Blatter promises to lay down law in final term as FIFA President

By Andrew Warshaw

May 23 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has promised to use his fourth and final term of office to take a tougher stance against improper behaviour – even by his own inner sanctum.

Blatter stands for re-election against Mohamed Bin Hammam on June 1 and says the last four years of his Presidency will see a far stronger approach than during his first 13 in charge.

Blatter wants FIFA’s member nations, big and small, to have more say in major decisions and appointments, not just the election of World Cup hosts but also when it comes to “handling the past” and the stench of corruption pervading the world governing body.

One idea is having the most important committee chairmen appointed by the entire 208-nation membership rather than by FIFA’s elite Executive Committee.

Blatter intends bringing this idea to the FIFA Congress in Zurich the day before the election.

“We need to reinforce the judicial bodies to make them more independent,” said Blatter.

“I will bring to the Congress an idea that they should elect the members of these committees or at least the chairmen.

“I think it will be good if the Congress elect the chairmen of three committees – ethics, disciplinary and appeal.

“We have to find a solution how to handle the past in order that we can stop forever in the future all these damaging things about corruption.”

Constantly bombarded with allegations of sleaze and backhanders, Blatter said perhaps his biggest mistake so far as president was being too trustworthy of his colleagues.

Speaking to reporters at a round table at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, he said: “If I look at the results of what I have done so far I have to say in false modesty that it is more positive than negative. …but perhaps one of my characteristics is trusting people too fast.”

Whilst insisting that he had never he had never personally been involved in any corrupt practices, Blatter disclosed for the first time that he was once targeted for a bribe whilst FIFA’s secretary general.

Without saying when the approach took place or who was involved, Blatter revealed: “I received once an envelope, and in this envelope there was an amount of money.

“I couldn’t refuse because he put it in my pocket.

“I came home here to FIFA and gave it to the finance director and he put this money on the account of the Swiss Bank Corporation at that time, and informed the guy ‘the money you gave to the secretary general is in that bank’.

“A few days later he reclaimed it.”

Just as the BBC are planning to screen another Panoroma broadcast expected to raise even more alarm bells over FIFA’s conduct, Blatter would not say whether his colleagues, many of whom have been tainted by corruption allegations, were as clean as him.

“I have no influence and I cannot take any responsibility because they have their own character and own conscience,” he said.

“I have never been anywhere where money has been given.

“Otherwise I could have intervened immediately.

“But we have to make sure that in the next term of office immediately starting after the election that we rebuild the image of FIFA, not only by better communication – but by facts.

“There will be facts.”

Blatter, 75, believes he has far greater support than 61-year-old Bin Hammam but could not resist one last dig at his opponent before next week’s vote.

“I have to say I was surprised he was a candidate because he always was saying he would never be a candidate against me, but this has passed, he is there now so we go to this election,” said Blatter.

“It looks a little bit strange when a 60-year-old [sic] is telling a 70-year-old that he is too old.”

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