FIFA's Blatter Makes Inappropriate Comments on Football Racism

Sepp Blatter is president of the Federation International of Football Associations - better known as FIFA, which is the governing body for world football, or soccer as it is often known in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Blatter is a controversial figure, having survived allegations of bribe taking by his executive committee (never a finger pointed directly at him) and the recent choices of Football World Cup venues in the developing world, where hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by countries to meet FIFA standards, money which would be better spent in developing their own people’s capacity to grow and compete economically. The latest example of Brazil trying to lock down whole slum areas in its largest cities in order to meet FIFA security requirements shows the lunacy of Blatter’s World Cup decision-making.

And, should we forget, Mr. Blatter has often been less than wise in his choice of words, making Herman Cain look good by comparison.

For example, Blatter not so long ago said that female football teams ought to wear tighter, sexier uniforms if they want to attract spectators to their games.

And he also suggested, after awarding a Football World Cup to Qatar and being asked how gay fans could be safe in the country where homosexuality is a crime, said, they had better abstain from sex of any kind, with a little smirk on his face.

But this week, Blatter really hit home. FIFA and all the European national football associations are waging a fierce battle against racism. It may be difficult for non-Europeans to comprehend that players of color on European teams are subjected to monkey hoots and having banana peels tossed at them to the accompaniment of racist words. Even members of their own teams have crossed the line with epithets hurled at African players, who are among the very best in the game.

Blatter went on record this week, saying that he has often spoken out against racism in football and that he will do so again and again.  Fine. But, not being able to stop there, Blatter went on the say that in the heat of play sometimes things are said that are wrong. Leading players of every color have taken him on about this nonchalant remark, and told him in so many words that they cannot believe he would say such thing in the middle of an anti-racism campaign that seems to be bearing fruit.

At his age, almost a carbon copy of Joe Paterno’s 84 years and whose age surely had a lot to do with his dismissive effort in the pedophile scandal at Penn State University, Blatter may be reaching the end of his rope. In Europe, commentators are beginning to ask if he shouldn’t retire and let someone younger and more in touch with the world we live in take over the reins of FIFA.

A consummation devoutly to be wished, as Hamlet said.