Blatter Distances Himself From Confederations, Reality

In a new interview with right-wing Swiss publication Weltwoche, FIFA president Sepp Blatter maintains that he has done nothing wrong as head of world soccer’s scandal-riddengoverning body. Coincidentally, the interview came out on the same day (Thursday) that FIFA’s ethics committee banned former CONCACAF head Chuck Blazer from soccer for life.

As the AP points out, Blazer’s expulsion from the world of soccer wasbasically a formality given that he pled guilty in May to racketeering and tax evasion charges during his time as Concacaf general secretary and a FIFA executive committee member. With Blazer’sban in mind, you have to wonder what will happen to the 14 soccer and sports marketing execs similarly indicted by American officials around the same time on bribery, money laundering and wire fraudcharges once they are brought before the American justice system?

Of course, Blazer, an FBI informant since 2011, led the U.S. authorities to these men. The question now is: can he or one ofthe 14 indicted lead U.S. authorities to Blatter?

Judging by theinterview, published Thursday, FIFA’s supreme leader isn’t too concerned. His main argument: “There is no wangling under the direct influence of FIFA. But our influence over contractsconcluded by the confederations is practically zero.”

In other words, Blatter is saying that FIFA, the organization that touts itself as the governing body for the world’s game, has scantinfluence over the actions of the confederations that report to it.

Well, if that’s the case, then what good are FIFA and its president, exactly?

Is Off The Post the only one whothinks this sounds absolutely ridiculous?

But wait, there’s more: after absolving himself and his organization from any responsibility for the actions of its confederations, Blatteroffers the following (trite) explanation: “It is impossible to stamp out robbery and murder, even with a functioning courts system down to community level. Football is not better than oursociety.”

Even if FIFA is not, as he says, directly responsible for the actions of Blazer, Jack Warner and the rest of the indicted current and former confederation members, it has tobe Blatter and FIFA’s job to try and fight against such corruption. However, corruption during his five-term presidency has actually blossomed, and now the whole ship is sinking under the weightof it. And what does the captain say? He throws his hands up in the air and says ‘it wasn’t my fault.’ 

For a guy who was powerful enough to be re-elected FIFA presidenton five occasions while shaking off calls from his detractors for presidential term limits, this is pretty weak stuff, indeed. Then again, according to Blatter, his many (and growing) detractors arejust jealous of him. 

“This envy has been festering for years,” he said. “Envy is a predicate to jealousy. And jealousy is rooted in love. This can however turn to hate. Andthat’s what happened when this tsunami hit us two days before the congress.”

OTP isn’t exactly sure what Blatter is trying to say here, although he gathers it’s moreself-important drivel about how the enormous love the world has for him turned to hate following the latest FIFA scandal, and that everyone is really just jealous of him. Or something.

At thevery least, the Weltwoche interview reveals that aside from the interviewee’s smug, sarcastic answers, Blatter still does not intend to stand for election at the FIFA Congress scheduledto be held between December and February 2016. Blatter says it is “in principle not” possible that he would remain head of FIFA despite having received the backing of the African and Asianconfederations.

Then again, this “in principle not” business could also be construed as another way out for the crafty Swiss should he decide to change his mind, again.