UEFA undermines Blatter bid to turn FIFA into fortress

John Bagratuni, dpa

Blatter, 78, aims to get approval from the delegates of FIFA's 209 members at the Tuesday/Wednesday meeting to run for a fifth term next year although he had originally planned to step down in 2015.

But in an act close to open rebellion, the Swiss was bluntly told during a visit to a UEFA meeting by Dutch football boss Michael van Praag and England's Greg Dyke that he should leave next year because FIFA's reputation has been tarnished under his leadership.

"I said this is nothing personal but if you look at the reputation of FIFA in the last seven, eight years: people link FIFA to corruption and bribery, to all kinds of old boys network things. FIFA has an executive president and in the end that means you are responsible," Van Praag told reporters about what he said to Blatter.

UEFA president Michel Platini has so far not said whether he plans to run for the FIFA top job next year. On Tuesday, Platini strolled past the waiting media after the meeting, hands in pockets, saying only: "Bonjour, et au revoir." (Hello and good bye).

Even though Blatter and Platini briefly embraced later during the congress opening, the UEFA move has heavily undermined Blatter's attempt of turning FIFA into a fortress on the eve of the Brazil 2014 World Cup, which has made many headlines over construction delays and protests against the government and FIFA.

Even worse, Britain's Sunday Times has published fresh corruption allegations in connection with the vote for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup, with former top official Mohammed Bin Hammam of Qatar reportedly splashing out millions of dollars to win African and Asian votes ahead of the December 2010 World Cup ballot.

Africa and Asia are also important for Blatter if he wants to be re-elected, and the Swiss lamented before these confederations on Monday what he sees as a campaign against FIFA by the British media.

"Sadly, there's a great deal of discrimination and racism, and this hurts me," he told the Africans, while saying "we must maintain unity" when addressing the Asian meeting.

The African confederation even swiftly adopted a resolution against the "repeated, deliberately hateful, defamatory and   degrading attacks by some media, notably British, on the image   and the integrity of the Confederation of African Football,   its president ... and the entire African continent."

Blatter said his fire was still burning at a time when FIFA needs strong leadership - and swiftly promised more funds for the confederations from the huge World Cup revenues.

While he received ovations at the other five confederations, his presence at UEFA took place in a cool atmosphere.

Dyke bluntly spoke out against Blatter over the racism allegations at the UEFA meeting, which according to eyewitnesses did not go down well with the FIFA boss, who did not counter them but is also not used to open confrontation from other officials.

And Van Praag said: "You don't put it easy on yourself as well. All of a sudden you say that Qatar was the wrong choice which means that you blame your executive committee. Yesterday you said something about racism regarding Qatar so people tend to not take you seriously anymore. That is not good for FIFA, not good for the game. 

"Yes, you are leading the reforms now but all those problems occurred in your presidency before. So I believe you should not run anymore. It is not good for FIFA, not good for the game."

Blatter put himself atop a reform movement over corruption allegations around FIFA and now collapsed marketing and rights partners ISL, as well as on the World Cup host voting from 2010.

The 53 European federations can at least considerably disturb Blatter's plan to go for a fifth term via acclamation on Wednesday.

Whether or not others oppose Blatter remains to be seen at the congress which was opened Tuesday night in the absence of Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff.

The working session is Wednesday but has been completely overshadowed by the Qatar issue and FIFA power struggle.

As a result, the reform process will not end in Sao Paulo as planned. Important issues such as limits for terms in office of FIFA top officials will only see general votes and deferred to the 2015 congress in Zurich which will also see the presidential election.