Sepp Blatter on Friday "struck a familiarly defiant tone as he began his fifth term as president of FIFA, blaming others for the widespread corruption scandal that has engulfed international soccer," according to Jere Longman of the N.Y. TIMES. Blatter over the weekend said that U.S. authorities "chose last week to make a raid in Zurich as an attempt to stop him from being re-elected as the head of FIFA." He also said that the arrests of 14 soccer and marketing officials "had stemmed from resentment" by England and the U.S., which failed in bids to host" the '18 and '22 World Cups. Blatter suggested that U.S. authorities "acted because of American political support for Jordan," the home country Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who ran against Blatter (N.Y. TIMES, 5/31). The AP noted Blatter "suggested a political motive for the American investigation." He said in reference to al-Hussein's home country, "The United States, it is the main sponsors of the Hashemite kingdom." Emboldened by his election win, Blatter "explained his earlier comments Friday that FIFA's legal problems stemmed from choosing Russia and Qatar five years ago" as the '18 and '22 World Cup hosts. Blatter: "The Americans were the candidates for the World Cup of 2022 and they lost. The English were the candidates for 2018 and they lost, so it was really with the English media and the American movement that came down" (AP, 5/30).
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: The AP's Graham Dunbar noted Blatter on Saturday "dismissed suggestions that a United States government investigation of corruption in football could lead to his door." Several senior FIFA officials "have been arrested already, but Blatter shrugged off the notion that he could be next." Blatter: "Arrested for what? Next question." Blatter "insisted he had nothing to fear from the U.S. federal case." Two FIFA VPs "were among seven men arrested." But Blatter said, "I do not see how FIFA could be directly affected by this." Dunbar noted it was "clear that, after winning a closer vote than he would have liked Friday, Blatter wanted to come out fighting -- first criticizing [U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch] in an interview with his local Swiss broadcaster." Blatter suggested that the U.S. Department of Justice "went too far on FIFA's turf." He said, "With all the respect to the judicial system of the U.S. with a new minister of justice, the Americans, if they have a financial crime that regards American citizens then they must arrest these people there and not in Zurich when we have a congress" (AP, 5/30).
GILL-TY BY ASSOCIATION? English Football Association Vice Chair David Gill on Saturday said that he "will not take up his post" on the FIFA Exec Committee following Blatter's re-election. REUTERS' Michael Hann noted Gill "was only elected two months ago for a four-year term, but he did not attend Saturday’s "first executive committee meeting following Blatter’s re-election." Gill: "My professional reputation is critical to me and I simply do not see how there will be change for the good of world football while Mr Blatter remains in post." Blatter said of Gill, "He has given no excuse or reasons for his absence. (Friday), he was installed officially as a member of the FIFA exco and I am waiting. ... This is not responsible, if you are elected you have to come" (
REUTERS, 5/29).
MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Joshua Robinson noted Blatter's victory "maintains the status quo at an organization that critics ... have said is in need of drastic overhaul." In a sign of "softening support inside FIFA," Blatter at the governing body's annual general meeting "failed to secure what many insiders had expected would be an easy first-round ballot victory." But Blatter "struck a defiant tone" soon after al-Hussein "conceded defeat." Blatter said, "Those who voted for Prince Ali, I congratulate you, he is a good candidate. But I am now the president of everybody." Robinson noted it is "unclear whether the wilting support for Mr. Blatter inside FIFA will affect his ability to navigate the widening split with European members, while managing what could be years of legal fallout stemming from the criminal probes." He will also need to "quickly reassure corporate sponsors that he is serious about reform" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/30). ESPN FC's Gabriele Marcotti said Blatter "doesn’t feel spooked or rattled by these indictments because they don’t touch him directly." Marcotti: "People obviously don’t buy this idea that, because he’s in charge of the organization, he’s responsible for what happens beneath him” ("ESPN FC," ESPN2, 5/29).
