Source: Getty
Five years after the chaos surrounding the FIFA Congress in Zurich, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter attacks his successor Gianni Infantino and accuses him of arrogance and megalomania.
On June 2, 2015, Sepp Blatter announced in Zurich that he would step down as FIFA President. Whatever was suspected, the 84-year-old from Valais confirmed in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. He took this step under pressure from the United States. «They said: The head has to go! Then I made my mandate available – and suddenly FIFA was no longer a mafia organization for the US judiciary, but a victim. »
Since then, nothing has improved in Blatter’s eyes in world football. His successor Gianni Infantino wanted “to make football a huge money machine”. World Cup with 48 teams, increase of the Women’s World Cup from 24 to 32 teams, big club World Cup with 24 teams: Infantino wanted to make everything bigger right away. But: «That is not possible, you can no longer digest it.»
Blatter criticized his successor, who had “taken over” and “went into megalomania”. Blatter said: “In his arrogance, he no longer talks to association presidents, but only to heads of state.”
Blatter senses conspiracy
Blatter indicated to Keystone-SDA that Infantino might have been involved in a plot against him. «It seems that Infantino wanted to clear the way for the FIFA Presidium. He used the contact to his childhood friend Rinaldo Arnold, who established the connection with the federal prosecutor. Could be that he just noticed that there is something in there for Infantino, »says Blatter.
It may have been a plot against former UEFA president Michel Platini. The latter is suspected of having sold his vote to Qatar when the 2022 World Cup was awarded. “But FIFA wants to play the World Cup there to maintain the appearance of normalcy,” said Blatter. One could suddenly play this World Cup «in no time in England, Germany or Japan. Or in the USA! It should be the USA, because they were second in the 2010 selection ». Blatter himself had given his voice to the United States. If the Americans were to organize the 2022 World Cup, “history would have proven me right.”
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