JAPAN: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Racism does not come from soccer, but society, says Sepp Blatter

Record ID: 466783

  • Title: JAPAN: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Racism does not come from soccer, but society, says Sepp Blatter
  • Date: 15th December 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (DECEMBER 15, 2012) (REUTERS) FIFA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SITTING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE OFFICIAL FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP FOOTBALL AND CLUB WORLD CUP TROPHY (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER SAYING: "Can you imagine that in Indonesia they have two groups directing the football and they have a good league but the players of that league they shall not play in the national team? Something is wrong." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER SAYING: "I think it was quite a Christmas or end of year gift to Indonesia that they haven't been suspended. But now they have to work, they have to work." MEDIA LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER SAYING: "Discrimination which is zero tolerance I will take up discussion with the president of the UEFA but I don't know if he has an influence on his disciplinarian committee. But at least it is worth to put the attention to an organization inside the FIFA, this case a Confederation or then also to ask the details of the file." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER SAYING: "Racism and discrimination is now somewhere in football but it comes not from football, it comes from our society. And finally it is a question of solidarity and the question of education. The question of education and you cannot educate everybody to be fair. It's so easy to say that football is discipline, respect and fair play. That's easy to say but not so easy to apply." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER SAYING: "For the time being we can only say it works, but there were no critical situations so far and we will make then an assessment after the final matches tomorrow. But one thing I can say and you can ask the referees, they are happy to have this help for them because they know now if there is a conflicting situation it is possible to with accuracy to say if it was or not a goal." BANNER IN ENGLISH READING: "FIFA FOR THE GAME. FOR THE WORLD." FIFA MEDIA DIRECTOR, NICOLAS MAINGOT SITTING WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER SAYING: "Next February I will start my 38 years in FIFA, 38 years in FIFA. You can imagine that I have followed preparation of different world cups and I have never seen a preparation like 2018 in Russia, six years before we start the competition because generally we give six years after the decision. They are far away from all what I have seen so far, I can only congratulation them." FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP TROPHY
  • Embargoed: 30th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9PCD46BU1HSX5NDYORIXIUFQD
  • Story Text: FIFA president Sepp Blatter says racism does not come from soccer, but from society . Speaking in Japan on Saturday (December 15) Blatter said :
    " Discrimination which is zero tolerance I will take up discussion with the president of the UEFA but I don't know if he has an influence on his disciplinarian committee. But it is worth to put the attention to an organization inside the FIFA, this case a Confederation or then also to ask the details of the file."
    Blatter added that he would speak to UEFA boss Michel Platini over the level of fine dished out to Serbia for incidents at an Under-21 match against England in October.
    European soccer's governing body UEFA have said they may appeal the punishment of a 80,000 euro (105,000 U.S. dollar) fine handed out by its own disciplinary committee to Serbia.
    Blatter acknowledged a lack of education meant that removing racism from soccer grounds was reamined a problem.
    "Racism and discrimination is now somewhere in football but it comes not from football, it comes from our society. And finally it is a question of solidarity and the question of education. The question of education and you cannot educate everybody to be fair. It's so easy to say that football is discipline, respect and fair play. That's easy to say but not so easy to apply," Blatter said.
    After unsuccessful tests of goal-line technology in 2005 and 2007, FIFA promised on Saturday that future World Cups would be free of any more shocking Frank Lampard moments.
    Soccer's world governing body are using two systems, Hawk-Eye and GoalRef, at the Club World Cup in Japan, with one of them to be used at next year's Confederations Cup in a bid to avoid a repeat of Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany in the last World Cup.
    "For the time being we can only say it works, but there were no critical situations so far and we will make then an assessment after the final matches tomorrow. But one thing I can say and you can ask the referees, they are happy to have this help for them because they know now if there is a conflicting situation it is possible to with accuracy to say if it was or not a goal," Blatter said.
    Both systems being used at the Club World Cup, which relay information to the referee via a vibrating wristwatch in a split second, have passed all pre-game tests with no problems.
    The English FA and Premier League have backed Hawk-Eye, though Platini remains opposed to the use of technology.
    Russia, whom has been chosen to host the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup plans to spend almost 20 billion U.S. dollars.
    The nation beat England and joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands in December 2010 for the right to stage the sport's biggest event.
    Blatter said he had not seen such preparation for 2018 in his 37 years in FIFA.
    "Next February I will start my 38 years in FIFA, 38 years in FIFA. You can imagine that I have followed preparation of different world cups and I have never seen a preparation like 2018 in Russia, six years before we start the competition because generally we give six years after the decision. They are far away from all what I have seen so far, I can only congratulation them."
    The final match for the Japan-hosted FIFA Club World Cup 2012 will be held on Sunday (December 16) between Chelsea and Corinthians.
    FIFA have given Indonesia's crisis-hit soccer federation one final chance to put its chaotic house in order, "gifting" it a three-month extension, or face suspension.
    Indonesia dodged a ban after emergency talks involving soccer's world governing body and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officials, Blatter said .
    FIFA had given the country's football association (PSSI) until Dec. 10 to end a bitter row with the breakaway Indonesian Super League, following a previous deadline back in March.
    The rival factions signed a memorandum of understanding in June agreeing to bring both leagues together but were forced to set up a task-force as yet another deadline passed.
    The deadlock prompted intervention from exasperated government officials in a bid to restore order, and Blatter made no bones about the fact Indonesia was walking a tightrope.
    "Can you imagine that in Indonesia they have two groups directing the football and they have a good league but the players of that league they shall not play in the national team? Something is wrong," Blatter told a news conference after FIFA's executive committee meeting in Tokyo.
    "I think it was quite a Christmas or end of year gift to Indonesia that they haven't been suspended. But now they have to work, they have to work," Blatter said, who was in favour of banning Indonesia for their failure to bring the feud to a halt.
    Indonesia faces being booted out of all international competition, its referees also becoming ineligible, while FIFA would also cut funding to the PSSI.
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