Wounded Fifa chief won’t quit
ONCE again Sepp Blatter, the most powerful bureaucrat in world football, finds himself the subject of ridicule, vitriol and calls to step down.
But once again, there is virtually no prospect of him doing anything other than riding out the storm and waiting for the next one.
A few months ago he and his organisation were pilloried after Fifa awarded the World Cup to Qatar, but carried on and was re-elected unopposed.
Just last week he was harangued over his organisation’s refusal to allow England to wear poppies on their shirts; again, he was unmoved.
It begs the question: what would it take for Blatter to decide he had to go? Apparently upsetting the odd politically correct person is not a huge concern to the former president of the World Society of the Friends of Suspenders.
However, were one of Fifa’s major sponsors to decide against renewing their contract in protest at his comments, it would surely change the landscape. Sadly, there has been no such condemnation.
But Michel Platini, the president of European governing body Uefa and Blatter’s likely heir, was conspicuous by his silence.
Even the statements put out by Premier League chairmen and the Football Association, while reiterating an anti-racism stance, refused to condemn Blatter directly.
While there is such a lack of appetite within the football world to confront the man, there is virtually no hope of him going before he is ready.