Sepp Blatter, the former president of FIFA, criticized Infantino’s decision to present the FIFA Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump in an interview with the German publication “Spiegel”. He also questioned the plan of the current president of FIFA to transfer part of the commercial rights of the World Cup to the private sector; The plan was abandoned after a massive wave of opposition.
90-year-old Blatter said about the current state of FIFA: “FIFA is suffering. “It is currently being led by someone who has allowed them to not see the reality.”
He called the FIFA Peace Prize a “shameful” act and stated: “Why should he do such a thing? Infantino gives a peace prize to someone who will soon start a war against Iran? This is madness.”
The former president of FIFA also believes that Infantino won’t have a difficult time in getting the support of national federations in the presidential elections of this body. “He is telling the national federations: if you vote for me, you will receive much more money than before,” Blatter said. He is a dictator. People at FIFA tell me that no one is allowed to ride in the elevator with him. He is an unattainable person and no one can approach him.”
Blatter went on to criticize Infantino’s business plans and said: “He no longer knows any boundaries and does not understand these issues at all. “Maybe one day it is necessary to send Infantino to a psychiatric ward.”
Blatter, who was the FIFA president from 1998 to 2015, resigned after allegations of corruption. He faced charges including trying to buy votes in the FIFA presidential election, but was eventually acquitted in two courts. However, the FIFA ethics committee banned him from football activities. Blatter emphasized in this interview that he has no regrets about his time as president of this institution.
The former president of FIFA also criticized the organization’s decision to revoke the red card of Folarin Balogan, the striker of the American national team, after Trump’s intervention on the eve of one of the crucial matches of the World Cup. He said: “The story of the red card is the worst part of the story. “Statutes can be interpreted, but the rules of the game must be applied equally to everyone and cannot be interpreted arbitrarily.”
In another part of the interview, Blatter named Sebastian Coe, president of the World Athletics Federation, as his preferred option to replace Infantino. At the same time, Kozo Tashima, the Japanese football official, has also announced his intention to compete with Infantino in the FIFA presidential elections. Blatter said about his choice: “It doesn’t matter who is nominated; The important issue is that the current president is not elected again. Ko was the head of FIFA’s ethics committee and has a strong personality. “It will be a good thing to elect a president from the motherland of football, England.”
Blatter announced at the end that he has not had any conversation with Infantino since the beginning of 2016. The French news agency also announced that it has contacted the organization to get FIFA’s reaction to the statements of the former president of this organization.
Also read: Trump’s big trouble for FIFA; Remove or redefine this award!
