FIFA head honcho loses the plot a little bit.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has hit out at the British media by labelling them as racist for their criticism in the wake of allegations of corruption surrounding the Qatar World Cup, the Daily Mail reports.
Blatter also hinted at a plot to ‘destroy FIFA’, though his representatives moved quickly to deny that those comments were aimed at the British.
The 78-year-old president’s remarks came as more of FIFA’s leading sponsors joined the call for an investigation into allegations that Qatar bought the 2022 World Cup with millions of dollars-worth of bribes — administered by disgraced FIFA vice-president Mohamed bin Hammam.
“Once again there is a sort of storm against FIFA relating to the Qatar World Cup. Sadly there’s a great deal of discrimination and racism and this hurts me. It really makes me sad.”
Already labelling the affair as ‘Qatargate’, he assured the press that FIFA was committed to combatting anything that ‘smacks of discrimination and racism’ before speaking to the Asian Congress where he repeated a claim that was directly pointed at the British media.
“We have seen what the British press has published,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what the reasoning is behind this but we must maintain unity,” he added.
“We are in the situation where we need leadership. I still have fire inside me and if we show unity that is the best way to deal with those in the world that want to destroy FIFA. They want to destroy us.
“They don’t want to destroy football but they want to destroy the institution (FIFA). Because our institution is too strong and is so strong, we are sure they will not destroy it.”
Blatter is looking to put himself back up for re-election next year and will be looking for ways to drum up support over two continents.
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