Sepp Blatter has refused to resign as Fifa president

0

sep

Sepp Blatter has refused to resign as Fifa president following a request from Uefa chief Michel Platini.

The 79-year-old Swiss held an emergency meeting with key Fifa officials on Thursday after world football?s governing body body was subjected to yet more damaging corruption claims.Platini then made a personal appeal for Blatter to quit.

He said he addressed Blatter ?like a friend? but that the Fifa boss had told him it was ?too late? to resign.

The Frenchman added that the latest crisis had left him ?absolutely sickened? and said ?people have had enough?.

Blatter is seeking a fifth term as president when he takes on Prince Ali bin al-Hussein in Friday?s election.

Several influential football figures had called for the vote delayed after seven Fifa officials were arrested in Zurich on Wednesday.

But Uefa, which governs European football, decided on Thursday not to boycott the election and will continue to back Prince Ali, although some member associations, like Russia, have said they will back Blatter.

Caf, which looks after the interests of Africa, has also reiterated its support for Blatter.

So has the Asian Football Confederation, although one of its members, the Australian football federation, has announced its intention to vote for Prince Ali.

?A big, big big majority of the European associations will vote for Prince Ali,? said Platini.

?People have had enough, they don?t want this president any more.?

Dutch FA boss and former presidential candidate Michael van Praag ? who pulled out of the running so as not to split the anti-Blatter vote ? said: ?He is the end responsible person in Fifa. You cannot always continue washing your hands.?

Fifa was plunged into fresh crisis on Wednesday when United States authorities indicted 14 people and arrested seven senior football officials on bribery and racketeering charges.

In a separate development, Swiss officials opening criminal proceedings into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid processes.

Blatter?s decision to chair an emergency meeting with representatives from Fifa?s six confederations is significant.

Such gatherings are rare.

It also took place without two of its nominated members.

Jeffrey Webb, president of the North, Central American and Caribbean Association, and Eugenio Figueredo, president of the South American confederation, were both absent after being arrested on Wednesday.

Blatter, who has been in power since 1998, was widely expected to win a fifth term as president before the current crisis engulfed Fifa.

But things are not so clear cut now.

He is understood to have widespread support among Fifa?s 209 member associations, but Prince Ali, a Fifa vice-president from Jordan, could benefit from the latest crisis to his world football?s governing body.

Prime Minister David Cameron and English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke joined those calling for Blatter to step down.

Britain?s David Gill also says he will resign from Fifa?s executive committee if Blatter is re-elected.

But support for the president came from Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has claimed the United States is meddling in Fifa?s affairs in an attempt to take the 2018 World Cup away from his country.

No, it?s not. Fifa?s entire future appears to be at stake.

Its reputation has been sullied by corruption claims for years now.

However, there is a sense that these latest developments could have a seismic impact on the footballing landscape.

Let?s remember, there are two investigations here.

One is led by the United States, which is focusing on bribery claims going back more than 20 years and involving several key Fifa figures.

The other, led by Swiss authorities, is focusing on potential wrongdoing when voting took place for 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting rights.

Very. Seven Fifa officials were arrested in Zurich on Wednesday on charges they received more than $150m (?100m) in bribes.

Among them was Fifa vice-president Webb, a hugely influential figure who holds a lot of power in North America and the Caribbean.

In total, 14 defendants were charged by the US Department of Justice with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies in a 24-year scheme.

Jack Warner, a former Fifa vice-president who quit world football?s governing body in 2011, was also among them.

The US is trying to extradite all seven officials arrested in Zurich. Unsurprisingly, all seven are fighting such a move.

It seems unlikely that either Russia or Qatar will be stripped of the tournaments at this stage, although anything is possible.

Despite Fifa?s numerous attempts to prove the bidding process was fair, rumours persist that not everything was above board.

The latest development have only added to the speculation.

Naturally, both Russia, who were awarded the rights to stage the 2018 tournament, and Qatar, who will host the 2022 event, are fighting hard.

Both have always insisted that they won their bids fair and square.

Yes. The tournament was always going to be in Africa, but South Africa was chosen ahead of Egypt and Morocco.

However, the US investigation claims South African officials paid $10m (?6.5m) in bribes to host the tournament.

That has prompted a furious reaction from the South African government.

?When we concluded the Fifa World Cup here in South Africa, we got a clean audit report,? said Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe. ?There has never been any suggestion that anything untoward happened.?

As you?d expect, it is working overtime to calm fears it is in meltdown.

Fifa director of communications Walter De Gregorio tried hard to put a positive spin on developments on Wednesday.

But not everyone believed him when he claimed the investigations proved Fifa was on the right track.

In an attempt to be proactive, Fifa has already banned 11 of the 14 people charged by the US Department of Justice.

But it is coming under increasing pressure from unhappy sponsors.

Visa. It says it will ?reassess? its sponsorship unless Fifa takes ?swift and immediate steps? to address the latest accusations.

Coca-Cola, Adidas, Nike and McDonalds have also voiced concern.

John Whittingdale, Britain?s Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, has urged all sponsors to ?consider following Visa?s lead?.

It?s fair to say that the loss of a high-profile sponsor would have a damaging impact on Fifa, both in terms of revenue and reputation.

Source: BBC

Send your news stories to [email protected] Follow News Ghana on Google News

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here