FIFA boss cops spray from 'sorry' predecessor

1 year ago 52

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised successor Gianni Infantino's plans for a 48-team World Cup and an expanded Club World Cup.

In an interrogation with German play Die Zeit released Wednesday, Blatter said that “what is happening astatine the infinitesimal is an overcommercialisation of the game.”

“There are attempts to compression much and much retired of the citrus — for illustration with the World Cup finals with 48 teams oregon present with a Club World Cup that indispensable beryllium viewed arsenic nonstop contention to the Champions League,” helium was quoted arsenic saying. “FIFA is encroaching present connected thing that is really nary of its business, nine soccer.”

The 2026 World Cup successful the United States, Mexico and Canada volition beryllium the archetypal 48-nation tournament, gathering Infantino’s predetermination pledge of a bigger and much inclusive World Cup going beyond European and South American teams. This year's tourney successful Qatar featured 32 teams.

Earlier this month, Infantino called for a 32-team men’s Club World Cup successful 2025.

Blatter announced successful June 2015 that helium would resign aboriginal arsenic FIFA president, successful the fallout from a sprawling corruption investigation. He has agelong denied wrongdoing, saying successful Wednesday's interrogation that “I person ne'er taken wealth that I didn't gain — that's wherefore thing connected maine could ever beryllium proven successful each the proceedings against me. And that volition stay the case."

Infantino, a chap Swiss, succeeded Blatter successful 2016. Blatter told Die Zeit that helium has “no narration with Infantino” and that the existent president “behaved disrespectfully due to the fact that helium has refused immoderate interaction with maine since his election.” Blatter added that “he lone communicates with maine via lawyers.”

Blatter claimed that helium had repeatedly “tried to power the business,” for illustration successful attempting to bounds transfers of talented South American oregon African players to Europe. An effort to present a wage headdress for players besides failed. Blatter said “we didn't negociate to support shot from economical and governmental influence.”

“I truly tried ever to service soccer,” helium said. “If successful doing truthful I damaged it, past I americium sorry.”

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