ফিফায় যুক্তরাষ্ট্র কেন নাক গলাচ্ছে, প্রশ্ন রাশিয়ার
www.prothom-alo.com/sports/article/539767
REUTERS |
He said that he hoped that 45 or 46 of Europe's eligible 53 voting nations would vote for Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein in today's presidential election against Blatter who is standing for a fifth term as president.
Those votes would not be enough to topple Blatter but would send a strong signal of disapproval. Platini suggested UEFA could withdraw from FIFA if huge changes are not brought in to world soccer's embattled governing body, but also admitted he faces something of a crisis of his own.
GILL TO SNUB FIFA IF BLATTER WINS
David Gill of England, who is joining the FIFA executive committee as the British vice-president, has said he will not take up his seat on the executive if Blatter is re-elected. Platini said he hoped he could persuade Gill to change his mind over the next few weeks.
Platini, one of the greatest footballers of all time, said he began his long relationship with Blatter in 1998 by which time he had swapped his France shirt to become the organiser of the 1998 World Cup in France.
"I have affection for Mr Blatter, and he always said he was like an uncle to me. But enough is enough. If I cannot tell him it is time to stop then who can? A true friend can tell another friend the reality."
Platini said that during an emergency committee meeting at FIFA earlier yesterday, he told Blatter to step down. "I said, `I'm asking you to leave, FIFA's image is terrible'. He said that he couldn't leave all of a sudden."
Platini added: "I'm saying this with sadness and tears in my eyes, but there have been too many scandals, FIFA doesn't deserve to be treated this way."
SUPPORT FOR ALI
Platini, who decided last August to stand for reelection as UEFA president and not run for the FIFA presidency, originally was a close ally of Blatter, but was fulsome in his support of Prince Ali, who is the only candidate facing Blatter in today's vote.
"Prince Ali has all the legitimacy he needs, he is young, he is ambitious and that is why I support him, he can do some good, he can change things, he doesn't need money because he is a Prince," Platini told reporters at a news conference. "A very large majority of national associations from Europe will vote for Prince Ali, and if they are to be trusted I believe he will get 45 or 46 votes from Europe. I'm trying to convince a couple who are not convinced."
FIFA's 209 members will vote on Friday with a two-thirds majority needed to win on the first ballot. If that does not happen then a straight majority is required to win a sec ond ballot.
SEPP CAN BE BEATEN
Asked if he realistically believed that Blatter could lose Friday's vote, Platini replied: "I think he can be bea ten, yes. Before yesterday no, but after what happened yesterday, yes.Enough is enough. I think there will be a lot of changes."
On Wednesday police officers arrested seven FIFA officials in Zurich on corruption charges while authorities in the United States issued proceedings against 18 others involved in alleged corruption involving FIFA matters. "I am the first one to be disgusted by this (FIFA corruption). I have stomach trouble when I think about the FIFA problem," he said.
"I am a great admirer of FIFA and I've followed it for some years, but I don't know where to put myself. I get the impression that if FIFA is not going to do anything, the FBI will do it for them."
Platini added that UEFA's members would consider its future position with FIFA on June 6 at the Champions League final in Berlin, one week after the dust had settled. He said that he "did not wish" a European boycott of the World Cup, but added that preserving Europe's current total of 13 places at the 32-team tournament was a "red line not to be crossed."
"President Blatter is playing with the World Cup slots, so everyone is nervous. I have an ironclad mandate from all European associations and there is a red line that will not be crossed and that is our number of slots in the World Cup."
"Europe will not lose a slot in 2018 and then in the World Cup in 2022, we will stick to 13.That will not be changed, we are not going to allow that."
All you need to know about Sepp Blatter
Currently public enemy number one in most corners of the globe, images of the 79-year-old Sepp Blatter are at present unavoidable. But the personal life of the man behind that neatly composed poker face is less wellknown. Born in Switzerland, he was the son of a worker who did not earn enough to support the family Joseph 'Sepp', his brothers Peter and Marco, and his late sister, Ruth.
It's said a young Blatter shared a bed with Peter into his teens, and would push fruit and vegetables grown in the family's allotment to market in a handcart to earn a few coins to add to the family pot. He perhaps summed himself up best when he once explained: "I am a mountain goat that keeps going and going and going, I cannot be stopped, I just keep going."
The young Blatter was a promising footballer and was offered a contract by Swiss team Lausanne Sport FC. But unimpressed, his dad told him football 'would not pay'. Blatter graduated with a business degree from the University of Lausanne (although he continued playing amateur football keenly into his mid-thirties). He tried his hand at sports writing, before turning to PR and becoming head of publicity for his local tourist board supplementing his income with wedding singing until his mid-20s.
Blatter then worked as a departmental director for Swiss watchmaker and sports timing device company, Longines. It was there, involved in the development of timing facilities for the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games, he made the contacts he needed to propel him to FIFA.
