Soccer’s King Maker Speaks

Sepp Blatter has been re-elected president of the international governing body of soccer – FIFA, despite negative headlines, corruption scandals and arrests allegation charges which have engulfed the organization.

Seven top officials of the organization were arrested in Switzerland last week as part of a U.S. prosecution that indicted 14 people.

In the midst of the current turmoil which rocks the organization, Mr Blatter, 79, has faced strong opposition and calls for his resignation.

However, Blatter has prevailed by winning the majority of votes among FIFA’s affiliate members in an election held in Zurich, Switzerland.

This means that Blatter will remain at the helm of the organization for his fifth consecutive term, which spans a 17 year period.

In his victory speech, Mr Blatter said: “I am the president now, the president of everybody.”

In a rambling speech, according to press reports, Blatter reportedly claimed that FIFA would not be at the center of the FBI investigation if two other countries had been chosen for the next two World Cups — wink, wink — U.S.A and U.K.

“They call into question the world Cups of 2018 and 2022. In December 2010, here in Zurich, when we decided on the two World Cups in one session,” said Blatter.

“If two other countries had emerged from the envelopes, we would not have these problems today.”

“But we can’t go back in time, we are not prophets. We can’t say what would have happened,” he continued.

Blatter noted that the current event which has overshadowed the organization should not distract the organization from its goals.

He said, “I am willing to accept FIFA is responsible but share the responsibility with the Exco committee which is our government.

“We are at a turning point. We need to pull together and move forward. We cannot constantly supervise everybody.”

‘We have more than 300million active participants and we have 1.6 billion people touched by our game.

“Football and FIFA have become very important. And you the national associations are the shareholders and owners of this. But for this to work there needs to be discipline.”

“It’s a matter of trust. Let us repair what has blown down. Let the boat go placidly into port,” Blatter concluded.