“I created a monster with FIFA”

interview

Under the leadership of Sepp Blatter (88), world football association FIFA has become a money-making machine. Under his successor Gianni Infantino, business no longer had any boundaries. Bratt has now come to a painful conclusion.

Henry Harberg/ch media

Sepp Blatter, December 11 FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants to award two World Cups at the same time – the 2030 World Cup will be shared by six countries and the 2034 World Cup will be awarded to unfair Saudi Arabia . What are your thoughts on the proposed procedure?
Sepp Blatter: This is a farce. Both world titles were awarded in the same package. And there is no selection at all, there is only one applicant for each event: the 2030 World Cup is Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and the opening games will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. The year 2034 is Saudi Arabia.

So Chinese-style settlements?
Or Russian. It is also strange that the special double-prize congress of the 2030 and 2034 World Championships in Zurich will only be held virtually. Picture this. Therefore, the electoral body does not actually come together.

What do you think is the reason?
Gianni Infantino hopes to take control of the award. In the run-up to an election, the usual personal exchange of views between members is impossible. There can be no such “Night of the Long Knives.” Nor was it possible to stand up and speak at the conference itself. I've foreseen this: since the conference is virtual, it's up to the director to decide who gets the chance to speak.

But no one from FIFA defended themselves?
This procedure and other decisions were decided by acclamation in a vote at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok in May. Although this is clearly against FIFA regulations. But a group in Switzerland has now banded together to try to shake up the Swiss association. The group is called “For the Good of the Game.” (For more information about this group, see the latest issue of the football magazine “Zwölf”, editor's note).

Are you there too?
Not me, but my former employees. The organization hopes that the Swiss association will actively promote Swiss values ​​such as human rights and democracy at the FIFA Congress. It is no secret that hosting the World Cup in Saudi Arabia is not consistent with these values. The idea is for Switzerland or another association (such as Norway) to submit an application to prevent the award from being awarded to Saudi Arabia.

Can this group achieve anything?
If she's smart, there's a chance. I won't argue about human rights because the Saudis will be worried about respecting human rights during the World Cup. I would argue with time. The 2034 World Cup has yet to be awarded. Usually this happens six years before the event, so that leaves four years. I think: let's postpone the election so we have time to look at the archives again in 2034 and reopen the application process. To do this, a corresponding application must be submitted to Congress. Someone has to have the courage to take action.

But is courage lacking in sports?
Take the German Association for example. He had made critical remarks ahead of the World Cup in Qatar. Now he is quiet. Infantino controls incentives and positions.

FIFA's aim is more and more money. Infantino serves the dish with a larger spoon. But you yourself are not innocent in this development. Under your leadership, FIFA once started to make a lot of money from sponsors such as Coca-Cola.
My predecessor Havelange told me after the World Cup in South Africa that FIFA was making real money for the first time in South Africa and that I had created a monster.

Is he right?
He is right. I created a monster. When I started as Director of Development Programs at FIFA in 1975, FIFA was poor. Sponsors such as Adidas do not pay, but only give away balls and jerseys. The first truly profitable sponsorship deal was with Coca-Cola in 1976. Then came public television, which suddenly allowed advertising. Football has become a super product of television, a super program that can sell a lot of money. The first truly profitable World Cup was the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. When Infantino became president in 2016, he was sitting in a comfortable position with the money-making machine humming. Now his enthusiasm is growing.

In 1987, Blatter joined Pele in the 1990 World Cup qualifying group draw.Image: KEYSTONE

Until it explodes?
We are witnessing the sale of footballs. Take UEFA as an example. There was a Champions League, a Cup Champions Cup and a Trade Fair City Cup. Today there are 36 teams participating in the Champions League, 36 teams participating in the Europa League, and 36 teams participating in the Division League. And then there's the National League. Already 48 countries are participating in the next World Cup in 2026, accounting for almost a quarter of all FIFA members. From 2025, there will also be a FIFA Club World Cup involving 32 teams. Everyone applauded because there was a lot of money. But this oversaturation leads to a loss of interest in football, I noticed in myself, football?

Do you hate football?
There are so many games that you don’t know what to watch. And you have to pay most of the costs. I noticed at a recent match between Real Madrid and Milan that both teams had the same advertisement plastered on their chests. An Emirates airline. Sponsors used to be called Nike or Adidas, both sports-related companies. But what now? A few months ago, FIFA struck a sponsorship deal with Saudi oil company Aramco.

More than 100 professional football players protested and called on FIFA to terminate their contracts. Saudi Arabia, which oppresses women, “spends billions of dollars sponsoring sporting events to divert attention from the regime's reputation for brutal human rights.”
As a religious person, you believe that others believe too. I actually believe Arabs are not only interested in money or football, but in spreading their culture and values. Through sports, they can convince the world that they are an open country. But are they naive, or are we? I don’t want to sound preachy, and I could be wrong, but it worries me.

For you, religion doesn't belong in sports?
When I met with Pope Francis in 2013, he suggested that I sign a “document of understanding” between the Catholic Church and FIFA. I told him: “Francis, this is impossible. Because football is present in all religions.” The Pope nodded and said: I was right. No religion is allowed to have a monopoly on football. Ganswein, the notorious papal secretary, disagreed at all and told me as I left that, as a Catholic, I knew the pope was infallible. I have to do what he asks. When I replied that the Pope shared my attitude, Gänswein made a sound of contempt and turned away. Yes, I am clear: football belongs to all religions.

You ask: “Quo vadis, football?” Where is he going?
Things are going in the wrong direction almost everywhere right now. Tickets are getting more expensive. As commercialization increases, violence increases at all levels, both on and off the field. Football is no longer a socio-cultural asset, a place where you learn to win as well as lose, but is increasingly becoming a battlefield in every aspect.

How did this happen?
Everything has become too big. Too much money, too many games. Players are earning more and more, but with it comes pressure. They are more susceptible to injury because the recovery period is too short during the continuous English week. There are too many techniques, offside, goals or fouls. It’s no longer the referee who decides, it’s TV. Respecting the referee's decisions is one of the schools of character in football. But I want to point out something positive here: the promotion of women’s football over the past 40 years.

Blatter succeeds as FIFA president.Image: trapezoid

What needs to be done now?
We have to make sure football becomes more human again. Instead of just more, more, more. We need to start setting boundaries. Already at club, club competition level. The number of games, tournaments and player salaries must be reduced; as is the case in the United States, a cap needs to be set.

How would you deal with this issue if you were still FIFA president?
As you can see, individual federations like UEFA do not set any limits for themselves. Hence the need for a global approach through FIFA. A congress had to be held in Zurich for several days, where it would only discuss how football should continue. Discuss the problem on the first day and decide on a solution on the second day. Just like we had success before in 2002, when FIFA was almost bankrupt.

But your successor will probably say everything is going well and there's always more money.
Yes, I know, more and more, more and more. He did the opposite of what was necessary. Instead of discussing and finding solutions, he organizes virtual meetings. This is how football sells your soul.