Sports / Soccer
Euro draws fixed, claims Blatter
14 Jun 2016 at 16:10hrs | Views
Former FIFA President, Sepp Blatter has claimed that he witnessed a draw for European competition being rigged using 'hot and cold balls' to help those picking them out of the pot identify them.
The 80-year old said no draw for a FIFA event had been fixed during his 17 years at the helm of world football's governing body, adding that he had seen it done for European competitions.
Blatter refused to identify the tournament in question, but said that only one team had ever successfully benefited from such tactics.
He went on to say that he was never directly involved in the alleged cheating, despite being witness to it.
"I witnessed draws at the European level where that happened but never at FIFA," said Blatter.
"I was clean to the last," he added.
Blatter defended himself and FIFA against the corruption accusations that have thrown the organisation into turmoil and led to the arrest of a laundry list of top football officials.
Earlier this month, reports say it was alleged that former top FIFA officials including Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves pay raises and World Cup related bonuses totaling to US$80 million during their last five years in office.
Blatter was suspended from office for six years in October amid allegations of widespread corruption within FIFA's ranks and has since been replaced by Gianni Infantino after last December's elections.
The 80-year old said no draw for a FIFA event had been fixed during his 17 years at the helm of world football's governing body, adding that he had seen it done for European competitions.
Blatter refused to identify the tournament in question, but said that only one team had ever successfully benefited from such tactics.
He went on to say that he was never directly involved in the alleged cheating, despite being witness to it.
"I witnessed draws at the European level where that happened but never at FIFA," said Blatter.
"I was clean to the last," he added.
Blatter defended himself and FIFA against the corruption accusations that have thrown the organisation into turmoil and led to the arrest of a laundry list of top football officials.
Earlier this month, reports say it was alleged that former top FIFA officials including Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves pay raises and World Cup related bonuses totaling to US$80 million during their last five years in office.
Blatter was suspended from office for six years in October amid allegations of widespread corruption within FIFA's ranks and has since been replaced by Gianni Infantino after last December's elections.
Source - online