His first wife was a local girl, Liliane Biner. They married and had a daughter, his only child, Corinne, but divorced.
From there, his ladies got younger. His second wife was Barbara Kaser, 30 years his junior. She was the daughter of FIFA's former general secretary Helmut Kaser but neither deterred headstrong Blatter, then a newcomer to the organisation. Kaser was so disturbed he refused to attend their wedding and reportedly wept on the day. In 1981, after taking his daughter, Blatter took his job as general secretary too.
The marriage lasted ten years, but eventually Blatter moved on to another lady 30 years his junior, Ilona Boguska, a friend of his daughter's.Their first relationship lasted seven years, before he moved on to 'dolphin therapist' Graziella Bianca, who was to become wife number three.
He's said to earn around £1.7million a year although his salary remains a secret plus a six-figure annual 'loyalty bonus'.
Stories once emerged of an exorbitant expense account funding a penchant for designer suits and his daughter's limousine bills although evidence was never found to prosecute. His fortune is said to lie around the eight figure mark.
DAILY MIRROR
SCANDAL TALK WHO IS CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATING?
Firstly, for clarity, there are two separate investigations.
1: Swiss criminal investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
2: American criminal investigation into $100m worth of bribes and kick-backs 14 arrests pending extradition The Swiss and US law enforcement author ities are not conducting any joint investigations, but are coordinating their respective criminal proceedings.
WHY IS USA GETTING INVOLVED?
US law gives prosecutors wide scope for charging non-national citizens living abroad.
This is mainly aimed at terrorism investigations.This FBI-led investigation has been ongoing for at least three years. It's believed their probe initially centred on Charles 'Chuck' Blazer, a 70-year-old American who was a member of FIFA's Executive Committee between 1996 and 2013. He was ques tioned over $500,000 of payments his off-shore account received from CONCACAF President Jack Warner. It is rumoured he became an FBI informant after pleading guilty to charges including fraud and money laundering.
WHAT ABOUT THE WORLD CUPS?
A separate investigation into the allocation of the next two World Cups was soon afterwards announced by the Attorney General of Switzerland.When asked whether he could confirm the names of those arrested, and whether there would be a revote on the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, FIFA spokesman Gregorio said. "Two nos for you.
No no. I cannot confirm the names, I cannot confirm how many people have been arrested.
I can say what I can say as the president said in past press conference. The World Cups in 2018 and 2022 will be played in Russia and Qatar."
WHO STANDS WHERE
PUTIN ALLEGES US CONSPIRACY
Russia switched the focus of its tensions with America from Ukraine to the football pitch Thursday with President Vladimir Putin lashing out over the US probe into FIFA. The Kremlin strongman condemned the arrest of seven top FIFA offi cials, accusing Washington of trying to oust football boss Sepp Blatter after he resisted pressure to stop Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup. "We know about the pressure that has been put on (Blatter) with the aim of banning the holding of the 2018 World Cup in Rus sia," Pu tin said in Moscow. "His general position is that sport and politics should be kept apart."
The arrests Wednesday in Zurich two days ahead of a FIFA presidential vote was "clearly an attempt to block the reelection of Blatter," Putin said, alleging the US was trying to "spread its jurisdiction to other countries".
AUSTRALIA TO VOTE FOR AL-HUSSEIN
Football Federation Australia will seek a fresh start for football's governing body FIFA and vote for Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein as its next president, FFA Chairman Frank Lowy said yesterday. Lowy, speaking in Zurich after a round of meetings, said: "FFA believes that profound change within FIFA is needed as soon as possible to address issues of governance and transparency," Lowy said. "This belief will be reflected when Australia casts its vote in the Presidential election."
BRIT PM CAMERON WANTS SEPP OUT
British Prime Minister David Cameron believes there is a strong case for a change of leadership at FIFA. "He (Cameron) does think there's a very in diplomatic speak a very very strong case for a change of leadership," a spokesman told reporters in London.
SPONSORS PILE PRESSURE ON FIFA
Sponsors piled pressure on Blatter to clean up world football. Credit card giant Visa said it would "reassess" its sponsorship of FIFA unless it takes immediate action. Coca-Cola, Adidas, McDonald's and Budweiser all spoke out against the corruption scandal. Corporate backers provide hundreds of millions of dollars to FIFA's finances.
UEFA BACKS BLATTER'S RIVAL
A majority of UEFA's member associations will vote for Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein to succeed Sepp Blatter as the next FIFA president, UEFA President Michel Platini said yesterday.
AIFF TO VOTE FOR BLATTER
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will reportedly vote for Sepp Blatter.Three AIFF officials, including the president, Praful Patel, will be present in Zurich today. According to reports, the AIFF has decided to back Blatter.
