Sepp Blatter was handed an eight-year ban from FIFA on Monday and the FIFA president made sure to go out with a bang.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Blatter, who remains set to appeal his suspension, said that “if we had awarded the World Cup in 2022 the USA, we would not be here” regarding the recent punishment handed down to him and Michel Platini.
“In 2010 we had a dream. We said we will open the World Cup to two terms,” Blatter said in Monday’s press conference. “We had the idea that in 2018 the World Cup should go to a country that has never had the World Cup in Europe.”
“I will fight,” Blatter added. “I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA. Suspended for what? I spoke with my lawyer this morning and we were not surprised that the notification was made first to the media. This committee has no right to go against the president of FIFA. The president can only be removed by the congress. Even suspended, I am still the president. I regret, but I am not ashamed.”
Blatter was found guilty on Monday of violating FIFA’s ethics rules with the controversy stemming form a $2 million payment Blatter approved for Michel Platini.
The former FIFA president went on to state that he “cannot be morally responsible” for the ongoing corruption issues that have continued to plague CONCACAF and CONMEBOL in recent months.
“I’m really sorry. I’m sorry that I am still somewhere a punching ball,” Blatter said. “As president of FIFA, I’m still this punching ball. I’m sorry for FIFA. I’m sorry for football. I’m also sorry about me, how I am treated in this world.”
“Human beings need to be respected. It has created a lot of collateral damage in the families. My family was mocked. I regret I am this punching bag. FIFA is still working well, I congratulate Barcelona to winning the Club World Cup. I am a man of principles. These principles are: never take money that is not earned. Secondly, pay your debts. I’ll be back.”
Blaming others for one’s own sins–well, that’s just common human behavior.
The funny thing is that his delusions of grandeur lead him to think that he has supporters that care about him at this stage. Really, the rest of the world is reluctantly thanking us.
“In 2010 we had a dream. We said we will open the World Cup to two terms,” Blatter said in Monday’s press conference. “We had the idea that in 2018 the world Cup should go to a country that has never had the World Cup in Europe.”
Uh, Sepp … was that dream anything like the dream y’all had in 2003 when you “had the idea” to rotate the WC’s around to each of the various confederations … only to cruelly stop the rotation with just 1 confederation left? Was the dream anything like that? A couple side notes: 1) Has any non-hosting country bought more WC tickets than the USA in the last couple WC’s? 2) Even after you expanded the number of WC games from 52 to 64 after USA-94, has the attendance record from that WC been broken? L’me help you – the answer to both is: NO.
What does that have to do with this? Sepp is corrupt,, but what does being the team that buys the most tickets and have the highest attendance have to do with hosting a multinational tournament when there are other capable hosts. If that was the case, USA never would have hosted it in 1994. If (or when) another country overtakes the US in terms of ticket sales does that mean they should get the world cup?
I don’t agree with Qatar hosting, but there are other deserving nations in the world outside Europe to host the World Cup besides USA. I would have loved Australia to get it. England is more deserving to host it than USA — I understand why they are bellyaching.
The US clearly had the best technical bid of all the countries and would make more money and have higher attendance than any other previous WC (including 1994). But I think most people, including those who want it in the US, saw awarding the tourney to Qatar as the absolute sham it is, and would not have been too upset if someone with a decent bid like Australia had been awarded the tourney instead.
I think it’s telling that Blatter believes that “If we had awarded the World Cup in 2022 to the USA, we would not be here”. I’m not so sure. Blatter believes in deals and revenge when deals go bad. The DOJ (hopefully) believes in justice. The DOJ investigations didn’t start with the World Cup 2018/2022 votes. They started with CONCACAF deals and led from there to CONMEBOL (because of Copa 100). From there the investigations led uphill — to FIFA.
You know Blatter is actually right about this in some ways. If they had awarded the US the Cup he would not be in this situation. But only because that would mean they wouldn’t have accepted bribes from Qatar and actually awarded it to the most deserving nation.
You come at the king, you better not miss.
“I regret I am this punching bag.” – Blatter, handling another situation poorly.
Translation: A Lannister always pays his debts…
“I am a man of principles. These principles are: never take money that is not earned. Secondly, pay your debts. I’ll be back.”
Telling that all his principles involve money.
this is like a bank robber saying if he hadnt robbed a bank than he wouldnt have been arrested.
He is right, if FIFA din’t engage in a huge amount of corruption to award the World Cups to Russia and QATAR respectively at the expense of England and the US, things would have trudged on as business as usual. Instead they engaged in blatant corruption that hurt probably the two worst possible countries to get away with it. The British Press is relentless and brutal (and highly interested in soccer), and the US is the home of most of the major sponsors and a massively important financial player with a justice department that loves to pursue corruption cases.
You can only steal so much before you get caught. Pigs get fed, Hogs get slaughtered.
I know, Sepp. The US has a problem with corruption. Isn’t that weird?!
really. Doesnt Blatter know the american public and loretta lynch could give a rat’s a$$ about soccer, and probably cant name more then two players from both national teams combined (carli lloyd and donovan).
