In a great loss to the history of human civilisation, Sepp Blatter will unfortunately not be joining Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Martin Luther King and the 14th Dalai Lama as a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
But that alone offers an insight into the level of delusion, the world Blatter once inhabited and the gilded life he felt he was destined to lead.
His crowning achievement was to join the above list and last week he even received a recommendation for Nobel recognition from Vladimir Putin. Sometimes you can’t make this stuff up.
– FIFA: Blatter and Platini banned for eight years
– VOTE NOW: End of Year Awards 2015
At times on Monday this delusion spilled over into fears over his mental welfare, as he proudly declared he was still president, the Ethics Committee had no jurisdiction to remove him and he, “would be back” while claiming he had become FIFA’s “punching ball”. Bless.
In truth, this could be just the beginning as the FBI inquiry which has snared former allies Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz and Chuck Blazer, among others, is far from over and more lurid details are sure to emerge next year.
But manfully Blatter battles on as he prepares his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and, in some ways, you have to admire his sheer broad-mindedness, as ridiculous as it seems.
At the same time by dragging this sorry saga out and doing his level best to discredit those who have caught and punished him he is only revealing more about himself and how he has run FIFA.
Blatter apologists point towards his growth of the game outside the traditional powerbases in Europe and South America.
Anyone seen any current footballer tweeting or reacting to Blatter/Platini bans? You’d think *at least* one would have an opinion
— James Piercy (@piercy360) December 21, 2015
He is the first president to oversee a World Cup in Asia and Africa and would have been confident of being in the stands in Doha in 2022 for the maiden tournament in the Middle East. But then was he doing this out of an act of altruism, or merely canvassing for support to increase and extend his own power?
Because if there’s one thing about Sepp Blatter it’s that he absolutely loves being FIFA President. Always willing with a quote, always happy to be photographed with the right people and shaking the right hands to underline his global importance. The last 17 years have essentially been one big ego trip.
If he really cared about the game, he’d disappear, earning a crumb of dignity to enjoy a pleasant retirement in Zurich.
What FIFA is going through right now reflects appallingly on football itself, not just the individuals concerned.
What’s best for the organisation he so supposedly cradles so dearly in his heart, is a clean break with the past. Because if there is isn’t, the results could be catastrophic.
With club football so influential and financially powerful, who knows what rival organisations and competitions could emerge, should this scandal deepen.
But he doesn’t think like this. He cares only for self-preservation and the legacy of Sepp Blatter: FIFA President since 1998.
If you’re willing to take all the accolades, plaudits and praise when things are going well – and, boy, did he do that – you must also accept responsibility if matters turn sour.
As Sir John Dalberg-Acton famously wrote, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
For so long Blatter’s actions went unchecked, and it’s no wonder he grew to bel-ieve, and evidently still does, he is indestructible.
Thankfully there are still some elements of FIFA still rooted in reality. Long may that continue.
