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UEFA Says It Won’t Boycott Vote Expected to Re-Elect Sepp Blatter as FIFA President European Soccer Body Drops Threat to Boycott FIFA Vote
(35 minutes later)
European soccer officials said on Thursday that they would not boycott an election that is widely expected to lead to a fifth term as FIFA president for Sepp Blatter, despite their intensified opposition to his candidacy. European soccer officials said on Thursday that they would not boycott an election that is widely expected to lead to a fifth term as FIFA president for Sepp Blatter, despite a criminal inquiry that has intensified their opposition to his candidacy.
After leading an emergency meeting with representatives from FIFA’s six regional confederations to discuss a criminal inquiry by the United States earlier in the day, Blatter rebuffed a call from Michel Platini, Europe’s top soccer official, to step down before the election on Friday. After leading an emergency meeting earlier in the day with representatives from FIFA’s six regional confederations to discuss the inquiry, which has plunged soccer’s governing body into crisis mode, Blatter rebuffed a call from Michel Platini, Europe’s top soccer official, to step down.
Platini, the top soccer official in Europe, said a majority of the member countries in UEFA, which oversees soccer in Europe, would support the only challenger to Blatter, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, although the outcome is widely seen as a foregone conclusion because of Blatter’s support among other federations, most notably in the developing world. Platini said a majority of the member countries in UEFA, which oversees soccer in Europe, would support the only challenger to Blatter, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, although the outcome of the election is widely seen as a foregone conclusion because of Blatter’s support among other federations, most notably in the developing world.
Platini said he believed that Blatter could be defeated after being engulfed by the scandal. “Before what happened yesterday, No. But after what happened recently, I think enough is enough and a number of people think likewise,” Platini told reporters. “There is a radical change in the mind-set of a number of heads of associations,” he added. Platini said he believed that Blatter could be defeated after being engulfed by the scandal. “Before what happened yesterday, no. But after what happened recently, I think enough is enough and a number of people think likewise,” Platini told reporters. “There is a radical change in the mind-set of a number of heads of associations,” he added.
Platini said Hussein was qualified to be president, and he seemed to suggest that he had the added virtue of being resistant to corruption. “Prince Ali has all the qualities to be president,” he said. “He is young, he is ambitious, he is a man who can do well. He doesn’t need money; he is a prince.”Platini said Hussein was qualified to be president, and he seemed to suggest that he had the added virtue of being resistant to corruption. “Prince Ali has all the qualities to be president,” he said. “He is young, he is ambitious, he is a man who can do well. He doesn’t need money; he is a prince.”
Blatter, 79, has been confronted with the toughest challenge of his long career after the American authorities announced on Wednesday a sweeping investigation against current and former soccer officials and marketing executives who they said had engaged in corruption over two decades, including murky deals and $150 million in bribes. Blatter was not among the 14 men indicted in the inquiry.Blatter, 79, has been confronted with the toughest challenge of his long career after the American authorities announced on Wednesday a sweeping investigation against current and former soccer officials and marketing executives who they said had engaged in corruption over two decades, including murky deals and $150 million in bribes. Blatter was not among the 14 men indicted in the inquiry.
Blatter has always managed to stay above the fray, even as accusations of corruption swirled around the organization that he leads, but the investigation has threatened to complicate his bid for a fifth term as president.Blatter has always managed to stay above the fray, even as accusations of corruption swirled around the organization that he leads, but the investigation has threatened to complicate his bid for a fifth term as president.
On Thursday, the fallout from the scandal continued to reverberate as soccer federations, sponsors and countries responded to the investigation, and Blatter’s opponents and supporters jockeyed for position. On Thursday, the fallout from the scandal continued to reverberate as soccer federations, sponsors and national governments responded to the investigation, and Blatter’s opponents and supporters jockeyed for position.
“President Blatter apologizes for not being able to come today because of the turbulences you have heard about,” said FIFA’s chief medical officer, Michel D’Hooghe of Belgium, Reuters reported, after Blatter declined to make a previously scheduled appearance at a medical conference on Thursday.“President Blatter apologizes for not being able to come today because of the turbulences you have heard about,” said FIFA’s chief medical officer, Michel D’Hooghe of Belgium, Reuters reported, after Blatter declined to make a previously scheduled appearance at a medical conference on Thursday.
