SOCCER-FIFA/AUSTRALIA-REAX Australian soccer fans angry over Sepp Blatter's re-election at FIFA

Record ID: 149566

  • Title: SOCCER-FIFA/AUSTRALIA-REAX Australian soccer fans angry over Sepp Blatter's re-election at FIFA
  • Date: 30th May 2015
  • Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (MAY 30, 2015)(REUTERS)(NIGHT SHOTS) EXTERIOR OF ANZ STADIUM FANS ARRIVING AT THE ANZ STADIUM FOR SPURS V SYDNEY FC MATCH (SOUNDBITE)(English) SYDNEY FC SUPPORTER, CHRIS GRECH, SAYING: "It's come down to the point now where I think there is that many people that are corrupt that I think it's just going to get a whole lot worse than what it is, than what i
  • Embargoed: 14th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Australia
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVATBIB3HZ4MWGS8LYZW1SKV5I7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Australian soccer fans reacted angrily on Saturday (May 30) to the news of Sepp Blatter's re-election as FIFA president.
    Blatter won a fifth term on Friday (May 29) after his only challenger conceded defeat in an election overshadowed by allegations of rampant corruption in world soccer.
    He won despite demands that he quit in the face of a major bribery scandal being investigated by U.S., Swiss and other law enforcement agencies that plunged soccer's governing body into the worst crisis in its 111-year history.
    Ahead of a match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sydney FC, Australian fans said they feared the current allegations against FIFA officials were the top of the iceberg.
    "It's come down to the point now where I think there is that many people that are corrupt that I think it's just going to get a whole lot worse than what it is, than what it's been and what they've found out," said Sydney F.C. supporter, Chris Grech.
    Amongst other issues, Swiss prosecutors are investigating the award of the World Cup finals to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. Russia and Qatar deny wrongdoing in their bids to host the tournament.
    Fans in Sydney said Blatter had played a key role in awarding the tournament to those cities.
    "The Qataris were a bit lucky to get the bid for the World Cup and Blatter was a big part of that so get him out, get someone new in, make the game better," said Spurs fan Michael Addison.
    Tim Roberts, a Sydney-based Liverpool fan, said he wanted to see sweeping changes at the top of soccer's international governing body.
    "I think they should sack the whole FIFA representatives all around the world, and elect new ones that are not corrupt. I think the fact that Sepp Blatter is back again is a total step backwards and embarrassing," he said.
    On Friday, Australia was the only country to publicly break with the 47-nation Asian Football Confederation's backing of Blatter during the vote.
    The Football Federation Australia (FFA) is still furious that their bid for the 2022 World Cup won just one vote, while Qatar was controversially awarded the tournament.
    "Forty million dollars was spent on Australia's bid to get in, forty million dollars. That's a lot of money when you don't actually get any votes, or very few votes at all," said Spurs supporter, Michael Cruise.
    Blatter comfortably won Friday's vote at a FIFA congress in Zurich, having secured the support of blocks of votes from Asia and Africa which outweighed dissenters including Europe's powerful soccer body UEFA.
    He now faces the daunting task of restoring public faith in an organisation tainted by allegations of graft and deeply divided over his leadership.
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