Blatter gets stuck in

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

Franz Beckenbauer and the England squad rounded on Sepp Blatter yesterday after the Fifa president used a newspaper interview to criticise performances from Sven-Goran Eriksson's side so far in the World Cup. Blatter told the Berlin-based Der Tagesspiegel that England were out of step with the attacking tone of the tournament and criticised them for playing only one forward in their second-round match against Ecuador.

 

"I'm delighted that teams are playing offensively," he said. "One exception is the English, who appeared in the second round with just a single striker. This isn't the kind of offensive football you expect from a contender for the World Cup title."

 

Blatter's comments drew a predictably sharp response from Gary Neville, speaking after a second full day's training that has raised expectation that he will start tomorrow against Portugal.

Neville said: "My thoughts are that I don't listen to Sepp Blatter. I've got a World Cup quarter-final on Saturday and so do 21 other players. I don't want to listen to negative things, saying how bad we are. People can say whatever they want. Our frame of mind as footballers playing for England is to be positive. You wouldn't expect us to be any different."

 

England's captain David Beckham also rejected the criticism. Asked whether Blatter's comment on England's failure to attack was justified, he said: "We feel under pressure to perform and win games, and that's what it's all about - winning games. It's up to us to enjoy ourselves and win football matches."

 

Franz Beckenbauer, the president of the World Cup organising committee, also leapt to the defence of Eriksson and his under-performing squad, praising the 4-5-1 system that the England coach appears to have settled on. "From the England matches I have seen maybe I have a different opinion to the Fifa president," Beckenbauer said. "They have played so far with excellent performances. In the last game they had only one striker, Wayne Rooney, who did an excellent job.

 

"It's Eriksson's style and he's been very, very successful. They are still in the competition and have a very good chance to beat Portugal - it's a 50-50 situation. I've been impressed by the English style and the way they play."

 

As well as offending an England squad balking at the level of opprobrium they have received in Germany, Blatter's interview also risked upsetting his already tense relationship with Beckenbauer.

 

The newspaper quoted Blatter as saying that Beckenbauer could not succeed him as Fifa president, the implication being that he was not capable of taking on the post. This prompted an early morning call from Fifa's head of communications Markus Siegler to Beckenbauer to explain that Blatter had been misquoted.

 

Blatter reiterated his intention to stand again for the Fifa presidency in 2007, and renewed his attack on the English referee Graham Poll who yesterday retired from international football.

 

Asked about the poor level of refereeing in the World Cup so far, Blatter admitted that the Russian Valentin Ivanov had lost his sense of "perspective" during Portugal's fractious second-round match against Holland, sending off four players and giving 16 yellow cards in all. "I find it bad that three assistants and the fifth official failed to intervene in such a situation," Blatter said. "And then you have the English referee Graham Poll who shows the same player three yellow cards and nobody says anything."

even a stuck clock is right twice a day (more often than Blatter)

Blatter's onslaught, meanwhile, did not just encompass England and its players but also extended to the country's leading club, Chelsea. The Fifa president said he wanted to start a general debate about the commercialisation of football and said he was unhappy about the way that rich football clubs were able to buy up all the world's top players. "Millions of pounds are flowing into leading clubs. Nobody knows where the money comes from. The rich clubs are getting richer and the poor poorer."

 

In a pointed reference to Germany's captain Michael Ballack, who will play for Chelsea from next season, he said: "Look at Chelsea's latest acquisition." He added acidly: "They can only actually put 11 players on the pitch at one time."

[locutusofliverpool]

Blatter should have included Italy as well in his observations, bit unfair to say its only the English who have done bad. Nevertheless he is still correct with his observations about Englands performances so far.

[Maldini]

Blatter is such a moron, it's incredibly inappropriate for him to make such remarks, even if most of them are correct.

[intense enigma]

Football is going to the dogs with this man in charge

[Figaro]

Football is going to the dogs with this man in charge

 

to the dogs, vultures, sharks and snakes

[Earl Hafler]

On a plane.

[Mike]

Blatter should be sacked over his comments. completely innapropriate.

[Stevie H]

i'd actually like to see one of the england camp stand up at a press conference and call blatter out over this. what would herr blatter know given that he never even played the game? and in what way is he qualified to run the global game given that he has no experience of football at a high level?

[Cobs]

The bloke is a feckin d1ckhead and should feck right off. How on earth he is/was ever put in charge of the World game is beyond me.

[intense enigma]

The bloke is a feckin d1ckhead and should feck right off. How on earth he is/was ever put in charge of the World game is beyond me.

 

An here I was thinking Joao Havelange was bad

[Des]

i'd actually like to see one of the england camp stand up at a press conference and call blatter out over this.

 

Gary Neville has already called him on it.

 

 

 

Busy wee sh*te.

[Abbo]

Is it true that Sepp's wife's name is Fanny ?

[Figaro]

Why didn't he just say: "I want Portugal to win tomorrow"

[Herbie von Smalls]

Blatter's onslaught, meanwhile, did not just encompass England and its players but also extended to the country's leading club, Chelsea. The Fifa president said he wanted to start a general debate about the commercialisation of football and said he was unhappy about the way that rich football clubs were able to buy up all the world's top players. "Millions of pounds are flowing into leading clubs. Nobody knows where the money comes from. The rich clubs are getting richer and the poor poorer."

all hail blatter, saviour of football. it's refreshing to know that one good man is spearheading the drive to ensure a more even distribution of finances and battling corporate forces from sanitising the beautiful game

[Stevie H]

Gary Neville has already called him on it.

Busy wee sh*te.

 

one out all out.

 

i'd give anything to see carragher headbutt neville.

[JayKay]

What a f***ing fool Blatter is, disgraceful comments once again from him..

 

general debate about the commercialisation of football

LOL

 

I suppose the first issue is commercialisation of World Cup

[Ian Garro]

Its a bit rich him criticising the refereeing as well.

 

The standard hasnt been great, but he and FIFA have made that many 'suggestions' and fiddled with that many rules, that to then come out and slag the referees off is a disgrace. The players in the Portugal-Holland game were more to blame than anyone.

 

But g******* here just wants to look like the good guy to everyone.

[Guest Phil C]

On a plane.

 

I got it..great filim allegedly...

[Guest Cardie]

He's spot on.