Sepp Blatter will be the president of FIFA for the next four years.
Without a challenger on the ballot, the outcome was inevitable, but Blatter won the FIFA election on Wednesday, garnering 186 votes out of the 203 ballots that were cast.
"Our pyramid is intact, the base, the foundation is strong, and together we have four years to continue on our path and do our job," Blatter said upon his re-election at the FIFA Congress. "We will put FIFA's ship back on the right course in clear, transparent waters. We need some time to do it, but we shall do it."
The term will be Blatter's fourth, and he had previously said that had he been re-elected this would be final term.
Here are a few more stories from around the soccer world:
ALLARDYCE NAMED WEST HAM MANAGER
Sam Allardyce will be the man in charge of getting West Ham back to the Premier League.
Allardyce, axed by Blackburn in December, takes over as manager for Avram Grant, who was fired upon season's end.
West Ham finished in last place in the Premier League and has a number of roster questions moving forward. One of those involves U.S. national team member Jonathan Spector, who is out of contract but has reportedly been offered a new deal by the club.
O'HARA REPLACES TARPLEY FOR USWNT
U.S. women's national team coach Pia Sundhage has called upon Kelley O'Hara to replace the injured Lindsay Tarpley on the team's World Cup roster.
Tarpley suffered a torn ACL in the USWNT's first friendly with Japan last month, and O'Hara, a winger who plays for the WPS' Boston Breakers, will take her roster spot ahead of the send-off friendly against Mexico at Red Bull Arena this Sunday.
O'Hara, who won the 2009 Hermann Trophy as the top collegiate soccer player when she was at Stanford, has five caps to her name.
OWEN EXTENDS UNITED STAY
Veteran English striker Michael Owen has signed a one-year deal to remain at Manchester United through next season.
Owen, 31, scored five goals in 17 games this past season and was relegated to spot duty behind Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov.
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What are your thoughts about the FIFA election? Think West Ham will return to the Premier League after next season? Hope Jonathan Spector stays there or moves elsewhere? Do you think O'Hara was the right choice to replace Tarpley? Think Owen has anything left in his tank?
Share your thoughts below.
They must have had our Florida counting machines…
This is like electing Bush for another term…Rigged and Ridiculous
Blatter is the DEVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Owen was offered another year? Wonder if that signals Berba’s departure…
I see what you did there. Nice. LOL.
I’d like to invite everyone to join in the groundswell to change FIFA. FIFA present has chosen its path by keeping Blatter, now we change FIFA or stop complaining about them.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Change-FIFA/205005879535435
I don’t understand why FIFA has a vote considering Blatter is running unopposed. What’s the point of voting if you have only one choice? Can you please answer this for me Ives? Thanks.
You will pay the price for your lack of vision…
You damn star wars nerd….. :-p
I have a bum ankle (previously torn ligaments & bone chips) and man do games on field turf hurt. Games on natural grass cause nowhere near the swelling I get even from high quality field turf fields.
Not bloody likely
Wait a minute. Are you saying there is corruption in FIFA?
Next you’ll be telling me the Olympics are corrupt,that Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds used performance enhancing drugs or that Ohio State does not run a clean football program .
I thought Grant Wahl was going to prevent all this from happening.
Quick quick, somebody with photoshop skillz…….doesn’t that photo of Sepp look more like he should have a hood and be shooting purple lighting out of his fingertips?!
I think you are trying to say “optimistic” 🙂
Actually, with Germany already calling for a re-vote, England pressing for changes and the Bin Hammam ethics probe upcoming it would be quite reasonable for 2022 to go to USA.
Your drug free friend – BellusLudas!
Not gonna happen. Russia = Europe. They won’t put the WC in Europe twice in a row.
Or will they? It IS FIFA after all…
“Our pyramid (scheme) is intact, the base, the foundation is strong (paid off), and together we have four years to continue on our path and do our job (of robbing folks blind and doing as we please),” Blatter said upon his re-election at the FIFA Congress. “We will put FIFA’s ship back on the right course in clear, transparent waters. We need some time to do it, but we shall do it, like a fox sets things right in a his henhouse”
If only we knew where to begin to clean house.
I happen to be pusuing my masters degree in journalism at NYU. A teacher of mine has made a valid point that whomever breaks this story will have a career in any field he/she chooses. Anyone that followed the wikileaks scandal know there is a vibrant and talented hacking community here. It is simply impossible to have a conversation short of written note that is untraceable. Info will be found. Surely any/every news organization is hot on this trail. Info will surely come out. FIFA cannot stand as it is with the inevitable firestorm of info that will be uncovered.
i thought he was in MLS, his name is Luke Rodgers
The one thing I”m close to certain on is that all of these developments really cement the likekihood of the WC staying with Qatar.
Blatter has to placate Asia. He built his power by throwing tidbits to smaller countries and minnows–we’ll see him do even more of that now. That Germany called for a recount means little. Even if there were a recount, for it to go to the USA would create a lot of enemies–more likely it would go to England.
MLS has historically had bad results when they sign aging, injury-prone players. Owen may not be as brittle as Claudio Reyna, who could never stay healthy for two consecutive matches, but he’s brittle nonetheless. Also, a striker is only as good as the midfield that provides service; if he went to a team with a weak midfield, he’d be ineffective.
