By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent, in Mauritius
May 31 – In one of the most direct speeches of his 15-year FIFA presidency, Sepp Blatter today launched a tough-talking and passionate defence of his organisation’s efforts to eliminate corruption whilst attacking the scourge of racism in football in similar fashion.
As FIFA’s 209 member associations prepared to vote on a series of sweeping reforms that have taken two painstaking years to finalise, Blatter denounced critics who said FIFA had not gone far enough and insisted the measures would determine the very future of world football’s governing body.
In his official address to the FIFA Congress in Mauritius, one of the most significant in FIFA’s history following a spate of unprecedented scandals over the last two years, Blatter admitted he and his organisation had been “through difficult times” that “have been a test for the world of football and those who lead it”.
Insisting there would be stricter accountability from now on, he charged: “There are those who have openly criticised what we are doing and who say we have not gone far enough, that we have evaded difficult decisions and have buried our heads in the sand.”
In a veiled swipe at UEFA and its president Michel Platini, who has been vocal in his criticism of the reform process, Blatter added: “Reforming this great organisation is not about one person or one interest group dictating to everyone else. It is about 209 nations and voices moving forward. We have more than met the challenge. I would be lying if I said it has been easy. It has not. We had to ask ourselves some tough questions. But these are sweeping and hard-hitting reforms that will change our organisation for the better and place FIFA at the forefront of governance in the world of sport.”
Blatter, who still seems undecided whether to stand for a fifth term of office, couldn’t resist taking some personal credit for the so-called road map to reform. “This final batch of reforms will mark the pinnacle of 15 years of evolution…making FIFA more transparent, stable and accountable. I take this extremely seriously and have never flinched from even in the most desperate of times.”
Promising “punishments for those who let us and football down,” Blatter went on to cite the various statute-changing measures agreed – with the notable exception of age and term limits, the issue that has caused so much controversy this week with UEFA angry that its own blueprint for change will not be implemented.
“For me, if we are going to introduce such limits they have to be brought in across the board,” said Blatter. “You can’t have one rule for one, and one rule for everyone else. That would be the wrong message to send to the world.”
Blatter urged delegates to “make your own mark on history by passing the final reform package…to safeguard the future of the game and give football a solid foundation. Right here, right now.”
Turning to racism, Blatter explained exactly why the adoption of strict new penalties recommended in a hard-hitting resolution presented by FIFA’s newly established anti-racism Task Force headed by CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb was so important.
“There have been despicable events this year that have cast a long shadow over football and the rest of society,” said Blatter. “I am talking about the politics of hate, racism, ignorance, discrimination, intolerance and small-minded prejudice.”
“This has no place in football. The very essence of the sport is one of unity and equality. The ball does not discriminate and neither should we. We must set a tough and uncompromising example. The resolution before you sends a strong signal to the racists that they have done their time and are finished.”
The game’s other “devil”, a word often used by Blatter, was fixing matches for financial gain. Blatter said FIFA needed help from governments and the public authorities but said match-fixing could be stopped “in 24 hours” if players, coaches and referees came forward whenever they are approached to fix matches – a laudable plea but sadly impractical, in the short term at least, given the victims’ personal vulnerability.
Within minutes of Blatter’s speech, the anti-racism resolution – due to come into effect on June 1 and covering players, officials and fans – was adopted by Congress though not quite unanimously.
Bizarrely, one unidentified federation voted against and there appeared to be two abstentions. “It should have been 100% but there will not be a revote,” said a somewhat bemused Blatter.
The new measures – which apply to FIFA competitions but which Webb insists must be followed by domestic leagues to have real bite – include minimum five-match bans against players guilty of racial abuse, stadium closures, points deductions, relegation and/or being thrown out of competitions, plus hand-picked specialists in stadiums to identify discrimination. (http://www.insideworldfootball.com/fifa/12608-exclusive-webb-s-anti-racism-task-force-gets-tough-with-sanction-demands)
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