Blatter shoots defiant barbs back at critics

Fifa president Sepp Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term. Photo / AP

Fifa boss accuses European football of waging long hate campaign.

Sepp Blatter went on the offensive over accusations that he has presided over a regime of rampant corruption during his 17 years in charge of football's governing body.

After being re-elected as president of Fifa for a fifth consecutive term on Saturday, the 79-year-old accused European football of conducting a hate campaign against him and condemned the targeting of his organisation by US judicial authorities.

Facing down his critics, Blatter raised the prospect of growing conflict between Uefa, European football's governing body, and his main group of support in the African and Asian football confederations.

"It is a hate that comes not just from one person at Uefa, it comes from the Uefa organisation that cannot understand that in 1998 I became president."

In response to growing calls for Uefa to boycott the next World Cup and demands that Fifa reruns the vote to pick the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, Blatter accused the "English media and the American movement" of conspiring against him.

Facing the press for the first time since his re-election, he paved the way for a continued battle of wills with Uefa president Michel Platini, who last week urged him to resign. In an ominous warning of future relations he stated: "I forgive but I do not forget when it comes to persons."

Blatter's scarcely veiled threats came at the end of a week in which 14 Fifa officials, including seven of the organisation's most senior figures, were arrested as part of criminal investigations into bribes totalling US$150 million ($210 million).

The FBI said it had uncovered 24 years of "brazen corruption ... undisclosed illegal payments, kickbacks and bribes" by Fifa officials, and that corruption in the organisation was "rampant, systemic and deep-rooted".

The US inquiry alleges South Africa was awarded the 2010 World Cup as a result of bribery, with the head of its IRS Criminal Investigations division accusing Fifa of running a "World Cup of fraud".

The Swiss authorities also announced a criminal inquiry into the decisions to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.

But in a show of brazen defiance, Blatter maintained he had the support of the international football community and was the only man capable of restoring football's image.

"All of these events that have taken place, culminating in the police storming the Zurich hotel - and curiously enough there were already American journalists present at the time - this storm has not passed, but it has not become a hurricane at this time.

"We will work with our institutions and our bodies, and that way we will avoid future situations where there are surprises that catch us on the back foot."

Blatter denied any knowledge of one of the most serious single allegations - that US$10 million was paid in bribes to the disgraced former vice-president of the organisation, Jack Warner, by a senior Fifa official.

Asked by journalists if he feared the consequences of the US investigation, he said: " I have no concerns. I especially have no concerns about my person."