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Former executive of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (1984 – 1995 and 2001-2003), Guido Tognoni sharply criticizes the system set up under the chairmanship of Joseph Blatter and that of his predecessor Joao Havelange of Brazil
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While seven senior FIFA officials were arrested Wednesday, May 27, on the orders of the American police, the former adviser staff of Joseph Blatter advanced the most controversial aspects of its governance.
What is your view on the choice of president Joseph Blatter to stand for 5 th mandate, to 79 years?
Blatter believes it is the best. He has before him a little known candidate [the Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein] who has no ideas, no program. It is impossible for him to beat Blatter. It is impossible to deposit a president who is running for re-election. The only possibility would be to limit the mandates, avoiding these formal battles. The FIFA president eight years and would no longer be the great Pope. But it is impossible to change the statutes of FIFA, since it takes 75% of the vote. Knowing that there is 85% of small and medium federations to FIFA (about 209 members), they are not going to kill themselves.
Why these “small” federations they support Blatter?
Since governs Blatter FIFA, he said to the small federations, and this is its mission: “I’m the only one that protects you against the ambition of UEFA [Union of European Football Association] to govern FIFA. “ UEFA retains its status as the most powerful confederation, but can not contradict politically Blatter. This happened under Lennart Johansson [UEFA president between 1990 and 2007] is reproduced with Michel Platini [since 2007]. UEFA is absorbed by its competitions, its economic success. She has no ambition to govern FIFA. Blatter is responsible for the bad image of FIFA. Michael van Praag [President of the Dutch Federation, which has withdrawn eight days of the vote to rally to Ali Bin Al-Hussein] and Greg Dyke [President of the English Federation] are right when they say it. UEFA’s problem is that she does not want to see the face of Blatter – she wants someone else – but it does not have the political means to overthrow the
UEFA has yet presented a single candidate against Blatter …
UEFA did no global ambition, it is content of the products of the Champions League, its marketing revenues. It is not united. Platini said he would not support Blatter, but only 30 or 35 European federations will meet its set. Platini knew he would lose if he ran. The goal of UEFA is that Blatter will not be re-elected with a standing ovation. The important question is not whether he will win, but how will he punish UEFA and Platini after the conference? He said the Concacaf [Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean] deserved more seats to the World Cup and has obtained support. Blatter can easily punish so “elegant” UEFA and take away a country for the World Cup.
Development programs set up by FIFA are they suited to Joseph Blatter to remain in power?
Blatter is attached to power in football. It is his passion. It handles everything. Its purpose is to maintain power. Being president of FIFA, it means campaigning for four years. It is distribute gifts, pay money, do favors to friends, to punish those who do not follow. We must doubt that FIFA is democratic. Montserrat in the Caribbean, and its 5,000 inhabitants, weighs as much politically as France; San Marino, as far as Italy; Liechtenstein, as far as Germany; Hong Kong, as far as China. This is ridiculous.
Each FIFA president presents development programs. It’s a way to stay in place. FIFA is obliged to make development programs. There is no decentralized system, so it is the president who benefits. We must watch these programs with distance and cynicism. Blatter promoted universalism and especially Africans want the “cash”. The image of FIFA does not matter. Could the 2010 World Cup being hosted by South Africa? It is a gift of Blatter. Only ten economies in the world can absorb a World Cup. Smaller federations can make the playoffs by touching scholarships. They do not have to complain about is their financial interest. At least twenty federations might not make the playoffs without it. Do you think that Andorra or Gibraltar contribute to the development of football?
This divide between Europe and the rest of the world will she be prolonged?
In my opinion, Platini has no ambition to fight to become FIFA president. He is pleased at the head of UEFA, the dominant confederation in terms of football and commerce. He sees its limits. It will be easier for an Asian or an Arab to become FIFA president a European. The fracture will be prolonged. Some of the other confederations do not like UEFA. Blatter and his Brazilian predecessor, Havelange (1974-1998), have always given the impression that they were protecting the world appetites of UEFA.
Is FIFA a corrupt organization?
For forty years and the enthronement of Havelange, FIFA culture of corruption. Blatter has not begun, but it has always tolerated corruption. It’s a way to stay in power. Havelange, he was corrupt. Blatter treated the Warner Teixeira, Blazer, Hayatou [current senior vice president of FIFA and head of the African Football Confederation]. He did not intervene in these cases of corruption. When one sells TV rights for $ 1, it is corruption. Corruption is not only accepting money in envelopes. Corruption has many facets.
When Blatter speaks of zero tolerance against corruption, how many presidents of national federations have the right to vote if they respected this principle? You think the Italian Federation will complain of corruption? Eighty-five percent of the federations do not care about the judgment of the public with regard to FIFA. In Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, they have no reason to complain about corruption. They are silent.
For Qatar [which was awarded the 2022 World], Ben Hammam [former vice president of FIFA and head of the Asian Football Confederation, struck off for life in 2012 ] simply applied the rules of FIFA in an extreme way. He did what everyone did. How Japan and South Korea have had the World Cup, in 2002? And Germany in 2006? You think there were only saints? The joint award of the next two World Cups was a stupid mistake.
What do you expect of the next congress of FIFA?
A congress of FIFA, it is a cult with its rituals, music, with the boss defending the image of FIFA. The congress is the domain Blatter. It’s a great speaker. He manipulates the Congress as he wants. The Arab, African and Asian bloc and the Eastern European countries will support it. The truth is that during the conference, we do not know what to do for two days with the delegates of Federations.
The FIFA it is a mafia in some way. We solve the problems in family. But it must be said: we do not kill people, there is no criminal system, we do not traffic drugs. But FIFA is under observation FBI was beyond Garcia [author of a report on the allocation of the 2018 World Championships and 2022 respectively in Russia and Qatar]. Blatter always plays with time. How much commission he set up? We forget the Garcia report, which knew nothing about football. Hans-Joachim Eckert, the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee of FIFA, buried the case, he praised Blatter in its synthesis. It was ridiculous.
Joseph Blatter bequeath he one day his throne?
Blatter wants and can remain in power until his death . He says it’s not his last term. Anyway, no one would believe the most. All that is “honorary president” it is not enough for him. It has the joy of having power. He loves honors, those of heads of state, the Pope, which he can visit. It is in the position of a man who has responsibilities, without being huge or difficult, which has money funds.
I do not know if he has any secret accounts. Pennies and forth without problems. Blatter became megalomaniac, he feels responsible for revenue. TV rights are increasing, it is the god of FIFA. Only friends! Blatter has distributed the money, he exploited Platini – who erred by saying he voted for Qatar – Bin Hammam, Havelange, everyone. Blatter has not the stature and prestige which his predecessor. Everyone trembled before Havelange. This is not the case with Blatter.
If he still has the ability to express themselves clearly, President Blatter can stay another eight years. He has left a strong FIFA economically and financially. He accompanied the globalization of soccer. It is not attackable and can provide money to FIFA. He has the desire to award the 2026 World Cup in China.
This system can it be perpetuated after the reign of Joseph Blatter?
system will be perpetuated after Blatter. That is why we need term limits. FIFA was a good idea that has been perverted. Its prestige fell.
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