Tick tock tick tock tick tock. The time keeps changing. Just wait, we’re getting to the decade mark.
Blatter: “I would not be here if I did not renege on my agreement with Platini for his votes by promising to may him Two Million Euro and to retire.”
Blatter: “I would not be here if I didn’t allow myself to be coerced by the rest of the Ex Co to award two WC’s at the same vote.”
Blatter: “I would not be here if I didn’t allow Voelke to pay the Germany hush money from South Africa to be funneled to my buddy Jack Warner who then failed to give all that he promised to Chuck Blazer.”
I think he is probably right in his assessment, but he should amend his statement to: “With the system that we set up, cultivated, and governed, I would not be here if U.S. was awarded 2022 World Cup.” FIFA clearly has several problems, but he fails to grasp that, as its long-time leader, he should be held responsible for many, if not all, of these problems.
Frustrating for Sepp. Russia & USA had been the plan and then Platini bowed to the French govt pressure and voted for the Qatar bid. The resulting level or outrage/ridiculousness/successful-corruption certainly did stoke the world-wide flames. So, Sepp is probably correct.
He does see himself as the ultimate victim — oh why couldn’t Platini have just voted for USA — oh why couldn’t I have had just one more term — oh why couldn’t I be granted the Nobel Prize that I so richly deserve?!?
Yeah, he’s a slimy nut who earned his ouster a long, long time ago. Still, I think this is a story line that Sophocles or Euripides could have made something of.
nice reference to the Greek tragedies.
Blatter is just mad that he paid Platini all that money and he “blew it” (the 2022 WC vote) because then French President Sarkosy asked Platini to put his country above football and vote for Qatar to assure the French, a 7 Billion arms sale to Qatar, but also going back on the agreement to award the WC to the 2 “super powers” in 2018 and 2022, as agreed. OOPS! The “disloyal” payment from Blatter to platini has nothing to do with his supposed work, but everything to do with Platini’s vote after being paid for it by Blatter. But these guys. being dumb criminals, didn’t disguise it well. Now there is a push back by some Middle-east countries and Africa to allow Qatar to keep the WC even if its been proven that Qatar bribed and influenced members directly and to forego a re-vote.
What is also germane to the French-Qatar bribe is that the US was also in the running for that same arms deal, and that the bid for the arms deal, was , like the US bid for the WC, a far better bid than the French deal. While the US is used to losing arms deals due to corrupt officials in other countries. The corrupt official in this deal was a FIFA official.
It only takes a phone call from the Pentagon to the DOJ to get the ball rolling.
And so, Yes, Sepp Blatter was right. They just pissed off the wrong country, with a BIG reach.
Fuhggehddahboud!
People love to ignore the fact that Blatter wanted the WC in the US and voted for it.
What the rest of the voters did was pretty much out of his control. .
I know! Platini (and France) and Spain et al were bought by Qatar. I feel this message was as much a strike back against the US as well as FIFA officials who were bought by Qatar. I feel this does some harm or builds some ill will against the US (and England to a certain extent). That is because people see the US as being unjustly bitter because there is a feeling there complicit involvement here with earlier parties.
Yeah. That’s like the criminal parents telling the kids not to be thieves or do drugs!! I guess you prescribe to the ” Do as I say and not as I do” theory?
“if we had awarded the World Cup in 2022 the USA, we would not be here”.
Let that be a lesson to the rest of the world… (I’m only partially kidding).
Well speak of the devil, its the one and only sepp. Sepp says, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I got caught.”
It’s also true that if just about anyone other than Qatar was awarded the 2022 Cup, he’d not be in this position. But that’s not a defense; Qatar was awarded the Cup.
I’m not going to say that the USSF is above any underhanded action, but yes, Sepp, if the USA won because Qatar didn’t bribe everyone to high heaven, then you might still have a job.
I love the amazing ego / self pity party he’s throwing down.
I think it is very clear that most or a lot countries (including the US – Chuck Blazer) were or had people who were complicit in the graft/corruption.
Chuck Blazer was definitely from the US but not really “of” USSF.
Yes, please tell me more about how former USSF Executive Vice President Chuck Blazer has no connection to the USSF.
Alex,
What are you talking about? Blazer was Executive VP of U.S.S.F… that is UNITED STATES SOCCER FEDERATION. He was also on the FIFA Executive Committee member and the CONCACAF General Secretary.
Breaking News! It has been determined that Blatter is first belly button, victim status embracing, delusional “Millenial.” No silly date of birth could keep him from birthing a movement. The man truly is a leader!
I think you’re on to something. However, it’s important that we provide Sepp a “safe space” where he’s free from negativity, conflict, and opposing views.
Of course, that safe space should be the confines of a prison cell.
Perfect narrative here. Good work, good people.
Sepptic needs to get flushed. FIFA is a third-world dictatorship.
Nice. You beat me to the millennial punch. Blame someone else for the error of your ways. If he wanted to truly be generation, he would sue the FBI.