Don’t go for rerun—UEFA tells Blatter

AP Sports News Jun - 11 - 2014 , 05:20

European football leaders yesterday told FIFA President Sepp Blatter he should leave office next year.

Blatter faced a hostile UEFA membership which bucked the trend of overwhelming support from FIFA's other five continents, who urged the 78-year-old Swiss this week to run for a fifth presidential term next year — despite a slew of scandals and negative headlines under his leadership.

UEFA executive committee member Michael van Praag and English Football Association President Greg Dyke directly challenged Blatter not to stand again during a closed-door meeting of Europe's 54 football nations — described by one delegate as “a grilling.”

''People link FIFA to corruption and bribery and all kinds of old boy's networks,'' Van Praag told reporters later.

“FIFA has an executive president and that means you are responsible,” the Netherlands federation president told Blatter. “People tend not to take you very seriously anymore.”

UEFA members reminded Blatter he promised them in March 2011 that his current four-year term would be his last.

UEFA board members lined up later to list grievances with Blatter, including his handling of Qatar 2022 World Cup issues and criticism of European media for reporting allegations of corruption at FIFA.

In meetings with Asian and African delegates last Monday, Blatter blamed European media and suggested racism was a factor in their reporting of that controversy.