FIFA’s Blatter criticises Europe’s ‘hate’ campaign

Sepp Blatter, who has been re-elected FIFA president for the fifth consecutive term, has said he was “shocked” at a US anti-corruption raid against FIFA executives and criticised what he called a “hate” campaign by Europe’s football leaders.

It is a hate that comes not just from a person at UEFA, it comes from the UEFA organisation that cannot understand that in 1998 I became president.

by Sepp Blatter, FIFA president

In an interview with Swiss television, Blatter said he suspected the arrest of seven FIFA officials on Wednesday under a US anti-corruption warrant was an attempt to “interfere with the congress” at which he was elected on Friday.

The FIFA boss hit out at Michel Platini, the head of European football’s governing body, UEFA, who had called for Blatter resignation over the corruption scandals.

“It is a hate that comes not just from a person at UEFA, it comes from the UEFA organisation that cannot understand that in 1998 I became president,” he added in the interview.

Asked whether he would forgive Platini for the resignation calls, Blatter said “I forgive everyone but I do not forget”.

He also condemned comments on FIFA made by US judiciary leaders including Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

“Of course I am shocked. I would never, as FIFA president, make comments about another organisation without being certain of what has happened.”

Bribery scandal

Blatter noted that the US had lost the bid for the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, and England, another major critic, lost the bid for the 2018 World Cup to Russia.

He said the US was the “number one sponsor” of Jordan, where his challenger for the FIFA presidency, Prince Ali bin al Hussein, comes from.

Blatter was declared winner at the FIFA congress, held in the Swiss city of Zurich, after Al Hussein conceded defeat following the first round of voting.

“I thank you that you accept me and that for the next four years, I will be in command of this boat called FIFA and we’ll bring it back to the shore,” Blatter said in his winning speech.

The FIFA executive committee is to meet in Zurich on Saturday and Blatter was to speak at a press conference at about 0930 GMT.

Blatter joined FIFA in 1975 and has been FIFA president since 1998.

His win came despite demands that he quit in the face of the bribery scandal that plunged the world football body into the worst crisis in its 111-year history.