By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 15 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has given his strongest indication yet that he will definitely stand down at the end of his fourth and final term as head of world football’s governing body.
In one of his most wide-ranging interviews of recent years, Blatter also tackled the issues of racism, FIFA’s reform process, whether the Qatar 2022 should be staged in winter – and what he would like to do when he steps down.
Despite having pledged that he would not seek an unprecedented fifth term of office, behind the scenes not everyone in football’s corridors has been convinced. But after two generations at
FIFA and 13 as president, Blatter says he will call a day in 2015.
“I will be 79 and will have served 40 years in FIFA and I would like then to give FIFA to my successor as an institution that is recognised worldwide as giving emotions and passions and
hope to this perturbed world where we can play an active social part,” Blatter told Sky Sports News.
Whilst it is widely assumed that UEFA president Michel Platini will be one of the contenders to succeed him, Blatter says he is not 100 percent sure the Frenchman – with whom he has not always seen eye to eye since their early bond of mutual support – would take the job.
“This could be a good possibility because we have started together in our activities since 1998; he was the man who was at my side [when I was first elected president]. I am not so sure he is willing to go into the position of FIFA president; he has not declared officially but he could, would, should be a good successor. He has not declared his ambitions or how he sees FIFA in the future.”
Turning to the topic of racism, which
continues to make uncomfortable headlines for the game’s authorities, Blatter
says deducting points from teams may be the only effective way to combat the
problem.
“You have seen two cases last autumn: after one friendly match and one FIFA competitive match our disciplinary committee has given [both the Bulgarian and Hungarian federations] a sentence
to play without spectators.”
“This is one of the solutions. A more radical solution would be the deduction of points. This will have a better impact than any other sanction.”
“In football not only FIFA but the other organisers of competitions are aware now of this problem and it is up to the disciplinary committees to be very tough and intervene. They have to be tough.
It’s not enough just to give a pecuniary sanction. That’s nothing.”
“Perhaps it’s not enough to have a match without spectators. The one thing is deduct points and those players who are convicted of discrimination and racism should be suspended more than one or two matches. In normal employment you would at least be suspended or lose your job.”
Addressing the subject of foreign players in the Premier League, which many observers believe is hindering the progress of the English national team, Blatter – who has had a somewhat thorny
relationship with the clubs over the years – praised the marketing qualities of the English game but admitted he was concerned about overseas imports stifling domestic development.
“The only thing, in my opinion, is that if you compare with Spain and Italy and Germany you have, in the key positions in the Premier League clubs, too many foreigners and not enough English players so your national team is not yet at the level of these other teams I have mentioned.”
“If you look at Spain and Italy and Germany maybe 80% or more of the players of the national team play in their own league so it is an influence of how many good players you have in your own league.”
Turning to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Blatter was confident the delays and setbacks would eventually work themselves out. “It’s not the first World Cup where we have had to do something at the last minute because in all my working in FIFA I have seen the same situations in all the World Cups.”
As for exactly when the 2022 Qatar would be staged, that, said Blatter, was “the million-dollar question” which had to be resolved once Brazil was out of the way.
“We have had, in FIFA, the principle that all bidders that the World Cup in 2022 shall be held in June/July so for us, for the time being, there is no change from this date. In FIFA we have still some time but after the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 the decision must be taken when
[2022] will be played but for the time being we play in June/July.”
Blatter, who is understood to have voted for the United States, refuted the suggestion that Qatar didn’t deserve the World Cup. But he admitted he was surprised at the result of the ballot just over two years ago that was taken by 22 rather than 24 executive members after two were
suspended over allegations of corruption. “It’s a small country but this was a decision taken by the FIFA executive committee. It was a surprising decision I agree and people are still asking why but it has been taken by a democratic vote by secret ballot.”
Blatter said FIFA’s clean-up roadmap after two years of unprecedented scandal was well advanced. “We are an example in transparency though it has not been recognised everywhere. FIFA is the only sports organisation, NGO organisation, which is in the financial reporting standard so our finances are presented like big companies on the stock exchanges. We have exactly the same provisions and obligation to do so but there have been some problems when it comes to ethics and morals.”
Blatter confessed that all the corruption allegations swirling round FIFA had hit him hard, including the infamous ISL bribery case that tarnished several leading administrators but did not cite Blatter himself.
Asked whether the various scandals had disturbed him, he replied: “Absolutely because also it put into question my probity, my independence but I was very happy that in one of these famous cases the high court in Switzerland has made a decision that the FIFA president was not personally involved in any matters where money was distributed and had no clue in these matters. But it affected me as a person, it affected my family, but it will not affect my energy, my heart and my soul to go through this process until the end.”
As for what he would like to do once he leaves FIFA, Blatter suggested a return to sports journalism, where he worked early in his career, might be an option – specialising in tactical analysis.
“I will live a dream I had when I was a young boy and started to work in media – I’m still a member of the international sportswriting association. I would like radio because people are listening, everywhere. Not commentary but the tactics, technique, analysis.”
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