Blatter accuses FA of trying to destroy Fifa presidency

The Football Association failed in their call for a delay to the Fifa presidential elections at the start of June after Blatter’s only rival for the post, Mohamed Bin Hammam, was suspended over allegations of bribery.

That followed accusations of corruption against members of Fifa’s executive commitee made by former FA chairman Lord Triesman during a parliamentary select committee hearing in May and an undercover Sunday newspaper investigation which led to the suspension of Fifa executive committee members Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu last year.

Blatter promised to reform Fifa in the wake of Bin Hammam’s suspension – the Qatari has subsequently been banned for life after being found guilty of bribery – and the president promised to make an announcement in that regard in October.

But, in an interview with Brazilian newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo, he criticised anti-FIFA sentiment he believes has existed in England for a long time and which was reinforced by the failure of their 2018 World Cup bid.

Blatter said: “This animosity comes from England. See the timing of the accusations [by Triesman] – it was precisely when they lost the right to host the 2018 World Cup. Three weeks before the election for president, the charges emerged. You know, I’ll tell the truth. All this is still a revenge for having lost the presidency of Fifa in 1974 to Joao Havelange. They still do not accept that they no longer control Fifa. Since they could not regain the presidency, they decided they would destroy it.”

Asked how FIFA would now respond to the corruption exposed in the Bin Hammam case, Blatter added: “What I have to say about it is this – we have bad losers in Fifa.

“We must say that some key players in Fifa have not acted well. But we have begun to act. Now, I ask that the press gives us some time to implement the measures we are developing. On October 21 I will announce (new) measures.”

Meanwhile, Asian Football Confederation vice-president Yousuf al-Serkal has put himself forward to replace the suspended bin Hammam as head of the organisation.

Bin Hammam remains nominally in charge of the AFC while he launches legal challenges against his lifetime ban from Fifa for allegedly buying votes in his failed bid to replace Blatter as Fifa president.

Until now, The AFC has delayed filling the presidency while the appeals continue.

But al-Serkal, an official with the United Arab Emirates FA, says he intends to run for the position.

He told Sports News TV “now is the opportunity” for him to replace Bin Hammam because “I have more to offer Asian football as a president.”