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Sepp Blatter's Fifa re-election concerns Europe Sepp Blatter: Europe's 'hate' campaign against Fifa
(about 4 hours later)
Many European football nations have reacted with concern to Sepp Blatter's re-election as Fifa president. Fifa president Sepp Blatter has condemned what he described as a "hate" campaign against football's world governing body by European officials.
Denmark's Football Association chief called it "a defeat for transparency" while England's FA Chairman said he might support a World Cup boycott. And he said he was "shocked" by the comments of US prosecutors following the arrests of Fifa officials under an American anti-corruption warrant.
However, the tournament's next host, Russia, said it was pleased with Mr Blatter's re-appointment. The 79-year-old Swiss was re-elected on Friday at a Fifa congress in Zurich.
Mr Blatter, 79, was re-elected on Friday, in a vote overshadowed by arrests and corruption allegations. European football governing body Uefa's president Michel Platini had urged Mr Blatter to step down ahead of the vote.
The Fifa election has taken place against the backdrop of the US's indictment of several Fifa officials and the launch of a separate Swiss criminal investigation. Mr Blatter's rival, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, forced a second round of voting on Friday but then withdrew. Mr Blatter won 133 to Prince Ali's 73 in the first round, just short of the 140 votes needed for an outright win.
On Saturday, US tax official Richard Weber told the New York Times he was "fairly confident that we will have another round of indictments". 'I forgive everyone'
On Wednesday, US prosecutors indicted 14 Fifa officials and associates, with seven arrested in a dawn raid at an upmarket hotel in Zurich. They are accused of bribery, racketeering and money-laundering involving tens of millions of dollars since 1991.
Meanwhile, Swiss authorities launched a separate criminal investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments to Russia and Qatar.
Spelling out details of the US case earlier this week, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said: "They corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves."
Ahead of Mr Blatter's comments on Saturday, US tax official Richard Weber told the New York Times he was "fairly confident that we will have another round of indictments".
But in an uncompromising interview with Swiss television station RTS on Saturday, Mr Blatter said he suspected the arrests were an attempt to "interfere with the congress" at which he was re-elected. "I am not certain, but it doesn't smell good," he said.
He noted that the US had lost out in the bidding for the 2022 World Cup to Qatar while England, another major critic, had lost out to Russia for the right to hold the 2018 World Cup - and that the US was the "number-one sponsor" of the state of Jordan, the homeland of defeated challenger for the Fifa presidency.
He also condemned the comments made by Ms Lynch and other US prosecutors, one of whom referred to a "World Cup of fraud".
Mr Blatter said: "Of course I am shocked. I would never as Fifa president make comments about another organisation without being certain of what has happened."
Mr Blatter was widely supported in Africa and Asia, and his re-election was welcomed by the hosts of the next World Cup, Russia.
'European muscle''European muscle'
Mr Blatter's rival, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, had forced a second round of voting but then withdrew. However, many European football associations have reacted with concern to Mr Blatter's re-election.
The European football body, Uefa, had backed Prince Ali, with president Michel Platini describing it as "a movement for change at Fifa". Uefa had backed Prince Ali, with Mr Platini describing his candidacy as "a movement for change at Fifa".
European FAs will meet at next week's Champions League final in Berlin to discuss their next move. In an apparent reference to Mr Platini's call for him to resign, Mr Blatter said: "It is a hate that comes not just from a person at Uefa, it comes from the Uefa organisation that cannot understand that in 1998 I became president."
Asked whether he would forgive Mr Platini for the calling on him to step down, Mr Blatter said: "I forgive everyone, but I do not forget."
European football associations will meet at next week's Champions League final in Berlin to discuss their next move.
"We have to see how best we can use the European muscle," Irish FA president John Delaney told RTE News."We have to see how best we can use the European muscle," Irish FA president John Delaney told RTE News.
Europe's seat at the next meeting of Fifa's powerful Executive Committee is expected to be empty, as newly-appointed representative David Gill had said before Friday's vote that he would resign if Mr Blatter was re-elected. Europe's seat at the next meeting of Fifa's powerful executive committee is expected to be empty, as newly appointed representative David Gill had said before Friday's vote that he would resign if Mr Blatter was re-elected.
England's FA chairman Greg Dyke said that he would consider a boycott of the World Cup if joined by other European nations.England's FA chairman Greg Dyke said that he would consider a boycott of the World Cup if joined by other European nations.
"This is not over by any means. To quote the [US] Attorney General this is the beginning of the process not the end," Mr Dyke told Sky News. "This is not over by any means. To quote the [US] attorney general this is the beginning of the process not the end," Mr Dyke said.
Meanwhile, Jesper Moller of Denmark's FA told reporters: "Blatter is too involved in all the allegations of corruption that have taken up much of his time as president. But we must, of course, respect the democratic vote."Meanwhile, Jesper Moller of Denmark's FA told reporters: "Blatter is too involved in all the allegations of corruption that have taken up much of his time as president. But we must, of course, respect the democratic vote."
'Let's go Fifa!'
In the first round of the vote in Zurich, Mr Blatter won 133 to Prince Ali's 73, just short of the 140 votes needed for an outright win.
However, Prince Ali then withdrew from the vote.
In his victory speech, Mr Blatter said: "I am not perfect, nobody is perfect, but we will do a good job together I am sure.
"I take the responsibility to bring back Fifa where it should be... Let's go Fifa! Let's go Fifa!"
He also hinted that this term in office, his fifth, could be his last, saying: "At the end of my term I will give up Fifa in a strong position."
Mr Blatter's re-election was welcomed by the hosts of the next World Cup, Russia.
"In general, of course we are pleased with the result. Russia was backing Blatter. We also believe... much needs to be done to change football," Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told state broadcaster Rossiya24.
Seven top Fifa officials were arrested in Switzerland on Wednesday as part of a US prosecution that indicted 14 people.
Those indicted in the US inquiry are accused of bribery, racketeering and money-laundering involving tens of millions of dollars since 1991.
The aim of the bribes was to influence the outcome of bids to stage football tournaments such as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2016 Copa America in the US, prosecutors say.
The seven arrested in Zurich - Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo (both Fifa vice-presidents), Eduardo Li, Rafael Esquivel, Jose Maria Marin, Costas Takkas and Julio Rocha - remain in Swiss detention pending US extradition proceedings.
They can appeal against their detention by 8 June, but Swiss justice officials told the Associated Press bail was unlikely.
The first of the 14 to be arraigned in a US court, sports executive Aaron Davidson, pleaded not guilty through his lawyer on Friday.
Swiss prosecutors have launched a separate investigation into the bidding process for the World Cup tournaments in 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar.