Sepp Blatter on Thursday hit out at what he called the "envy and jealousy" of FIFA`s success and vowed football`s powerful world governing body would not bow to criticism.
|Last Updated: Jan 06, 2011, 10:09 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Doha: Sepp Blatter on Thursday hit out at what he called the "envy and jealousy" of FIFA`s success and vowed football`s powerful world governing body would not bow to criticism.
FIFA and its 74-year-old president, who is expected to stand for re-election in May, came under heavy fire last year over alleged corruption.
It also faced condemnation by some for awarding the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 event to Qatar amid claims that the voting system of world football`s governing body aids collusion and secrecy.
But Blatter remains defiant, telling the Asian Football Confederation Congress that the organisation continued to go from strength-to-strength.
"In 2010 we had some milestones in the history of football, starting with the first World Cup on the African continent, and what a success," he said in his address.
"Then we had the women`s Under-17 World Cup which had its first Asian champions -- South Korea -- and then the decision of FIFA`s executive committee to go to new destinations in 2018 and 2022."
"All these successes have created a lot of envy and jealousy in our world because you cannot satisfy everybody."He added that FIFA was powerful and rich enough to ward off any attacks.
"The success story of FIFA can continue because we are in a comfortable situation, despite the criticism given to FIFA," he said.
"We have the power and the instruments to go against any attacks that are made."
With elections at key confederations, as well as FIFA, due this year, Blatter cautioned that people needed to learn how to lose, as well as win.
"In 2011 we will have competitions but there is something else at stake, this is the elections in all the confederations," he said.
"Football is still a game and you learn to win, but also to lose, so I ask you to behave and conduct them in a democratic way."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.