Football
ESPN staff 9y

Sepp Blatter: FIFA storm has not reached hurricane strength

Sepp Blatter says that he will lead FIFA back to "calmer waters" and that the storm has not yet reached "hurricane strength" after being re-elected for a fifth term as president.

Blatter, who beat Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan in Friday's election after his opponent withdrew before a second round of voting, has come under intense pressure in recent days after the U.S. justice department indicted 14 officials related to football on corruption charges.

The FIFA president spoke to Swiss TV to attack the U.S. authorities for the timing of their arrests, while also taking time to hit out at UEFA president Michel Platini who had called on him to resign.

However, at his news conference in Zurich on Saturday morning, Blatter focused on the future and vowed to work to bring FIFA back onto firmer footing.

"We will take our boat back into calmer water and take the FIFA ship back into tranquility and happiness," he said. "I'll take responsibility for the storm but I will share it with the executive committee because it's the government that has to take responsibility.

"The fallout of this storm is still here. It hasn't attained hurricane strength but it has been strong."

Asked why he had not resigned over the arrests over FIFA corruption, Blatter responded: "It is very easy, you have seen the results of the Congress and they think that I am still the man to solve these problems.

"I am here as president of FIFA, I will continue my work, I will continue to fight for good things and, as I said, it is now my duty to live up to a lot of responsibilities. But I am not alone. The executive committee has said it is with me."

U.S. investigators claim that in the early 2000s, the South African government promised to pay $10 million to former FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president Jack Warner -- who surrendered to police after U.S. authorities filed corruption charges against him and 13 others -- and his co-conspirators in exchange for winning the hosting rights for the tournament.

Asked specifically about that bribe, and whether it was he who paid it, Blatter said: "If such a thing is somewhere in investigations, let the investigation go. Definitely, that's not me."

Blatter also confirmed that the fact that the U.S. have led the investigations will not affect their chances of a bid for the 2026 World Cup.

"I am the president of everybody and those associations that have been against me, so they will have no impact, in my view," he said. "When it comes to personal attacks, I say yes, I was affected."

Blatter added that FIFA has taken action to reassure its sponsors after concerns were expressed -- VISA threatened to reassess its agreement if changes were not brought in.

He added: "We have had contact with the sponsors last week when such declaration came. We have exchanged letters and we start to bring back the reputation of FIFA. I'm sure we will bring them back all in the right situation and have planned a personal visit to the organisation of these sponsors.''

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