Blatter Believes FA are out to destroy FIFA

Tue 30th Aug 2011 | FIFA

FIFA president Blatter believes the FA have failed to accept the ousting of Sir Stanley Rous as the organisation's head in 1974.

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.

It 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 investigation by the Sunday Times newspaper which led to the suspension of ExCo members Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu last year.

Blatter promised to reform FIFA in the wake of Bin Hammam's suspension - he has subsequently been banned for life after being found guilty of bribery - and has promised to make an announcement in that regard in October.

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

"This animosity comes from England," he said.

"See the timing of the accusations (against FIFA 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."

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