FIFA President Sepp Blatter is against age restrictions for officials in football's governing body "although he would be prepared to accept a limit on the length of time they can hold office," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. The 76-year-old Swiss said that he was also "opposed to standing areas in football stadiums, placing him on a collision course with both the Bundesliga and the national league in his homeland." Blatter said, "Capabilities have nothing to do with age. There are 70-year-olds who are young in the head." A draft revision of FIFA's statues includes a proposal to "impose an age limit of 72 on officials at the time they are elected." It would also limit the FIFA president to two four-year mandates and the exec committee member to three four-year mandates. Blatter said that he "remained unconvinced by the popularity of standing areas in Germany's Bundesliga." Blatter said, "In Colombia, the stadiums were rebuilt because of the world under-20 championship. Now families can go to matches. It is going really well. Everyone sits down and that is good, it's good for the safety" (REUTERS, 8/29).
