“Football and the World Cup are too big for that,” the former president of the world football’s governing body, FIFA said in an interview with the newspapers of the Swiss Tamedia group on Tuesday.
It had been a bad choice, he said. “And I bore responsibility for that as president at the time,” Blatter said.
Originally, the executive committee had wanted to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to the United States. “It would have been a gesture of peace if the two political opponents had hosted the World Cup one after the other,” Blatter said. But important votes then went to Qatar.
Blatter again citied a meeting between the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Michel Platini, the former head of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)for swaying key votes.
Acquittal
Blatter said his acquittal for fraud before Switzerland’s federal criminal court in July is unequivocal and “no second-class acquittal.”
In October, however, the federal prosecutors office filed a definitive appeal against the acquittal in the trial against Blatter and Platini. Both ex-bosses applied to the appeals court for the complete annulment of the first-instance verdict.
Blatter does not see the fact that only the prosecutors office and not FIFA appealed against the court’s verdict at the beginning of July as a sign of peace. “On the contrary,” he said, accusing the current head of FIFA Gianni Infantino of avoiding him. He also says that the decision’s continuation is incomprehensible; everything had proceeded transparently.
According to Blatter, the fact that investigations had come about at all was due to resentment on the other side of the Atlantic.
“The Americans, with whom the Swiss prosecutors cooperated, were angry because the World Cup tournament had not gone to them but to Qatar.” While this was not corroborated, the ex-FIFA chief conceded. “History will show how it was.”
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Legal action filed against Swiss purchase of Israeli drones
This content was published on
Legal action aims to put an end to the delivery of the six Elbit reconnaissance drones already plagued by delays and setbacks.
Higher direct payments fail to curb scrub encroachment on alpine pastures
This content was published on
The scrub encroachment on Swiss alpine pastures leads to the loss of grassland and damages the typical landscape. It is also responsible for the decline in biodiversity. Despite higher direct payments, the bushes continue to spread.
Head of Swiss financial regulator’s Banks division quits
This content was published on
Thomas Hirschi, head of the Banks division of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA will leave at the end of August.
Swiss population satisfied with life according to survey
This content was published on
In a survey, the population of German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland expressed general satisfaction with their lives. Respondents were less happy with politics and their personal finances, according to the online comparison service Moneyland.
WHO ‘extremely concerned’ about growing vaccination scepticism
This content was published on
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), vaccination scepticism and a collapse in funding for vaccination campaigns pose a major threat to the health of the world's population.
High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
This content was published on
The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.
Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus
This content was published on
Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.
Swiss prosecutors appeal acquittals of Blatter and Platini
This content was published on
Swiss federal prosecutors have filed an appeal to overturn the acquittals of former Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini on corruption charges.
This content was published on
After being chosen as World Cup host, Qatar set its sights on Geneva as the place to roll out a massive PR campaign to boost its image.
‘Project Merciless’: how Qatar spied on the world of football in Switzerland
This content was published on
Qatar orchestrated a major intelligence operation against FIFA officials helped by ex-CIA agents. Switzerland was a key theatre of operations.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.