|
SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) -- Pele said he was pleased that Sepp Blatter had been re-elected as FIFA president after defeating Cameroon's Issa Hayatou at the congress of soccer's world governing body on Wednesday. "I think it is better to keep the same president because he has done a lot of good for world football," the former Brazlian soccer great told Reuters on Wednesday. "As you know I did not support him back in 1998 when he stood for election, but he has done a lot of good work at the grassroots and has made football more democratic," said Pele, who has an advisory role with FIFA. "A change of presidency would have put that in danger and wouldn't have been good for the game." Blatter secured a second four-year term by 139 votes to 56 over his 55-year-old rival in a secret ballot held during a congress of FIFA's national associations in Seoul, two days before the start of the World Cup finals being co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. The no-holds-barred election campaign was dominated by allegations of corruption and mismanagement leveled against Blatter, whom critics accuse of plunging FIFA into a financial crisis. Blatter has denied any wrongdoing. Pele, 61, was on a promotional tour before departing for South Korea on Saturday.
|
