FIFA President Sepp Blatter says he can handle the personal criticism he has faced over the organisation’s corruption troubles but has “no responsibility” over the body’s executive committee.
In his column in the FIFA Weekly magazine, to be published on Friday, Blatter says the upcoming election to replace him is a “sideshow” but reforms are needed because FIFA’s “future is at stake”.
FIFA was thrown into turmoil when 14 sports marketing executives and football officials, including several from Zurich-based FIFA, were indicted by the US Department of Justice in May on bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud charges.
Among those indicted were FIFA vice-presidents Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands and Uruguayan Eugenio Figueredo, who have both been suspended, and former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago.
He said ” I would appeal for fairness: I bear no responsibility for members of a government [the FIFA Executive Committee] I have not myself elected”