SOME VOTERS VISIBLY UPSET: ESPN’s Bob Ley said “eyewitness reports outside” of where the FIFA presidential election took place cited a “number of the delegates leaving in an angry state, talking darkly of a mafia running international soccer.” ABC’s Kendis Gibson, who was live in Zurich for the vote, said he met many delegates leaving the election who “were so angry with the way things turned out." Gibson: "This really showed the divide that was talking place inside that room” ("OTL," ESPN, 5/29). In N.Y., Sam Borden wrote given the stakes, the vote itself "had a charming simplicity." After each country "was called to the front of the arena and cast its ballot, the folded paper slips were unceremoniously dumped out of two boxes onto a conference table for the count in a scene more reminiscent of the election of a student council president than one of the most powerful executives in sports" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/30). SI.com's Peter Berlin wrote the ballot itself "resembled an attempt to create the most boring game show ever." The individual delegations "were called in turn." Their voters "walked through the arena to one of the voting booths accompanied by elevator music," and they "entered through a curtain." Any illusion of privacy "instantly disappeared because the booths resembled the play TVs children make from cardboard boxes." The voters "turned to face the main hall and the ballot box, which sat on a waist-high shelf" (SI.com, 5/29).
POTENTIAL IMPACT OF OPPOSING BLATTER: ESPN's Ley noted U.S. Soccer was "acting out of principle" in supporting al-Hussein, but the organization “backed the losing horse, and the history of people who have done that in dealing with Sepp Blatter is not a promising one.” ESPN's Jeremy Schaap noted the “term that is usually used after you stand up to Blatter, and everyone who has stood up to him so far has lost, is that you get ‘whacked,’ and … that’s the end of you in global soccer" ("OTL," ESPN, 5/29). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said of the U.S. vote against Blatter, “We chose reform over payola.” ESPN's Tony Kornheiser rhetorically asked following the U.S. voting against Blatter, "Are we ever going to get a World Cup while Sepp Blatter is the President of FIFA?” ("PTI," ESPN, 5/29). But ESPNFC's Marcotti said Blatter "does what's best for Sepp Blatter," and he did not remain president for all these years “by harboring grudges.” Despite the U.S. voting against him, if he "thinks it’s in his best interest, and to a somewhat lesser degree in the game’s best interest, to have a World Cup in the U.S., he’ll do it." Marcotti: "He’s buried many hatchets in the past, and he’s also taken hatchets out of his cupboard to chop the heads off of his former friends when he thought it was appropriate” (“ESPN FC,” ESPN2, 5/29).
MISSING THEIR OPPORTUNITY: In Miami, Linda Robertson wrote the "spineless leaders of the world’s favorite game confirmed that it is also the most corrupt when they reelected" Blatter. FIFA’s leaders "could have washed their hands Friday and announced to the world that soccer is finally ready to embark on a new path toward restoration of integrity" simply by choosing to "not vote for Blatter ... and wish him well in retirement." But the election results "prove just how thickly Blatter has spun his web of power." His underlings are "so beholden to his influence and his favors that they can’t even see the damage they inflict on the sport." They are "as blind as Blatter" (MIAMI HERALD, 5/30). The GLOBE & MAIL's Cathal Kelly wrote "nothing will change." A few people "may go to jail, but FIFA’s endemic corruption will continue" (GLOBE & MAIL, 5/30). ESPN’s Howard Bryant said Blatter's re-election shows “how powerful" FIFA officials are. Bryant: "There’s no accountability. They can do whatever they want.” ESPN’s Jemele Hill asked, “What incentive did they have not to keep it going considering how we’ve seen such staggering levels of corruption within their infrastructure?" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 5/31).
PEP IN HIS SEPP: In N.Y., Juliet Macur wrote whether people like Blatter or not, he has "shepherded the women’s game to a place it might never have reached without him." In his 17 years as FIFA president, Blatter has "overseen an explosion of growth in the women’s game." The Women's World Cup during his tenure has "expanded from 12 teams to 16 teams to 24 this year." The sport is "still dominated by traditional powers" like the U.S., France, Germany and Brazil, but this year's tournament "will include eight debutante nations." It would be "hard to argue to those squads that some portion of the much-maligned FIFA development money ... had not been used to develop women’s teams where they never existed before" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/31).
