Embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter is "on the verge of being suspended from football," after a longtime adviser confirmed the investigatory arm of FIFA's ethics committee had recommended the sanction, according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. The decision, which "still needs to be ratified by the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee led by German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, would see Blatter suspended until early January." Blatter has been "under risk of suspension" after the ethics committee opened proceedings into claims that he mis-sold a World Cup TV rights contract to "disgraced" former FIFA official Jack Warner in '06 and made a "disloyal payment" of £1.3M to UEFA President Michel Platini in '11. Klaus Stöhlker, a Zurich-based PR man, and other FIFA sources said that the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, chaired by Cornel Borbély, has "recommended that Blatter be suspended." Stöhlker: "What we know is that president Blatter was told he could be suspended for 90 days. The ethics committee has not taken any key decisions, they are waiting for further investigations. There is no guilt impugned" (GUARDIAN, 10/7). In London, Munnery & Gardner reported Blatter has "refused to relinquish power until February in the face of growing pressure" from FIFA's major sponsors, but the "final decision on his future" will instead be made on Thursday. The committee has also been considering whether to take action against Platini and former FIFA VP Chung Mong-Joon, both candidates to take over from Blatter. The committee's adjudicatory chamber, "which has been meeting since Monday in Zurich, can provisionally suspend officials for up to 90 days" (LONDON TIMES, 10/7). REUTERS' Simon Evans reported Stöhlker said that a decision "was expected by Friday." He said, "President Blatter will be in his office at FIFA tomorrow." A FIFA spokesperson directed inquiries to Blatter's U.S. lawyers, "who did not respond to requests for comment." A spokesperson for Eckert declined to comment. The Investigatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee was "not immediately available for comment" (REUTERS, 10/7).
BLATTER FIRES BACK: The LONDON TIMES reported Blatter "has hit out at the Swiss criminal investigation against him while defending his decision not to step down sooner as head of football's governing body." He agreed in June to stand down. He has maintained, however, that he will not depart until February despite being questioned by Swiss authorities over an alleged "disloyal payment" to Platini. Blatter: "The situation is not pleasant. I am being condemned without there being any evidence for wrongdoing on my part. That is really outrageous." Blatter has "also rejected calls" by FIFA's major sponsors last week for him to step down immediately. Coca-Cola and McDonald's were joined by Visa and Budweiser in "calling on Blatter to quit." Blatter said, "Those are just the Americans." He insisted that other FIFA sponsors such as adidas, Hyundai and Gazprom "still stood behind me" (LONDON TIMES, 10/7).
BUSINESS AS USUAL: The AP's Rob Harris reported "after defying pleas from FIFA sponsors to quit," Blatter is "continuing regular business" at FIFA, "presiding over a dispute between football federations on Tuesday." Returning to his "more familiar role as a mediator, Blatter gathered the Palestinian and Saudi Arabian federations at FIFA's Zurich headquarters in an attempt to resolve a spat over a game venue." Palestinian Football Union President Jibril Rajoub said, "Blatter is functioning well and in a good mood with common sense, a sense of humor." A game between Palestine and Saudi Arabia "has been postponed after Blatter's intervention," Rajoub said, saying, "They need more time for deliberation and discussion" (AP, 10/7).
COMPARISON TO MAFIA: MARCA reported Spanish Football League (LFP) President Javier Tebas accused senior FIFA officials of acting like the "Sicilian mafia." Tebas: "The term 'football family' shouldn't be used in its literal sense, but in the Sicilian mafia sense." "Football family" is one of Blatter's favorite "stock phrases, although recent investigations by Swiss officials into allegations of corruption have seen the current FIFA president's integrity brought into question." Tebas: "If you criticize FIFA, they threaten to kick you out of the competition, that's also corruption" (MARCA, 10/6). Tebas called for "a revolution and a fundamental cultural change." He insisted that the current directors of FIFA cannot carry out this revolution, "as they are part of the system." Tebas: "Football is in hands of bureaucrats. For a revolution to happen, it is not to change the rules or change committees, we need a cultural revolution." Former FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne supported the view of Tebas, saying, "We need more people like Javier Tebas at FIFA, speaking out on behalf of the people on the ground" (LFP).
STÖHLKER Q&A: INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL reported with Blatter "currently not speaking to the press," one person who "does know what he is thinking" is Stöhlker, who has taken charge of Batter's press statements. Excerpts from an interview with Stöhlker -- first published on Swiss website persoenlich.com -- are below:
Q: Coca-Cola and McDonalds have demanded Mr Blatter's resignation. Will they succeed?
Stöhlker: We are talking about five U.S. sponsors who demanded Sepp Blatter's resignation. The German and South Korean sponsors have refused to do so. As we are obviously looking at a "politically motivated" campaign, Mr. Blatter has decided not to consider it. There are sufficient global corporations around who would instantly fill the gap, if the U.S. sponsors pull out.
Q: Will he resign now that he was questioned by the Swiss Attorney General's Office?
Stöhlker: One does not resign because of an interrogation; presently, the AGO is busy studying documents. President Blatter stated clearly that he is not guilty of any wrongdoing. On the other hand, the Ethics Committee has the right to suspend him. Whether it will, remains to be seen.
Q: How badly hurt is Platini, who wants to succeed Sepp Blatter, by all of these events?
Stöhlker: Mr. Platini is indeed affected by all this, as even the friends of "Platoche" say in France. In many places he is called a "Blatter clone," which does no justice to Mr. Blatter, whose achievements for world football are undisputed. If the Ethics Committee does not give him a clean bill of health, his candidacy is probably over (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 10/7).
