‘I am the President and I must act now’

Full-length exclusive interview with FIFA chief Sepp Blatter as more corruption claims are made during re-election bid.

Blatter

This is the full version of our exclusive interview with FIFA president Sepp Blatter, as the most powerful man in world football talks with Al Jazeera’s sports correspondent Lee Wellings.

The Swiss, who is aiming to be voted in for another term on June 1, says he must act before the election to investigate allegations levelled at FIFA at a British parliamentary hearing.

He denies his organisation is in crisis, saying that he is taking a “zero tolerance” approach to corruption. And he demands that the English FA provide immediate evidence of claims made by David Triesman, the chairman of England’s failed 2018 bid, at the hearing.

Triesman told a British parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday that executive committee members Jack Warner, Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolas Leoz and Worawi Makudi had sought incentives to vote for England. Qatar’s successful bid also faced allegations from a Sunday newspaper.

Blatter also says he is saddened by the allegations, but that the FIFA presidential election – in which Blatter is being opposed by Qatari Mohamed bin Hammam – should go ahead as planned.

For more on this interview watch Al Jazeera English (aje.me/ajelive) or http://english.aljazeera.net/sport.

Source: Al Jazeera