By Andrew Warshaw in Sao Paulo
June 10 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter, riled by repeated criticism of his organisation from elements of the British media, today fired back one of his most vociferous salvos to date as what he dubbed ‘Qatargate’ threatened to overshadow the build-up to FIFA’s congress here.
Performing his usual ritual of visiting each of the regional congresses ahead of FIFA’s own, Blatter used the opportunity to defend FIFA’s tarnished image and reputation in an angry series of addresses.
First, visiting the Confederation of African Football congress, Blatter denounced what he described as a “storm against FIFA” which he perceived was “discrimination and racism” which “really make me sad.”
With the recent allegations in the Sunday Times focussing on the claim that over 30 African federations were targeted by former Asian football powerbroker Mohamed bin Hammam to gain support for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid, it was little surprise that Blatter received a standing ovation from CAF members.
No sooner was their congress over than CAF issued a hard-hitting resolution citing the “repeated, deliberately hateful, defamatory and degrading attacks by some media, notably British, on the image and integrity of the Confederation of African Football, its president, its members, its member associations and the entire African continent.”
Denouncing the “deep ignorance of the functioning of FIFA’s organs by the British media”, the resolution further condemned “the strategy of using African sport movements and its leaders as scapegoats.”
It urged the CAF executive committee “to file a law suit, if necessary, so that the authors of this smearing and defamatory campaign against African football are brought to book.”
Blatter then moved on to the Asian Football Confederation congress at an adjacent hotel where he launched a similar tirade over ‘Qatargate’, referring possibly this time to reports in France Football magazine as well as to British publications that questioned the December 2010, World Cup hosting vote.
Canny as ever, Blatter, who is widely expected to stand for re-election next year, turned the criticism into a promise that he is the best man for the job.
“We are in the situation where we need leadership. I still have fire inside me,” said the 78-year-old Blatter, who has led FIFA since 1998. “We must maintain our unity. We must show unity that is the best way to deal with those in the world that want to destroy FIFA. They want to destroy the institution . . . because our institution is too strong and is so strong we are sure they will not destroy it.”
FIFA’s ethics committee investigator Michael Garcia is due to address Congress on Wednesday, just days after completing his two-year probe which will be submitted to FIFA’s adjudicatory committee in mid-July.
For the first time since the process began, Blatter revealed that the eagerly awaited ruling on whether sanctions will be imposed on Qatar, or any of the other 2018 or 2022 bid nations for that matter, would be announced on September or October.
Then, said Blatter, “the matter would be closed.”
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