ACTUALITE |
03.04.2002
Blatter`s Africa promise
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has exclusively revealed to BBC Sport Online that the 2010 World Cup will "definitely" be held in Africa.
In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport Online`s Ben Williams in Zurich, Blatter offered assurances that the continent would play host to the World Cup, despite missing out on the 2006 tournament.
But Blatter says that he never promised that the 2006 World Cup would go to Africa.
Blatter claims all he promised before the 2006 hosting vote was to "work to make sure" that the continent had the opportunity to host the tournament.
"I did not promise that the World Cup would go to Africa", Blatter said.
"What I promised was that I would work hard to make sure that the World Cup would go to Africa.
"I tried very hard but Africa lost the vote in a democratic way because there was one abstention.
"But after this vote I have worked very hard to make a change in Fifa regulations by saying that the World Cup should be in rotation.
"This has been accepted by the executive committee and the congress and the World Cup in 2010 will definitely be in Africa."
In response to allegations of mismanagement of Fifa`s funds, Blatter said the reporting of the issue in the international media has been "dominated by losers of the last [presidential] election.
"I think we are dealing with people who do not know how to lose."
Blatter is also curious about the timing of allegations that he and his supporters bribed African delegates to vote for him in the 1998 Fifa presidential elections.
"They should have reacted (to the bribery claims) as such then, when the election was over.
"But now, four years later, they come and tried to destabilise the office of the Fifa president. I think that is not correct or fair", Blatter said.
He insists that the allegations, intially made by Farah Addo, first vice-president of the Confederation of African football, (Caf) are without foundation
"Farah Addo has brought up a story from four years ago, in which a court in Zurich totally cleared me.
"Fifa`s disciplinary committee is investigating why he made such allegations.
"One day, Mr Addo will have to provide evidence for these allegations.
"I was not involved in any bribery and have never been in all my life", Blatter said.
The Fifa president says that supporters of his election opponent, Issa Hayatou, the president of Caf, should concentrate on supporting their candidate instead.
"They should promote their candidate, not diminish the work a man has done with Fifa since 1975".
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Hits: 1 | Source:BBC | |
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