starring Tim Roth as a heroic FIFA pioneer, released in the middle of the corruption investigation, which earned $918 in its US opening weekend and holds 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The FBI Raid on Zurich and the End of Blatter
Swiss plainclothes police acting on FBI orders stormed a Zurich hotel and arrested FIFA's top officials. It happened two days before Blatter's presidential re-election vote, timed to maximum effect. Blazer's hidden keychain recording device was the linchpin of the entire case.
Blatter banned 8 years, then acquitted
Sepp Blatter was originally banned from football for 8 years by the FIFA Ethics Committee, but a Swiss court later acquitted him and he was cleared again on appeal in March 2025.
United Passions: The $27M Propaganda Film That Made $918
FIFA commissioned a $27 million propaganda film about itself, starring Tim Roth as a hero fighting a misunderstood organisation. It earned $918 in its US opening weekend and holds 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Released in the middle of the FBI investigation.
United Passions $918 opening weekend
FIFA's self-produced propaganda film United Passions, with a $27 million budget, earned only $918 in its US opening weekend.
United Passions 0% Rotten Tomatoes
United Passions, the FIFA-funded vanity film starring Tim Roth, holds a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Similar snapshots
CrossFit athlete: top 2,000 worldwide
Thomas's wife is already ranked in the top 2,000 CrossFit athletes in the world — roughly the top 1% — and Thomas wants her to pursue the sport professionally now that he is graduating law school.
Athletes improve with mental rehearsal
Research shows athletes who mentally imagine practicing basketball or soccer have better performance than those who do not include imagination in their training.
~10 rounds dominated vs Usyk
Rico Verhoeven dominated approximately 10 of 12 rounds against undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk before a controversial post-bell stoppage.
Stopped after the bell
Rico's appeal confirmed the fight was stopped after the bell rang, and the ringside doctor found no concussion or disorientation — yet the result was never overturned.
Glory uses 5 judges vs boxing's 3
Glory Kickboxing uses 5 judges rather than boxing's 3, which Joe Rogan argues reduces the chance of a corrupt or incompetent minority swinging the result.
1 professional boxing match before Usyk
Rico Verhoeven had only one professional boxing match before fighting undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC title.
15 years of boxing training
Despite having just one pro boxing match, Rico Verhoeven had been training boxing for 15 years alongside his kickboxing career.
6-month boxing transition camp
Rico used a full 6 months to transition from kickboxing stance to a proper boxing stance under trainer Peter Fury, calling it essential rewiring.
75+ kickboxing fights in career
Rico Verhoeven has had approximately 75 professional kickboxing fights, giving him a massive combat sports experience advantage over pure boxers.
