Former FIFA boss Blatter criticizes current leadership
Former FIFA president Joseph Blatter has criticized the leadership of football's governing body under Gianni Infantino and other issues in the sport.
Blatter lamented an overdose of football due to the revamped Club World Cup in the United States, and spoke of a sell-out of the sport to 2034 World Cup hosts Saudi Arabia.
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"Yes, we have lost football to Saudi Arabia. We offered it to them and they took it," he told German broadcasters RTL/ntv.
"And surprisingly, there is no opposition to this within FIFA," he added.
In response to an objection that there was no real opposition under his leadership from 1998 until 2015 either, he defended himself.
"Yes, back then there were still meetings where problems were discussed and the (FIFA) congress decided. Today, there's no longer any discussion in the congress," he said.
Blatter said that everything is done electronically and "nobody says a thing."
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"You can even be six hours late for a congress," he added, referring to Infantino's late arrival in Paraguay in May after a controversial trip to the Middle East with US President Donald Trump.
In protest against Infantino's behaviour, European FIFA council members from Europe collectively left the congress podium in Asunción.
Looking at the revamped Club World Cup, which concludes on Sunday with the Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea final, and is now set to take place every four years with 32 teams, Blatter said: "There is too much football.
"It's always the same clubs and always the same players, who should get a rest. They played in the hot summer (...) that's unhealthy and cheeky. (...) You can't do that. You have to protect the players," he said.
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he first final under the new format will take place on Sunday between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
Blatter's long reign at FIFA ended in 2015 when he first announced his resignation amid a corruption affair and was then banned from football activities.
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