Sepp Blatter
Joseph " Sepp " Blatter ( born Joseph Blatter, born March 10, 1936 in Visp ) is a Swiss football official. He is currently in his fourth term as president of world football's governing body FIFA, which lasts until June 2015.
- 3.1 Election to the FIFA president in 1998 and 2002
- 3.2 allegations in 2011 and re-election
- 3.3 ISL bribe affair
Life
Sepp Blatter was born on March 10, 1936 in Visp, where he attended primary school. Blatter attended schools in Visp, customs and Saint- Maurice VS. He then studied at HEC Lausanne economics. He graduated with a degree. Blatter 's Age Lord of the Swiss Helvetia fraternity. His Vulgo is Mi- temps (German half).
From 1948 to 1971 Blatter played active football ( among other things in the highest Swiss amateur league). From 1970 to 1975 he sat on the board of Neuchatel Xamax. Before Blatter began his career at FIFA, he was active in various associations (PR- chief of the Valais Transport Association, General Secretary of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation ). In addition, he also worked in the private sector ( Director of PR and Sports of Longines SA) as a journalist and public relations specialist.
Blatter in 1975 entered the service of FIFA as director of FIFA's development programs with which the foundation stones for the world championships in the age categories U -20 and U -17 as well as in women's and indoor soccer (Futsal ) were placed. From 1981 to 1998 Blatter was the General Secretary of FIFA. In 1990, he was also entrusted with the powers of an Executive Director (CEO) equipped.
On 8 June 1998 he was elected as the successor of the Brazilian João Havelange for the eighth President of FIFA. In an interview with the Swiss Sunday newspaper on February 18, 2007 Blatter said that his annual salary amounted to one million U.S. dollars. On the 57th Ordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich Blatter was confirmed by acclamation in 2007 to 2011 in his office. On 1 June 2011 he was re-elected at the 61st FIFA Congress with 186 of 203 votes for a fourth term as FIFA president until 2015.
The Old School House Primary School in Visp since 1999 Sepp Blatter school house is called. In Ulrichen there is a Sepp Blatter football field.
Criticism
Mismanagement
Blatter was also regularly FIFA internal financial mismanagement criticized, for example by FIFA General Secretary Michel Zen - Ruffinen respect to losses of up to 100 million U.S. dollars in marketing. The corresponding action has been dropped by a Swiss court. An internal investigation of the events was prevented by Blatter's veto and dismissed his critics from office.
Rule reforms
Many of the changes to the rules and statutes of FIFA, which were introduced during Blatter's tenure, were met with fans, journalists, players and clubs on regular resonance or were controversial. Examples include ongoing reflections on the conversion of decision-making in a draw, the strict interpretation of the rules in one-piece jerseys of the Cameroonian national team or introduced in 2008, ruling that before international matches in more than 2000 m above sea level a Akklimatisierungsfrist is maintained by a week.
Blatter has been criticized by players and women's organizations for comment in 2004 during an interview in the Sunday Swiss view, according to which the sportswear football players should be made more " feminine ". This measure should new investors, attract approximately from the cosmetics and fashion industry. Blatter likened his idea to the development in volleyball.
Corruption
Election as FIFA president in 1998 and 2002
Blatter was elected in 1998 in Paris with 111:80 votes for FIFA president. Egidius Braun threw Blatter before then to have bought the necessary votes for the majority. Other rumors about cases of corruption came up before the election. The British author David Yallop revelation in his book How the game was lost, as Blatter allegedly bought 22 votes each for $ 50,000. Blatter went against the book before legal and secured a sell stop in Switzerland.
Similarly controversial was his re-election in 2002, again loaded with rumors of unlawful operations in the background. In this context, the Somali delegates Farah Addo published his claim that he and other delegates were offered the choice 1998 100.000 U.S. dollars for a vote for Blatter. Farah Addo was ordered in March 2003 by a Swiss court to set the repeat his statement and to pay 10,000 Swiss francs compensation to Blatter. He had to revoke his claim is not.
Allegations in 2011 and re-election
Shortly before the FIFA presidential election on June 1, 2011 it was announced that Blatter should have known of bribes and did nothing. His opponent Mohamed bin Hammam withdrew his candidacy, however, which should not be related to it according to his own statements that he should have even tried to manipulate the choice of using cash gifts. Despite all the allegations Sepp Blatter was elected on 1 June 2011, 186 out of 203 votes for a fourth term.
ISL bribe affair
Several managers of 2001 bankrupt sports marketing company International Sport and Leisure (ISL ), which worked closely with regard to television broadcasting rights with FIFA, were convicted in 2007 partly because of embezzlement, fraud and fraudulent bankruptcy in fines, including a confidant and Blatter's friend, ISL Vice President Jean -Marie Weber. To a FIFA affair, the scandal widened, as the prosecutor train later investigations into corruption, high FIFA officials recorded by ISL. The process was set in 2010 for a payment of 5.5 million CHF. Among the bribe recipients included, among others Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolas Leoz and Blatter's predecessor Joao Havelange. From a became known in July 2012 setting available, processed in vain against the publication of the FIFA or of individual concerned, it appears that Joseph Blatter, was also in the function of the FIFA Secretary General, about the bribes to FIFA officials in the image without something about it to undertake. Under pressure from the burden of proof Blatter admitted that he knew about the bribes, which he, however, " commission payments" called. One could " the past does not compete with the scales of today," this is " moral justice ".
Calls from Germany, about DFL president Reinhard Rauball, he should resign, Blatter responded with allusion, even when awarding the 2006 World Cup in Germany, it was not received with the right things. Members of the former German World Cup organizing committee, including Franz Beckenbauer and Fedor Radmannsdorf, denied the charges. In German media the statements were predominantly Blatter called diversion. Chance was, however, also pointed out that the then narrow majority decision of the Executive Council ( 12:11 ) " numerous oddities " which was preceded, including the waiver of the vote by the time set by different page under pressure New Zealand functionary Charles Dempsey, investments and marketing deals by German companies such as the Kirch Group and Daimler Benz in favor of participating electors and / or their organizations and countries.
Awards (selection)
- Order of the African liberation
- Olympic Medal in 1994
- Honorary citizen of Texas in 1994
- Bambi in the category Communication 2005
- Fischhof Prize 2005 by the Foundation against Racism and Anti-Semitism (GRA)
- Great Federal Cross of Merit 2006
- Large Silver Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria 2008
- Honorary member of the German Football Association (DFB ) 2010
- Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in Gold ( South Africa ) 2010
In addition, Joseph Blatter, together with four other people as a possible winner of the Arosa Humor blade 2012, a jury prize of the Arosa Humour Festival, nominated.