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| Blatter was speaking at the Confederations Cup press conference in Johannesburg [EPA] |
The head of football's governing body has defended the world record transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter said the move showed that football was still a healthy market during the financial crisis.
Manchester United accepted a world record transfer offer for Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday, clearing the World Player of the Year to negotiate personal terms with Madrid.
"It means that our product is still a good product,'' Blatter said ahead of the Confederations Cup.
"If this is the game of the people, they need stars.''
Change of opinion
Blatter's reaction contrasted with previous comments he has made about excessive spending for players and financial moves that could undermine the health of football clubs, especially in England.
He had no such objections, despite the record unconditional offer of $131 million that Manchester United received for Ronaldo.
"Let us be a little bit generous about that,'' Blatter said.
"OK, it is a lot of money, but he is performing.''
While businesses are in trouble all over the world because of a faltering economy, Blatter said it showed the global appeal of the game.
"That means there is still demand to have a star,'' Blatter said.
"We are on the market, and we are on a very sensitive market nowadays because there is an economic crisis. ... In football, we are in still on the good market.''
Blatter said that the transfer total was not really different from the sums exchanged for Brazil striker Ronaldo more than a decade ago.
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| Blatter believes Ronaldo is worth the money [GALLO/GETTY] |
In demand
"It was already $50 million more than 10 years ago,'' he said.
"So what is 80 million pounds now? That means there is still demand to have a star.''
On the financial front, it is understood that the profits from the sale of Ronaldo will not be used to service United's debts, which have spiralled to almost $1 billion.
The return of Florentino Perez as Madrid's president has changed things as the billionaire looks to spend to return the Spanish side to the glory days of its "galactico'' era.
Kaka was signed from AC Milan earlier this week for a reported fee of about $92 million.
But the offer for Ronaldo would eclipse that and the $65 million it paid to get former France striker Zinedine Zidane from Juventus in 2001.
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