Blatter staunchly blasts Infantino's revamped World Cup formats

Former FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter adjusts his glasses during a press conference in reaction to his banishment for eight years by the FIFA ethics committee at FIFA's former headquarters at Sonnenberg, Zurich, Switzerland, Dec. 21, 2015. (Getty Images Photo)

by Associated Press

Dec 22, 2022 9:00 am

The increasingly contentious former FIFA head, Sepp Blatter, has gone public to vociferously denounce Gianni Infantino's plans for a 48-team World Cup and an enlarged Club World Cup.

In an interview with the German weekly Die Zeit on Wednesday, Blatter said: "What is happening at the moment is an over-commercialization of the game. There are attempts to squeeze more and more out of the lemon. For example, with World Cup having 48 teams, or now with a Club World Cup that must be viewed as direct competition to the Champions League. FIFA is encroaching here on something that is actually none of its business, club football," he was quoted as saying.

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada will be the first 48-nation tournament, meeting Infantino’s election pledge of a bigger and more inclusive World Cup going beyond European and South American teams. This year's version in Qatar featured 32 teams.

Earlier this month, Infantino called for a 32-team men’s Club World Cup in 2025.

Blatter announced in June 2015 that he would resign early as FIFA president in the fallout from a sprawling corruption investigation. He has long denied wrongdoing, saying in Wednesday's interview: "I have never taken money that I did not earn, that's why nothing on me could ever be proven in proceedings against me. And that will remain the case."

Infantino, a fellow Swiss, succeeded Blatter in 2016. Blatter told Die Zeit that he has "no relation with Infantino" and that the current president "behaved disrespectfully because he has refused any contact with me since his election." Blatter added, "He only communicates with me via lawyers."

Blatter claimed that he had repeatedly "tried to control the business," for example in attempting to limit transfers of talented South American or African players to Europe. An attempt to introduce a pay cap for players also failed. Blatter said: "We did not manage to protect football from economic and political influence. I really tried to always serve football. If in doing so I damaged it, then I am sorry."

Last Update: December 22, 2022 11:17