Don’t attack the messenger, Dyke urges Blatter

England’s football chiefs rounded on FIFA president Sepp Blatter yesterday telling him he must stand down next year and that his claim racism was behind World Cup corruption allegations was “offensive and totally unacceptable”.
Sepp Blatter (Picture: Adam Davy/PA).Sepp Blatter (Picture: Adam Davy/PA).
Sepp Blatter (Picture: Adam Davy/PA).

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke responded forcefully to Blatter at a meeting of UEFA federations in Sao Paulo after the FIFA president had addressed the room indicating he would stand again for a fifth term.

Dyke and England’s UEFA vice-president David Gill both said Blatter should not commit a 
U-turn on his 2011 pledge to stand down in 2015.

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They were at the forefront of a European rebellion against Blatter, despite the incumbent president appearing to have huge support in other continental confederations.

Dyke said after the meeting: “What Mr Blatter said (on Monday) I found offensive. I said (to him), ‘I regard the comments you made about the allegations in the British media in which you described them as racist as totally unacceptable.

“The allegations being made have nothing to do with racism, they are allegations about corruption within FIFA. These allegations need to be properly investigated and properly answered.

“Mr Blatter, many of us are deeply troubled by your reaction to these allegations; it’s time for FIFA to stop attacking the messenger and instead consider and understand the message.”

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Dyke added that it was important to clarify whether FIFA’s ethics investigator Michael Garcia – who will confirm today that he has completed his case – has had access to the files of documents obtained by the Sunday Times alleging corruption in World Cup bidding.

Gill, former Manchester United chief executive, added: “The very fact in 2011 he was clear it was just for four years that should have been the situation. To change his mind is disappointing.”