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Press Releases
Sepp Blatter on 2010 World Cup, England's chances of hosting 2018 World Cup and Michel Platini
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Sepp Blatter, Fifa President, will feature on the first episode of 91Èȱ¬ Sport's new programme, Inside Sport tonight (Monday 30 April). The programme will be aired for the first time on 91Èȱ¬ One at 11.05pm.
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In the interview, he reveals that contingency plans are in place if South Africa are unable to host the 2010 World Cup (excerpts from transcript below):
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"Definitely. It was the same case in Germany. Something can happen. A natural catastrophe or a change in society – everybody against football. But for the time being Plan B is South Africa, and Plan C we will see. Definitely we have to have the possibility to go somewhere else if something should happen, but it must be a natural catastrophe."
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It was then put to the Sepp Blatter that England and Australia are two countries that have been mentioned as a contingency. He replies:
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"There are other countries which are ready to organise tomorrow morning or in two days or maybe two months a World Cup. I would say the United States, Mexico can do it, Japan can do it – they have enough stadia. You say England, they can do it I am sure. Spain can do it. There are a lot of countries, but they don't need to be ready."
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On England's chances of staging the World Cup in 2018, he says that no decision on which continent stages the tournament will be made until later this year, but that he personally favours a World Cup in Asia in 2018. (Note: Australia is now part of the Asian Confederation, so Australia could be a candidate to be the Asian venue):
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"Personally I think that we should maintain a rotation. At least with four continents. To take North and South America as one continent, Europe, Africa and Asia. This would mean that the next World Cup after 2014 would go to Asia."
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He refuses to say if this third term will be his last, but gives his strongest backing yet to the new Uefa President Michel Platini to be his successor.
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"This is absolutely a possibility. There are other candidates, but I think this is a possibility. Because he now has a career as a footballer, he was Co–President of the organising committee of the 1998 World Cup, he is a Vice President of French football, he is on the executive of Fifa and Uefa, and now President of Uefa. I think it is something which has a certain logic going forward."
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On why he is standing for a third term as Fifa President despite earlier saying that he would not. (Note: He will be elected unopposed later this month as the deadline for candidates has passed and he is the only candidate):
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"I said in 1998 that a Fifa President should be elected for no more than two terms, but I was hindered from doing my work in my first term. And it was difficult to go into the election of 2002 after all the criticism starting in 2001, so I have lost a lot of time. Now being unopposed it means that the football family are aware that there is still something to do and they believe I can do it."
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On the recent decision that the 2012 European Championships will be held in Poland and Ukraine:
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"I applaud the decision to go to Poland and Ukraine. I am sure they will organise a very good European Championships. It would have been easy to go to Italy. They have now four crowns as World Champions. They have organised the European Championships and the World Cup. But it was courageous of the European Executive Committee, and it was clear – eight votes to four– and it is a very good decision."
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This week, Gabby Logan will be joined by panellists Steve Bunce and Des Kelly as well as 91Èȱ¬'s Sports Editor, Mihir Bose.
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A second edition of the programme will be aired this coming Sunday on 91Èȱ¬ Two at 12.30pm (Sunday 6 May) and will feature a longer version of the Monday night big interview, a newspaper review with the panellists, a feature re–run and any additional talking points from the week's sport. There will also be visits to 91Èȱ¬ Sport's Outside Broadcasts that are up for the afternoon's coverage.
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The Inside Sport website, bbc.co.uk/insidesport, will provide additional content relating to the show.
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The first run of Inside Sport will be on air from 30 April to 10 June 2007 before returning to the screen from Monday 3 September to Monday 3 December 2007 and then again from Monday 23 February to Monday 22 June 2008.
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Notes to Editors
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Any use of this interview should be credited to Inside Sport and the 91Èȱ¬.
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A re-versioned episode of Inside Sport will also be broadcast each week on 91Èȱ¬ World.
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SB4
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