Britain's sports minister led calls for FIFA
president Sepp Blatter to resign on
Thursday after the global football supremo
played down the extent of racism in the
sport.
Hugh Robertson said Blatter's position as
head of world football was no longer tenable
after he said in a television interview that
disputes on the pitch involving racist abuse
should be resolved by a handshake.
'Sepp Blatter's comments are completely
unacceptable,' Robertson said. 'This is the
latest episode that calls into question whether
this man should be the head of world
football.
'For the sake of the game, he should go. We
have been consistent in our calls for
improved governance at FIFA and this
underlines the need for that once more.'
The head of England's Professional
Footballers Association, Gordon Taylor, also
said Blatter should quit.
'He is the leader of world football, he has to
be a leader in anti-racism,' Taylor told Sky
News.
'Racism is divisive and for him to say the
player on the receiving end should forget
about it at the end of the game and shake
hands, We are going backwards, It is not
good enough, it's embarrassing.
'It is time for him to go.'
Herman Ouseley, a member of the House of
Lords who chairs the anti-racism Kick It
Out group, said Blatter had no
'understanding of what racism is'.
'Enlightened leadership at this level is
needed. Minor matters on the field often can
be resolved with a handshake. Racism is not
a minor matter,' he said.
Blatter's comments were greeted with
incredulity by the British media, a long-time
critic of the Swiss administrator's
stewardship of FIFA.
The Sun tabloid led the condemnation with a
front page story headlined 'Blind as a Blatt',
while the paper's editorial said it was time
for the veteran Swiss official to step down.
'Blatter has long been a serious
embarrassment to the game,' the paper said.
'Now we know he thinks racism is no big
deal. What a toad he is.'
Blatter's comments came as Liverpool's
Uruguayan international Luis Suarez was
charged by the English Football Association
for allegedly racially abusing Manchester
United's French international Patrice Evra.
England captain John Terry is also facing a
police and FA investigation over allegations
he hurled racist abuse at QPR defender
Anton Ferdinand.
The Daily Telegraph's football
correspondent Henry Winter, meanwhile,
said Blatter's position at the summit of the
sport was untenable.
'Any politician who had uttered similarly
offensive comments would have been sacked
or resigned,' Winter wrote. 'Yet
Tyrannosaurus Sepp carries on, an
embarrassment to a wonderful sport, an
affront to common decency.'
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday,
Blatter said the sport did not have a problem
with racism.
'I would deny it. There is no racism, there is
maybe one of the players towards another,
he has a word or a gesture which is not the
correct one,' he said.
'But also the one who is affected by that, he
should say that this is a game. We are in a
game, and at the end of the game, we shake
hands, and this can happen, because we
have worked so hard against racism and
discrimination.'
Blatter later issued a statement clarifying his
remarks.
'My comments have been misunderstood.
What I wanted to express is that, as football
players, during a match, you have 'battles'
with your opponents, and sometimes things
are done which are wrong,' he said.
But former England captain Rio Ferdinand
addressed Blatter directly via Twitter: 'Your
comments on racism are so condescending
it's almost laughable. If fans shout racist
chants but shake our hands is that ok?'
Blatter on Thursday reiterated FIFA's
'proud record' of fighting discrimination in a
post on Twitter.

Blatter is going nowhere. Those Brits are dolts

Source please?

Blatter is going nowhere. Those Brits are dolts

I wish you suffer racism in your life time, then come back here and tell nairalander how it feels.

Hahahaha blatter no dey go anywhere yeye englishman den still dey vex about worldcup. John terry is on video claiming that he did not call ferdinand "a black something" and this yeye english press are keeping quiet even ferdinand no talk chai england

Blatter certainly over-simplyfied dis issue of racism but it's not a good excuse 4 d british media to call 4 his head. It's clearly a case of 'sour grapes' over d worldcup wahala.