Banned FIFA president Sepp Blatter claims he has few allies left in FIFA as he waits to hear whether his suspension will stand.
Blatter insists both he and Michel Platini have done nothing ethically wrong over the 2 million Swiss Franc “disloyal payment” that led to the pair being banned from all football-related activity for eight years.
Blatter has spoken out after attending a hearing of the world governing body’s appeals committee in Zurich this week. UEFA president Platini also had his case heard and a verdict is now expected next week.
In an interview with French TV station BFM, Blatter said: “This departure that they’re preparing for me, it’s very sad, very sad. You suddenly find yourself in a situation where you don’t have the means to defend yourself and you don’t have any friends left.
“You are isolated, you are alone even if, during this whole operation, I had a great footballer, Michel Platini by my side.”
In another interview with radio station RMC, Blatter said: “Platini is innocent. Like me. There’s nothing in there. This is an accounting case, not an ethical matter.”
Blatter had already announced his decision to stand down prior to his ban and an election to determine his successor will be held this coming Friday. The 79-year-old will not publicly back any of the five candidates – Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Gianni Infantino, Prince Ali, Tokyo Sexwale or Jerome Champagne.
“I cannot take sides,” he said. “It is not possible.”
The Swiss added: “Several national federations have asked me to find out whom to vote for. I told them to make their own conscience.”
When asked about the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, Blatter revealed France broke a pact to vote for America and switched to the Gulf state due to political considerations.
He added: “World Cups are not awarded because of payments, they’re awarded in relation to political interventions. The European group, that had agreed to the tacit deal that the World Cup should go to the US, changed its vote after France’s political intervention. So to answer your question, if (the World Cup) had gone to the US, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Meanwhile, the Asian Football Confederation has urged its member nations to back its president Sheikh Salman over Prince Ali of Jordan at the election.
Richard Lai, the AFC marketing committee chairman, said: “Our vision is ‘One Asia, One Goal’. Our goal is a united Asia and to demonstrate that we must unite behind our president in the FIFA election.”
At present Asia has two candidates for the FIFA presidency. We must unite behind the one who will deliver these reforms and that is the AFC president.”
