Power struggle

Fight for FIFA presidency turns uglier, muddier

Michel Zen-Ruffinen was highly critical of North America's governing body. Ben Radford/Allsport

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- Struggling to contain a new round of accusations in the increasingly ugly power struggle for control of world soccer, FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Monday moved to silence his newest critic -- his No. 2, Michel Zen-Ruffinen.

In weekend media interviews Zen-Ruffinen, FIFA general-secretary, made a series of potentially damaging allegations about mismanagement and impropriety -- including voter fraud and theft of documents -- within the organization.

"What has happened here at FIFA in the last few days is intolerable," Blatter told a news conference one day after returning from a congress in Miami and meeting Zen-Ruffinen at FIFA's Zurich headquarters.

"I don't want him to resign but I do want him to do his job," he said, adding that -- after 27 years at FIFA he was "saddened" by the developments.

The criticism from his one-time protege and friend -- who comes from the same mountainous region of Switzerland -- added to Blatter's woes as he wages his battle for reelection to another four-year term as president May 29.

UEFA president Lennart Johansson wrote to the European body's 51 member associations, urging them to vote for Issa Hayatou, Blatter's challenger and the head of the African soccer confederation.

"The President acts as if FIFA was his private property," Johansson wrote. "He announces new measures and makes promises left and right without any consultation with the Executive Committee."

"Throughout his term of office, Mr. Blatter has adopted an increasingly hostile and confrontational approach to Europe and provoked conflicts which are neither necessary nor in the best interests of FIFA," the letter said.

"In addition, he has pursued policies and initiatives which have damaged the reputation of FIFA and exposed the organization to commercial and financial uncertainty."

The letter was dated April 19. A copy was obtained by The Associated Press on Monday.

Blatter, a Swiss, has been president of the world soccer body since 1998 and before that was its long-standing general secretary. He has been accused by his critics of trying to cover up FIFA's financial losses after the US$300 million collapse of ISL/ISMM, the company that held the marketing rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

Johansson said that even before the collapse of ISL there was serious overspending in 2000 -- perhaps to the tune of 900 million Swiss francs (US$545 million). But executive committee members remained in the dark about the exact state of FIFA finances.

Blatter was forced by FIFA's executive committee -- of which the Swede Johansson is a member -- to accept an audit last month. He suspended the investigation two weeks ago, citing a "breach of confidentiality" by an unnamed member.

He met Monday with Scotland's David Will, chairman of the audit committee to discuss how it could continue.

"Will disagrees partially with me, but not totally," said Blatter of the meeting, which will continue Tuesday. "But we have nothing to hide here."

Much of the rivalry between Johansson and Blatter stems from the 1998 battle for the FIFA presidency, which Johansson lost in a closely fought contest.

Old accusations have resurfaced that Blatter's Arab supporters paid out bribes on the eve of the election to help him defeat Johansson. Blatter claims the attacks against him are part of a dirty presidential campaign.

In an interview with Sunday's SonntagsZeitung newspaper, Zen-Ruffinen said that at the 1998 elections, Haiti's representative was prevented from traveling to Paris for the vote. Another man claiming to be a Haitian delegate took his place -- it subsequently turned out he was the brother-in-law of Jack Warner, the head of CONCACAF and was from Trinidad.

"According to the FIFA rules, as a national of Trinidad, he shouldn't have been allowed to vote on behalf of Haiti. That is a clear case of deceptive voting," he said.

In another interview with the paper SonntagsBlick, Zen-Ruffinen said he got on "extremely well" with Blatter on a personal level, but had increasing problems with the way he ran FIFA.

He said rumors were circulating within FIFA that Blatter ordered the suspension of the audit investigation because it was uncovering evidence damaging to Blatter. Zen-Ruffinen and FIFA's finance director were unable to testify because of the suspension.

Zen-Ruffinen also said that documents from 1989 and 1990 relating to CONCACAF's Warner had been stolen from the FIFA archives.

Warner was, at the time, the subject of a criminal investigation and his own confederation was trying to remove him from power, but FIFA intervened in Warner's favor, said Zen-Ruffinen.

Zen-Ruffinen described CONCACAF as "an association which has lurched from one scandal to the next for the past ten years, where one pays and threatens. It's unbelievable."

Zen-Ruffinen has threatened legal action against Warner for defamation of character after Warner demanded his resignation, accusing him of soliciting support for Hayatou. He didn't travel to the CONCACAF meeting in Miami at the weekend, saying he had been threatened by Warner.

The findings of the audit committee -- if it is allowed to resume its work -- would likely determine the outcome of the election, forecast Zen-Ruffinen.

Zen-Ruffinen was not at the news conference. Calls to his office and home telephone went unanswered.

"The title general-secretary has got two parts," said Blatter. "General means someone who leads and the word secretary includes the word secret."

"Our mutual trust is broken, but broken doesn't mean broken for ever," continued Blatter. "But the ball is in his court."

 

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