Blatter urges Brazil to speed up 2014 preparations

FIFA President Sepp Blatter urged Brazil to speed up preparations for the 2014 World Cup.



Blatter said Brazil lagged behind where South Africa stood when the 2010 host fell behind with its construction schedule.



“I must say that in comparison with the state of play between South Africa and Brazil three years before the World Cup, Brazil is behind South Africa. It's a fact,” Blatter told reporters.



Referring to how little time remained before the 2014 finals, Blatter said “it's tomorrow. The Brazilians think it's just the day after tomorrow. What they shall do is to give a little bit more speed now in the organization.”



Blatter said the slow progress meant Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo could be omitted from the program for the 2013 Confederations Cup, which is designed as a dress rehearsal for the 2014 finals.



“The World Cup stadiums are still in the process of being discussed between the city mayors and the state governors,” he said.



Speaking at a Swiss government-backed media event, Blatter expressed optimism that a proven goal-line technology system would be in place in Brazil.



Blatter also promised FIFA would have a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and bad behavior on and off the field.



He outlined a new project for the FIFA Congress on June 1, where he's hoping to win election for a fourth four-year term.



“I will present something very special there but I will not now disclose what is the content,” Blatter said. “It's to fight corruption, all cheating and discrimination.



“We also want to appeal to players, coaches, referees to behave on the field of play,” he said, adding that illegal betting and match-fixing would be addressed.




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Blatter to stand down in 2015

Sepp Blatter says he will step down as FIFA president in 2015, if he is re-elected for a fourth term in June.



The 75-year-old, who has led world football's governing body since 1998, is being challenged by Asian confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam.



"You know I aspire to another four years," he told a UEFA Congress on Tuesday. "[But] these will be the last years for which I stand as candidate."



Bin Hammam is also attending the Congress to lobby European federation presidents for their vote on June 1 in Zurich.



“We are in extra time,” said Blatter, referring to the time remaining before the election. “Let's wait and see what the outcome will be.”



While Bin Hammam has promised greater transparency if he wins, Blatter told the UEFA delegates that football's main challenges in the coming years will be to preserve the identity of clubs and to fight against match-fixing and doping.



“Football is corrupted by all little devils which exist in the world,” the 75-year-old Blatter said. “Don't forget that football is a game and that when one is playing, he always tries to cheat a little bit. Together we have the task of bringing together the adventure we have started. We want to ensure a better future for our youth.”



UEFA members make up more than one quarter of the 208 FIFA voters that Blatter and bin Hammam are attempting to woo before the election.



The winner requires a two-thirds majority of votes cast in the first ballot, or a majority in the second. FIFA has set an April 1 deadline for other candidates to be nominated by a single member federation.



The new president will be elected at a FIFA Congress which starts on 31 May.



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Time for Blatter to go - Bin Hammam

Mohamed Bin Hammam has suggested that is it time for FIFA president Sepp Blatter to step down, after 13 years in charge, as he launches his bid to take charge of world football's governing body.



The Qatari, a former ally of Blatter, will run against the long-time FIFA president in the election on June 1st this year.



"I was a supporter of Blatter and I have never regretted anything about that - he has contributed a lot for the development of the game,'' he said. "But he has been there a long time in that position. There must be the question: Mr President - when is it enough?''



Bin Hammam also insists that, should he be elected, he would set a maximum term of office.



"I will limit myself to a maximum of eight years. If I am elected I will bring the proposal back so that the president of FIFA remains only for eight years,'' he added. ''Mr Blatter came wanting eight years, two mandates, then 12 years and three mandates, and now four mandates and actually nothing is changing in the last three or four years.



"I am not saying I am the Godfather of football but I don't see anything moving, anything changing. Most of what we are seeing and hearing is criticism from outside towards FIFA and most of the time I don't think it's fair. This is what is driving me."



Bin Hammam admits that he and Blatter have fallen out over FIFA issues in recent years but insists they are not enemies.



"I see him as a friend," he said. "I wish that although I am presenting my candidacy he doesn't consider me as his enemy.



"In the last two or three years there has been a lot of confrontation between him and me, but in the right place which is in the executive committee, but that is for the better administration of football, it doesn't mean we hate each other."




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FIFA doomed if Bin Hamman wins - Blatter ally

A former leading official of the Asian Football Confederation has criticised Mohamed bin Hammam for challenging Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency, saying the organization would be “doomed” if the Qatari wins.



Peter Velappan, who was the AFC's general secretary from 1978 to 2007, said bin Hammam's pledge to bring “new blood” into the leadership of FIFA was “the joke of the century.”



The Malaysian's comments highlight bitter divisions within FIFA following last week's announcement by bin Hammam, the current AFC president, that he would run to replace the 75-year-old Blatter.



“FIFA will be doomed if Hammam became the president,” Velappan told The Associated Press. “It would be very detrimental.”



Bin Hammam revealed his candidacy on Friday, launching the first serious challenge to Blatter in nearly a decade.



Velappan claimed bin Hammam had led the AFC like “an autocrat” since becoming president of the organization in 2002 and was insincere in his pledge to bring more democracy, transparency and integrity to FIFA.



“These are the very things he has not done in AFC,” he said. “There is no democracy in AFC.”



He added he believed bin Hammam would try to “buy up” support to win the vote.



“He is definitely an underdog but you can't rule out his influence,” Velappan said.



In declaring his bid for presidency, bin Hammam said he would broaden FIFA's decision-making power and spread its wealth if elected. He proposed creating a new FIFA board to replace the existing executive committee.



Blatter has been in charge of FIFA for 13 years.




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