Although I was a big fan of Owen when he was scoring seemingly at will for Liverpool and the Three Lions, I think he’d be a terrible signing for MLS.
Michael Owen would be a terrible signing for MLS–just terrible. Any team that signed him would regret it badly by midseason.
I think Michael Owen can still be a useful player. But only as a spot player. One thing we know about Michael Owen to be true is that if you ask him to be a 70-90 minute player 1-2x a week, his body will break down. If, however you ask him to play 2-3x a month, coming in at the 60-70th minute, he can bedevil defenses and be productive.
Now what MLS team could afford to sign Michael Owen to play 2-3x a month (basically playing as a reserve in 1 out of every 3 games)? Only if he’d sign for a pittance (say: $80k). Ain’t happening. Sign him for $200k or higher and you’ll regret it. B/c either he’s the 4th forward on your line (and he barely plays) or you give him major minutes and his body breaksdown.
The only opposition candidate gets suspended, and the incumbent runs unopposed and easily wins the election.
Is this FIFA or Libya?
He should. Lower league, a manager who loves hard working players, still on a sizable contract. Why would he leave?
The hard part about this is the fact that each of those men have skeletons and “dirty water” in their dungeons too. So you pull the rug out from one of them and like a domino affect, they all go down.
Look at Warner: You screwed me, now I’m releasing e-mails.
It’s like a mafia family – you screw over an uncle and the family crumbles from within..
Sepp Blatter will be the president of FIFA for the next four years.
With .01 percent of Iraqi precincts counted, Saddam Hussein wins re-election by 99.99 percent…
The term will be Blatter’s fourth, and he had previously said that had he been re-elected this would be final term.
He said that when he ran in 2002 that he would only serve one more term.
Any news about the Reichstag approving the Enabling Act unanimously?
Are you smoking something? That is very optomistic, to say the least.
No “mistake” to be acknowledged…this decision will be marketed as “The Fight Against Corruption.” Fair Play extended from the fields to the board rooms.
Blatters final four years will be the period of time he “saved the game from corruption politicians.”
Another option – launch a committee to inquire into allegations of corruption in the 2018 and 2022 bids (remember the Brits and Aussies are also fuming), don’t put any Anglophones on it, release the findings after WC 2014 when nobody’s paying attention and it’s too late to change course for 2018, and declare the elimination of corruption.
This is a perfect example of Old World politics. Blatter’s legacy is intact…he is the man that brought the World Cup to Africa and “tried” to bring it to Asia…only to be thwarted by “corruption.”
He destroys his challenger (Bin Hammam of Qatar) while ensuring that huge marketing dollars from USA and Europe are safe.
Once it all plays out USA will be rewarded for loyalty to Blatter with 2022 Cup. Without Blazer the vote for Blatter wouldn’t have been 186 of 203.
The wheels are already turning with Germany demanding recount 2022 Bids. I am not sure that Blatter is any less corrupt than Bin Himmam but he is a far superior tactician.
No, no and no. As you know (ha ha).
He really is quality. I know it was only one finish, but that strike in the season finale against Blackpool was seriously sublime. A true finish, picked his spot and placed it nicely. Very composed, especially for a player who mostly rides the pine (it’s easier to get nervous in those situations).
The MLS needs more clinical finishers, and I’d definitely buy his jersey, but on the whole, I agree; he probably wouldn’t do it.
+1!
FIFA in clear waters — ha! They never admit a mistake. It will be Qatar 2022 because, to not have the cup there would be admiting a mistake or corruption. I don’t see it.
Besides Blatter is all about new places i.e. South Africa. Any other choice would be old hat.
One thing in our (U.S.A.) favor is it would be the most profitable World Cup in history. Maybe he will go for the money.
We’ll have to wait and see, but I would not hold my breathe!
Is Spector heading to Germany? No way he is staying with WH right?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/06/german-soccer-leader-calls-for-review-of-2022-world-cup-vote-that-us-lost-to-qatar.html
Germany leads charge for 2022 re-vote!
You strike me as just a tad optimistic…
I doubt he would take that challenge. What motivation would there be for a 32-33 yr old player like Owen? Taking into consideration that Owen is at the tail end of his prime and will have difficulties staying healthy in a league that is very physical. Too much risk involved. In addition, he would command a large salary. I don’t think he would sell many jerseys nor fill many seats. Is he quality? You bet.
2022 USA – Book it…”clear and transparent waters” mean that “corruption” of bid process will be exposed in such a way that no contender for FIFA President will come from Asia in next 20 years AND Qatar loses Cup.
Blatter’s shoes will be filled by another European …Platini???
Michael Owen? Fit?
So does this me instant replay will come to the a stadium near you? Will they reject Qatar as a host country before it is too late? Will they add an extra referee to the field? Oh so many changes possible!
Just something im running up the flag pole here, but does anyone here think that Michael Owen wrapping up his career in MLS might be interesting? I think it would be a good fit for him if he were willing to work. I think he would maybe even be worthy of a DP spot (im sure whoever signed him would have to use one anyway). Thoughts?
ugh
Pyramid scheme… classic Freudian slip.