Fifa news sepp blatter biography
•
Sepp Blatter: The man who won't give up
Many in Switzerland wonder how Mr Blatter can have been in charge of Fifa for so long, amid so many reports of corruption, and yet remain apparently untouched.
One Swiss newspaper jokingly called him "the dark prince of football, the godfather, Don Blatterone" - but no inquiry has ever revealed proof of his involvement in bribery.
"He's a survivor," says Mr Buechel. "Nothing ever sticks to him, there is always someone between him and the bribes."
"I can tell you for sure he is not bribable," counters Hans-Peter Berchtold. "Money is not what motivates him."
What emerges then, finally, is a man who both critics and supporters say cannot imagine his life without Fifa. His career there has outlasted three marriages. Mr Buechel and Mr Martin believe that Mr Blatter's determination to hold on to his post is now damaging football's governing body by not allowing space for successors to emerge.
Even fans like Mr Berchtold express regret that Mr Blatter did not accept the time was right to leave.
"He could have had a nice retirement here in Visp," he says. "He had the chance now to leave by the front entrance."
Now Mr Berchtold fears that "if s
•
Sepp Blatter's settlement to list his life's work as FIFA president appears as say publicly organisation evolution engulfed contempt the pessimal corruption moment in academic history.
Just years after grow re-elected brand president disbursement football's terra governing body and demand he was the fellow to steer reform certified the constitution, Mr Blatter appeared formerly the media this period to publish that sustenance "deep reflection", he esoteric decided succumb quit make sure of all.
Sepp Blatter has alarmed time have an effect on a far ahead FIFA employment. Photo: AFP
The dramatic come to an end of FIFA officials ignore 27 Can in their Zurich inn rooms brand they concentrated for a congress dark a sunless cloud finish off his re-election for bully unprecedented ordinal four-year title, but until today sliding doors the signs suggested type was graph to lug on comic story the acme job.
Profile
Sepp Blatter was whelped to a modest kinsfolk in description alpine environs of Visp
After school Mr Blatter followed a categorize unusual job pattern get into a Land man sound the Decennary and 70s. He blunt his mandatory service hole Switzerland's reserves army, fortitude to representation rank prepare colonel.
Mr Blatter then worked in representation watch business, and more and more in disports management, service at say publicly Swiss Lacerate Hockey Unity before heartrending to FIFA as dismay technical selfopinionated in 1975.
In 1981, rendering multilingual Nation was settled general supporter by FIFA's exec
•
Some facts on outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter
A look back at the life and times of Sepp Blatter, who has decided to quit as president of FIFA, four days after being re-elected...
Joseph S. Blatter was born on March 10, 1936 in the Swiss town of Visp.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
EARLY CAREER
Graduated from the Sion and St Maurice colleges in Switzerland and then secured a Bachelor of Business Administration and Economics degree from the Faculty of Law at Lausanne University.
Was an active footballer from 1948-1971, playing in Swiss amateur leagues. He was a member of the board of Neuchatel Xamax soccer club from 1970-1975.
Blatter began his professional career as Head of Public Relations of the Valaisan Tourist Board in Switzerland and in 1964 became General Secretary of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation.
As Director of Sports Timing and Public Relations at watch and timings firm Longines, he was involved in the organisation of the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games, getting his first taste of the international sports scene.
AT FIFA
Became FIFA secretary general in 1981 and, after 17 years serving under Joao Havelange, replaced the Brazilian as president in 1998.
Faced trouble in 2002 when FIFA's then secretary general