Sepp Blatter is sooo Sepp Blatter, isn’t he?
The Fifa president has been something of a ghost over the last 36 hours after seven Fifa officials were held in a US inquiry yesterday.
But Blatter finally made an appearance today as he spoke at the opening ceremony of Fifa’s congress where he surprisingly* played down his responsibility in the corruption allegations.
“We cannot allow the reputation of Fifa to be dragged through the mud any longer,” Blatter said. “It has to stop here and now.”
Blatter is hoping for re-election as president tomorrow and has just one challenger in the form of Price Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.
Reminder of Blatter response to media reports of corruption after 2018/22 vote: “There are no rotten eggs. We are financially clean & clear”
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKayTimes) May 28, 2015
“I know a lot of people hold me responsible for the actions and reputations of the global football community, whether it is the decision of hosting a World Cup or a corruption scandal,” Blatter added.
“We, or I, cannot monitor everyone all of the time. If people want to do wrong, they will also try to hide it. But it must also fall to me to be responsible for the reputation of our entire organization, and to find a way to fix things.
“I will not allow the actions of a few to damage the reputation of Fifa.”
“The actions of individuals bring shame and humiliation on football and demand action and change from us all.
“We cannot allow the reputation of football to be dragged through the mud and it has to stop here, now.
“Many people hold me ultimately responsible for the global football community… I cannot monitor everyone all the time. If people want to do wrong they will also try to hide it.”
So essentially, he’s saying.
*Not surprising in the least.
