* Blatter re-elected unopposed for four more years
* Promises tougher stance on corruption (adds details, quotes)
By Brian Homewood
ZURICH, June 1 (Reuters) - Sepp Blatter was re-elected unopposed for a fourth term as FIFA president on Wednesday, shrugging off the scandals that have hit world soccer’s governing body to secure another four years in charge.
Blatter, the 75-year-old Swiss who has run FIFA since 1998, received 186 out of the 203 votes cast and immediately pushed through changes intended the make the choice of World Cup hosts more democratic and beef up the fight against corruption.
“I’m a happy man after these very, very hard weeks,” Blatter told reporters.
FIFA’s Congress approved his suggestion that World Cup hosts should in future be chosen by the Congress from a short-list prepared by the 24-man executive committee.
Under the current system, voting is restricted to the executive committee, which critics say leads to excessive lobbying and exchanges of favours.
Congress also accepted a proposal to strengthen the ethics committee by separating the investigation and decision-making powers and another to create a new watchdog called the “solution committee”.
Blatter had been due to face Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hammam but the Qatari withdrew on Sunday amid cash-for-votes allegations.
Bin Hammam was barred entry to the Congress hall, having been provisionally suspended by the ethics committee along with fellow executive committee Jack Warner.
Blatter himself was cleared of any wrongdoing during the electoral campaign by the ethics committee on Sunday.
“Together we will have four years…to continue on our path and to do our job,” Blatter told delegates after the vote of confidence from soccer federations worldwide.
“I’m happy that we were able to bring this solidarity, this unity into FIFA, allowing us to move forward with a positive standpoint.”
FINAL HURDLE
Blatter had to overcome a final hurdle on Wednesday morning when the English FA put forward a motion to postpone the election.
That was rejected by 172 votes to 17, although the English proposal gained several more votes than originally expected.
Other delegates claimed that FIFA was the victim of a media campaign while vice-president Julio Grondona of Argentina produced an astonishing attack on the English FA and media.
“It cannot be that the problems always come from the same side,” said Grondona, claiming that England had been sulking since 1974 when Stanley Rous lost the FIFA presidency to Brazil’s Joao Havelange.
“Since 1974, things have changed and it seemed that this country didn’t like it….Now, we are in 2011 and they still seem to always have something to say.”
He also labelled Britain as privileged “because they have four national teams and none of the rest of us have anything” and said England had caused problems at every Congress he had been to.
Spanish FA president Angel Villar said politicians should keep out of football.
“Politicians should talk about politics, they have no idea about this (soccer),” he said. “Some politicians think they know everything, how wrong they are.”
* Promises tougher stance on corruption (adds details, quotes)
By Brian Homewood
ZURICH, June 1 (Reuters) - Sepp Blatter was re-elected unopposed for a fourth term as FIFA president on Wednesday, shrugging off the scandals that have hit world soccer’s governing body to secure another four years in charge.
Blatter, the 75-year-old Swiss who has run FIFA since 1998, received 186 out of the 203 votes cast and immediately pushed through changes intended the make the choice of World Cup hosts more democratic and beef up the fight against corruption.
“I’m a happy man after these very, very hard weeks,” Blatter told reporters.
FIFA’s Congress approved his suggestion that World Cup hosts should in future be chosen by the Congress from a short-list prepared by the 24-man executive committee.
Under the current system, voting is restricted to the executive committee, which critics say leads to excessive lobbying and exchanges of favours.
Congress also accepted a proposal to strengthen the ethics committee by separating the investigation and decision-making powers and another to create a new watchdog called the “solution committee”.
Blatter had been due to face Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hammam but the Qatari withdrew on Sunday amid cash-for-votes allegations.
Bin Hammam was barred entry to the Congress hall, having been provisionally suspended by the ethics committee along with fellow executive committee Jack Warner.
Blatter himself was cleared of any wrongdoing during the electoral campaign by the ethics committee on Sunday.
“Together we will have four years…to continue on our path and to do our job,” Blatter told delegates after the vote of confidence from soccer federations worldwide.
“I’m happy that we were able to bring this solidarity, this unity into FIFA, allowing us to move forward with a positive standpoint.”
FINAL HURDLE
Blatter had to overcome a final hurdle on Wednesday morning when the English FA put forward a motion to postpone the election.
That was rejected by 172 votes to 17, although the English proposal gained several more votes than originally expected.
Other delegates claimed that FIFA was the victim of a media campaign while vice-president Julio Grondona of Argentina produced an astonishing attack on the English FA and media.
“It cannot be that the problems always come from the same side,” said Grondona, claiming that England had been sulking since 1974 when Stanley Rous lost the FIFA presidency to Brazil’s Joao Havelange.
“Since 1974, things have changed and it seemed that this country didn’t like it….Now, we are in 2011 and they still seem to always have something to say.”
He also labelled Britain as privileged “because they have four national teams and none of the rest of us have anything” and said England had caused problems at every Congress he had been to.
Spanish FA president Angel Villar said politicians should keep out of football.
“Politicians should talk about politics, they have no idea about this (soccer),” he said. “Some politicians think they know everything, how wrong they are.”
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