Angry Blatter insists FIFA is not corrupt
Reuters - Saturday 21 May 2011, 20:04
JOHANNESBURG - FIFA is not a corrupt
organisation and there is no evidence to support recent
accusations of wrongdoing within world football's governing body,
president Sepp Blatter said on Saturday.
The Swiss, bidding for re-election, angrily banged the table
when discussing allegations that members of FIFA's Executive Committee had asked for favours or money in exchange for votes
in December's 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts decision.
"There is no evidence, we have asked for evidence and this
famous whistleblower will be in FIFA on Wednesday," Blatter
told a news conference in reference to a source which Britain's
Sunday Times newspaper has alleged knows of impropriety.
"We have over three hundred million people (in FIFA), and
even in a family of three hundred million people, there is one
or two... these are what you say are the black sheep... somebody
who is not good in the family.
"So stop please to say FIFA is corrupt, FIFA is not
corrupt... definitely not."
Blatter was visiting the 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa
to discuss the legacy of the tournament and to drum up support
for the June 1 election, when he faces Asian football chief
Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar.
"I have received a lot of compliments, compliments enough to
win the vote," Blatter joked.