UEFA held an emergency meeting in Warsaw on Wednesday and has called for the vote on Friday to be postponed. The Asian Football Confederation, however, said on Thursday that it “reiterates its decision” to support Blatter’s candidacy and called for the election to proceed, and it was joined later in the day by the CAF, the governing body of African football, which said in a statement that it was opposed to any postponement. UEFA, which has called for the vote on Friday to be postponed, held an emergency meeting in Warsaw on Wednesday. The Asian Football Confederation, however, said on Thursday that it “reiterates its decision” to support Blatter’s candidacy and called for the election to proceed, and it was joined later in the day by the CAF, the governing body of African football, which said in a statement that it was opposed to any postponement.
UEFA has characterized the arrests and investigation as a “disaster” for FIFA that has tarnished the image of soccer as a whole. In a statement issued after its meeting in Warsaw, it said there was a need for the whole of FIFA to be “rebooted.” It said members of the body’s Executive Committee were convinced that “there is a strong need for a change to the leadership of this FIFA.” UEFA has characterized the arrests and investigation as a “disaster” for FIFA that has tarnished the image of soccer. In a statement issued after its meeting in Warsaw, it said there was a need for the whole of FIFA to be “rebooted.” It said members of the body’s Executive Committee were convinced that “there is a strong need for a change to the leadership of this FIFA.”
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia entered the debate on Thursday, accusing the United States of intervening outside its jurisdiction by pursuing the case against senior FIFA officials, who he noted were not American citizens. The Russian president said he supported Blatter’s approach to running global soccer and that the American investigation appeared to be a blatant attempt to stifle Blatter’s re-election. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia entered the debate on Thursday, accusing the United States of intervening outside its jurisdiction by pursuing the case against senior FIFA officials, who he noted are not American citizens. The Russian president said he supported Blatter’s approach to running global soccer and that the American investigation appeared to be a blatant attempt to stifle Blatter’s re-election.
Alluding to the former N.S.A. contractor Edward J. Snowden, who has sought asylum in Russia, and to the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the Russian president said the arrests constituted “another blatant attempt by the United States to extend its jurisdiction to other states.” Alluding to the former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden, who has sought asylum in Russia, and to the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the Russian president said the arrests constituted “another blatant attempt by the United States to extend its jurisdiction to other states.”
FIFA sponsors, including Adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa, are calling for soccer’s governing body to change the way it operates, and on Thursday, a World Cup sponsor, Hyundai Motor, also registered its disapproval. The South Korean company said it was “extremely concerned” by the corruption charges.FIFA sponsors, including Adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa, are calling for soccer’s governing body to change the way it operates, and on Thursday, a World Cup sponsor, Hyundai Motor, also registered its disapproval. The South Korean company said it was “extremely concerned” by the corruption charges.
Blatter has been at FIFA for 40 years, the past 17 of them as president. Although he has been praised for extending soccer’s global reach, he has also been criticized for an authoritarian style and for fostering an opaque corporate culture that some critics say allowed corruption to thrive. Blatter has been at FIFA for 40 years, the past 17 of them as president. Although he has been praised for extending soccer’s global reach, he has also been criticized for an authoritarian style and for fostering an opaque institutional culture that some critics say allowed corruption to thrive.
South Africa on Thursday denied any wrongdoing after accusations made in the American indictment that a $10 million bribe had helped secure the country as host for the 2010 World Cup, news reports said. Federal prosecutors have accused Jack Warner, a committee member from Trinidad and Tobago and a former FIFA vice president, of offering his vote to the highest bidder, and then using much of the $10 million payout from South Africa for personal use. South Africa denied any wrongdoing on Thursday after it was reported that the American indictment suggested that a $10 million bribe had helped the country be named host for the 2010 World Cup. Federal prosecutors have accused Jack Warner, a committee member from Trinidad and Tobago and a former FIFA vice president, of offering his vote to the highest bidder, and then using much of the $10 million payout from South Africa for personal use.
South Africa’s sports minister, Fikile Mbalula, was quoted by Reuters as saying that the government had yet to receive an indictment from American prosecutors that included a link to South Africans. The minister also said that the 2010 World Cup funds had been accounted for and audited and that “no such amount has been found,” according to Reuters.South Africa’s sports minister, Fikile Mbalula, was quoted by Reuters as saying that the government had yet to receive an indictment from American prosecutors that included a link to South Africans. The minister also said that the 2010 World Cup funds had been accounted for and audited and that “no such amount has been found,” according to Reuters.
According to the indictment, when FIFA was considering which country would host the 2010 World Cup, Warner sent a relative to a Paris hotel room to collect a briefcase filled with cash in $10,000 stacks from a committee official for the South African bid. According to the indictment, when FIFA was considering which country should host the 2010 World Cup, Warner sent a relative to a Paris hotel room to collect a briefcase filled with cash in $10,000 stacks from a committee official for the South African bid.