By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter is distancing himself from the growing row over 65 designer watches donated to many of the world’s leading football administrators as gifts at the World Cup.
Blatter says the case has nothing to do with corruption and feels the media, especially in England, should therefore not be giving it such prominence – despite FIFA’s ethics committee ruling that those officials in possession of the watches, donated by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), must return them by October 24 or face possible sanctions.
Blatter, keen to sidestep any suggestion of wrongdoing, looked irritated when he was tackled on the issue at the press conference which followed last week’s exco meeting, making the point that the watches cannot be considered an inducement or a bribe.
“Speaking about corruption is totally wrong,” he said. “This is a non-problem because… the CBF at the occasion of its 100 years, and after having been five times World Cup champions and organising now the World Cup, had the good intention to give a gift to the members of the executive committee.
“The ethics committee has not opened any case against members and has only said please bring back these watches so it is a non-case and it has shown that our ethics committee is working.”
The culture of gift-giving is not new in international sports and Blatter made that very point. “When there is an international match delegations from Team A and Team B always exchanges items. In England, at the 150th anniversary of the Football Association, they have given gifts.”
But some of his comments are in contrast to others on FIFA’s ethics and compliance committees who say the watches – given to senior football leaders including Blatter and his executive committee – exceeded the permitted ‘trivial’ value.
Blatter conceded that FIFA needed a more specific guidance on the value of gifts. “What I want is that the compliance committee should give us guidelines when it comes to gifts as to what is permitted or not permitted.”
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