Menu
International Football

FIFA: Blatter 'Holds Tightly' To Reins Following Swiss Corruption Arrests

As his regime "faced its greatest threat," FIFA President Sepp Blatter moved on Thursday to "distance himself from the 'shame and humiliation' suffered" by FIFA following separate anti-corruption investigations in Switzerland and the U.S, and" pleaded for more time to rebuild trust" in the organization, according to Oliver Kay of the LONDON TIMES. Blatter "appeared slightly less belligerent than usual" when he addressed the FIFA congress on Thursday, but he used his opening speech to "distance himself from the corruption charges." Blatter: "The events of yesterday have cast a long shadow over football and this congress. They bring shame and humiliation to football and demand change from us all. We cannot allow the reputation of FIFA to be dragged through the mud any longer. I know many people hold me ultimately responsible [but] I cannot monitor everyone all the time. If people want to do wrong, they will also try to hide it" (LONDON TIMES, 5/28).

SMOOTH TALKING: In London, Owen Gibson reported appearing in public for the first time since the scandal broke when seven senior FIFA officials were arrested at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, and seven more charged in the U.S., Blatter "appealed to the 209 member associations that will decide his immediate fate." While Blatter's supporters within the FIFA "'family' rallied round" -- the Confederation of African Football vowing to back him in Friday's election and Russian President Vladimir Putin criticizing what he saw as a U.S. plot -- those who "hope to force him out stepped up the pressure." UEFA President Michel Platini "delivered a personal plea to Blatter to stand aside for the good of the game when they met for crisis talks." Blatter canceled a scheduled appearance at a FIFA medical conference to "hold an emergency meeting with representatives of all six continental confederations" at the organization's HQ (GUARDIAN, 5/28). REUTERS' Collett & Homewood reported Platini said that 45 or 46 of UEFA's 53 member associations would vote for Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan. But it appeared that Blatter "still commanded enough of FIFA's 209 national associations to secure victory" (REUTERS, 5/28). CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin reported Blatter "blamed allegations of widespread corruption" within football's governing body on "'a few' and called for those involved to be punished." Blatter: "Let this be a turning point. More needs to be done to make sure everyone in football acts responsibly and ethically." He "vowed to cooperate with authorities to ensure those involved in wrongdoing are 'discovered and punished'" (CNN, 5/28). 

CAN'T TURN BACK NOW: In a separate piece, Kay reported Platini "asked Blatter to resign at a half-hour crisis meeting with FIFA leaders on Thursday as a sense of turmoil engulfed world football's governing body." Blatter "attempted to convey a message of calm" after the turbulence. But the sense of unrest was "underlined when Platini called for him to step down, first in front of other leaders and then in a private meeting." Blatter told Platini that it was "too close to the election to resign." Platini said, "I have had enough -- enough is enough, too much is too much. I am the first to be disgusted. I told Mr. Blatter, 'We started together and now I am asking you to step down as we cannot continue this way.' He told me, 'It's too late, I can't today all of sudden leave when Congress starts this afternoon'" (LONDON TIMES, 5/28). The BBC reported Platini said that he "addressed Blatter 'like a friend'" but the FIFA boss had "told him it was 'too late' to resign." Platini added that the latest "crisis had left him 'absolutely sickened.'" Several influential football figures had called for the vote to be delayed after seven FIFA officials "were arrested in Zurich on Wednesday." But UEFA, which governs European football, "decided on Thursday not to boycott the election and will continue to back Prince Ali, although some member associations, such as Russia, have said they will back Blatter." Platini: "A big, big, big majority of the European associations will vote for Prince Ali. People have had enough, they don't want this president anymore" (BBC, 5/28). In London, Moore & Aglioby wrote U.K. PM David Cameron backed calls for Blatter’s removal, while French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that the election "should be postponed." But Russian President Vladimir Putin came to Blatter’s defense, calling the arrest on Wednesday of seven senior officials from FIFA and its regional affiliates at the request of U.S. investigators a "political attack" on Blatter. He said, “It’s another clear attempt by the USA to spread its jurisdiction to other states” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 5/28). 

DEFIANT BLATTER: Also in London, Sale & Shergold wrote Blatter was "defiant as he addressed delegates." Blatter: "But it must fall to me to uphold the reputation of our organization. I will not allow the actions of a minority to destroy the integrity of the vast majority of those who work hard for football. They must be caught and held responsible for their actions. Football cannot be the exception of the rule. That is our responsibility at FIFA and we will cooperate with all authorities to make sure anyone involved in wrong doing from top to bottom will be caught and punished. There can be no place for corruption of any kind" (DAILY MAIL, 5/28). 


UNTOUCHABLE: In N.Y., Jonathan Mahler wrote if Wednesday's "sweeping arrests" turn out to be the moment when everything "finally started to unravel" for Blatter, it would be hard to imagine a more appropriate setting. Blatter has long been "accused of running his organization like a Swiss bank, providing a minimum of transparency when it comes to the billions of dollars that flow into and out of its coffers every year." But Blatter, who was not indicted, has also been "widely criticized as tone-deaf and dictatorial, an unworthy steward of the global game." Roger Bennett, co-host of football program "Men in Blazers," said, "He’s part James Bond baddie, part Mayor Daley-style machine politician writ large." For the moment anyway, Blatter, who is 79, "does not seem to be treating this scandal any differently than any of the others that have unfolded on his watch." The organization has said that the election will "go on as planned," with Blatter running as the incumbent (N.Y. TIMES, 5/27). In Dubai, Graham Ruthven wrote Blatter "calls himself a 'mountain goat,' and that is something of an appropriate analogy." A mountain goat, just like the FIFA president, "appears unmoved by adverse conditions -- whether that be gale-force winds or a bribery scandal." No matter how close a mountain goat "gets to the edge, it never falls off." Again, "just like Blatter." Indeed, the Swiss bureaucrat is "immovable." So how did football "end up with a ruler it cannot get rid of -- no matter how hard it tries?" It "speaks volumes on just how untouchable Blatter is as FIFA president, that just one opposing candidate for election remains" -- Prince Ali -- from an initial four. Running against football's "dictator" -- as former candidate Luís Figo called him -- is "futile." Blatter "doesn’t need the West to like him." The Swiss has "constructed a system that permits him to be re-elected without receiving a single vote from the Eurozone, with FIFA delegates appeased by a program of generous handouts and grants" (AL ARABIYA NEWS, 5/27). 

TEAM AMERICA, WORLD POLICE: A N.Y. TIMES editorial opined the surprise of Wednesday "was not only the arrests and the investigations, but also that Washington would take such aggressive action against officials of a sport that is notably less popular in the United States than elsewhere in the world" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/27). NBCSN's Roger Bennett said, "It is a great day to be here in America, a country who yesterday gave the world the greatest contribution since the Marshall Plan" ("CBS This Morning, 5/27). USA TODAY's Christine Brennan wrote it is "both fascinating and fitting that it would be" the U.S., "a nation that doesn't care as much about soccer as so many others, to be the one to take on the task of bringing down" FIFA. True football nations "live in awe, and fear, of the power of Blatter and FIFA to control their national sport and all the companies and livelihoods linked to it." Brennan: "Not Americans" (USA TODAY, 5/27). In a separate piece, Gibson wrote just as it took the involvement of U.S. law enforcement to "finally get to the truth in another long-running sporting scandal -- institutionalised doping in professional cycling -- so it appears that the culture cultivated and overseen by Blatter could finally be brought crashing down" (GUARDIAN, 5/27).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2015/05/29/International-Football/Blatter-Untouchable.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2015/05/29/International-Football/Blatter-Untouchable.aspx

CLOSE