Blatter's Ducking And Diving Catches Up With Him
From the moment Sepp Blatter became FIFA
president in 1998 he has been dogged by
allegations of corruption, and calls from
inside football and out, to stand aside.
And for almost 20
years, he has managed
to stay one step ahead of his pursuers.
No matter how tight the corner he has always
found a way to slip the punch and fight on.
Whether it was allegations of bribery in his first
election campaign, accusations of financial
mismanagement in his second, or the
corruption scandal surrounding the award of
the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, he has managed
to stay on his feet.
Until now.
Video: Blatter: My Legacy Is A Good One
On Monday in Zurich, years of ducking and
weaving finally caught up with Blatter, as he
was banned for eight years for making a
£1.35m payment to Michel Platini that
amounted to an abuse of his position as
president.
With an irony that will have delighted his
opponents but appeared entirely lost on Blatter,
the ban was handed down by FIFA's Ethics
Committee, a body he established to try and
convince the world that he was committed to
cleaning up FIFA.
In the past it appeared to act as a hit-squad on
his behalf, taking out former allies like the rogue
Jack Warner when he posed a threat to Mr
Blatter's reputation, or Mohammed Bin
Hammam, his rival for the FIFA presidency in
2011.
Now it has targeted him, Blatter refuses to
accept the verdict, and suggests that someone
inside FIFA is pulling the trigger for their own
purpose.
It is hubris entirely in keeping with his
presidency and his leaving of it.
That was evident in his choice of venue for the
valedictory press conference.
Barred from FIFA's current premises, he rented
their former HQ above Lake Zurich, the building
he first walked into 40 years ago when he joined
the organisation.
In the same auditorium where he once hosted
Nelson Mandela (and was first asked if he
accepted bribes) he railed against the perceived
injustice of the verdict.
He continued to maintain his innocence when
he sat down with Sky News for his only UK
interview afterwards, but up close the toll this
has taken was clear.
Video: Who Might Replace Sepp Blatter?
In 15 years covering FIFA I have never seen
Blatter unshaven, but here he wore two days
growth, and a large plaster on his cheek
covering the mark of an operation to remove a
skin blemish.
And he claimed to have been driven close to
death by the pressure.
He railed against the usual targets - the media,
UEFA, governments - and even claimed "three-
quarters of the world's population" still supports
FIFA.
Perhaps only Blatter could still count his fans in
the billions on his darkest day.
In the same answer he said he was proud of his
work at FIFA, and particularly that more than
150 countries have benefited from billions in
development funds.
That ought be a source of pride.
FIFA should be one of the world's great global
institutions, taking billions in broadcast and
sponsorship income from the rich and using it
to support the poorer nations.
Instead, thanks to a lack of oversight and a
system based on presidential patronage
designed to keep him in power, Blatter's FIFA
has become a byword for corruption, and the
logo a badge of shame.
He vowed to fight on of course, and there will be
appeals, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
and to the civil courts, but even he must know
the knockout punch has finally landed.
president in 1998 he has been dogged by
allegations of corruption, and calls from
inside football and out, to stand aside.
And for almost 20
years, he has managed
to stay one step ahead of his pursuers.
No matter how tight the corner he has always
found a way to slip the punch and fight on.
Whether it was allegations of bribery in his first
election campaign, accusations of financial
mismanagement in his second, or the
corruption scandal surrounding the award of
the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, he has managed
to stay on his feet.
Until now.
Video: Blatter: My Legacy Is A Good One
On Monday in Zurich, years of ducking and
weaving finally caught up with Blatter, as he
was banned for eight years for making a
£1.35m payment to Michel Platini that
amounted to an abuse of his position as
president.
With an irony that will have delighted his
opponents but appeared entirely lost on Blatter,
the ban was handed down by FIFA's Ethics
Committee, a body he established to try and
convince the world that he was committed to
cleaning up FIFA.
In the past it appeared to act as a hit-squad on
his behalf, taking out former allies like the rogue
Jack Warner when he posed a threat to Mr
Blatter's reputation, or Mohammed Bin
Hammam, his rival for the FIFA presidency in
2011.
Now it has targeted him, Blatter refuses to
accept the verdict, and suggests that someone
inside FIFA is pulling the trigger for their own
purpose.
It is hubris entirely in keeping with his
presidency and his leaving of it.
That was evident in his choice of venue for the
valedictory press conference.
Barred from FIFA's current premises, he rented
their former HQ above Lake Zurich, the building
he first walked into 40 years ago when he joined
the organisation.
In the same auditorium where he once hosted
Nelson Mandela (and was first asked if he
accepted bribes) he railed against the perceived
injustice of the verdict.
He continued to maintain his innocence when
he sat down with Sky News for his only UK
interview afterwards, but up close the toll this
has taken was clear.
Video: Who Might Replace Sepp Blatter?
In 15 years covering FIFA I have never seen
Blatter unshaven, but here he wore two days
growth, and a large plaster on his cheek
covering the mark of an operation to remove a
skin blemish.
And he claimed to have been driven close to
death by the pressure.
He railed against the usual targets - the media,
UEFA, governments - and even claimed "three-
quarters of the world's population" still supports
FIFA.
Perhaps only Blatter could still count his fans in
the billions on his darkest day.
In the same answer he said he was proud of his
work at FIFA, and particularly that more than
150 countries have benefited from billions in
development funds.
That ought be a source of pride.
FIFA should be one of the world's great global
institutions, taking billions in broadcast and
sponsorship income from the rich and using it
to support the poorer nations.
Instead, thanks to a lack of oversight and a
system based on presidential patronage
designed to keep him in power, Blatter's FIFA
has become a byword for corruption, and the
logo a badge of shame.
He vowed to fight on of course, and there will be
appeals, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
and to the civil courts, but even he must know
the knockout punch has finally landed.
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