The FIFA president -- dubbed "Sepptic Blatter" by U.K. tabloid The Sun in the wake of allegations of corruption within football’s governing body -- "was firmly in the firing line of the world press" on Thursday, according to Jai Bednall of the NEWS.COM. There "is renewed hope the controversy will spell the end of his 17-year reign in charge of the most powerful body in world sport." Piers Morgan, writing for the Mail Online, described Blatter as the "corrupt, poisonous toad of FIFA who’s been sucking the life out of football for years." The London Telegraph’s Oliver Brown agreed that Blatter "would win another term, but predicted the events in Zurich to eventually catch up with him." Brown wrote, "Over 17 years of Blatter’s wretched reign, FIFA have repelled a bombardment of allegations about their corruption and charlatanism as effectively as a pane of bulletproof glass. ... The culture of kickbacks and illegal payments allowed to flourish under his watch is exposed as starkly as a weeping sore." But it might not be over that easy because, above all else Blatter, "has proved a great survivor." USA Today’s Nate Scott wrote, "This isn’t the first time people have taken a run at Sepp Blatter. He knows how this works. He will say he’s just as surprised as anyone, and eager to investigate these problems. ... Let’s hope this time something sticks. Soccer fans deserve better" (NEWS.COM, 5/28). IANS reported in an editorial on Thursday headlined "FIFA's corruption stains world soccer," the N.Y. Times said, "This time, FIFA should not be allowed to pretend that the problem is a few corrupt officials. On "a more sarcastic note," it stated, "FIFA, soccer's global governing body, has always hoped to get America more involved in their sport. Well, they've succeeded" (IANS, 5/28). In London, Jim White wrote one thing we can be sure of: when nature finally takes its toll, whatever it is that Blatter dies from "it will not be shame" (TELEGRAPH, 5/27). Also in London, Simon Evans wrote "but for American soccer this is not quite as simple as fighters for justice and truth taking on those who steal money from kids who just want to play ball." The two decades of corruption outlined by the Grand Jury document, "includes plenty of cases that raise questions about people who have long been involved" in the football business in the U.S. and surrounding region (GUARDIAN, 5/27).
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Thurday front pages of newspapers from the U.K, Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland.
Photo by: SBD GLOBAL/NEWSEUM
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ON THE AIR: ESPN’s
Taylor Twellman said he would be “thoroughly shocked if Sepp Blatter survives this” but as “history shows us, when the going gets tough he kind of just dodges bullets and moves on.” ESPN’s
Ian Darke noted, “But how can he carry on really? He has presided over all of this, whether he’s named in any of the indictments or not he has been the man who has presided over this culture of corruption.” ESPN’s
Jeremy Schaap said for “all the outrage” in the U.S. and in Western Europe, "that’s not necessarily the way the rest of the world will see this and it hasn’t seen the FIFA situation for a long time” (
“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 5/27). ESPN’s
Gab Marcotti said if “they can find enough grounds out there to call for a re-vote” on the Qatar and Russia World Cups “I think it would be very, very difficult for FIFA to stand in their way” (
“OTL,” ESPN, 5/27). Fox Business’
Brian Kilmeade said Qatar will not keep the ’22 World Cup and it will be staged in the U.S. because “it’s the only place for it to go. We’re ready to have it go now. We ran the most successful World Cup ever in ’94 when no one cared about the World Cup” (
“Varney & Company,” Fox Business, 5/27). CBS’
Jim Axelrod: “The world’s most popular sport is now mired in perhaps its history’s ugliest chapter. ... The scope of the allegations is stunning.” ChangeFIFA co-Dir & General Counsel
David Larkin said “these people” at FIFA are “not amateurs and so these organizations are enterprises that very much mirror the mafia” (
“Evening News,” CBS, 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.” Bennett said FIFA is a “medieval fiefdom” and each time Blatter is investigated he “rallies his base in Africa, he rallies his base in Asia and says, ‘They’re trying to push us down '" (
“CBS This Morning,” 5/28). ESPN’s
Bomani Jones said, “The plan looks like it’s going to be roll this up to the guy that’s in charge, but they have so much power because people want soccer so badly so even if you get these guys out I don’t how you make sure it changes later" (
“Highly Questionable,” ESPN, 5/27). Fox Sports’
Grant Wahl said if Blatter is re-elected on Friday it “will just give the sense to the rest of us its business as usual” for FIFA (
“PTI,” ESPN, 5/27). ESPN’s
Michael Smith said, “If this does not end with Sepp Blatter out of power, then what’s the point” (
“His & Hers,” ESPN2, 5/27). Btr CEO
David Melancon said “no brand wants to be associated with something that’s acting like organized crime. They are not acting like the sport they purport to govern so I would get rid of FIFA and start over" (
“Power Lunch,” CNBC, 5/27). FS1’s
Alexi Lalas said “On the one hand, I think it’s good that this is all out. But I’ve seen this before and I worry that Sepp Blatter takes a lot of the attention and the focus. Do you just replace him with somebody else who just does the same thing?" (
“America’s Pregame,” FS1, 5/27).
