Blatter: Football is over the worst of the financial crisis 01/12/2009 |
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Fifa president Sepp Blatter has told the Soccerex conference in South Africa that football has come through the worst of the recession.
Blatter admitted that football, particularly in the lower leagues where there is less television money, had been significantly affected by the global financial downturn.
But he said: “I think we are seeing sponsorship [in football] starting to rise up again from the bottom it hit during the economic crisis.
“Football has [been] touched by the economic crisis – one can see that in the lower football professional leagues in France, Italy and Spain, where there is not the same amount of money available.
“But with the World Cup, and higher professional leagues, the [financial] involvement from the general outside economy is still there, largely from TV money.
“The marriage of TV and football over the past 25 to 30 years has been wonderful, and football is one of the best products TV can have.”
Blatter also said that the decision to award the 2014 World Cup to Brazil was a wise one. “Brazil's economy is in a good way,” he added.
“And for Brazil, the World Cup will bring in more investment, as it did when we last changed continent and brought the World Cup here to South Africa.
“The World Cup has been a huge cause of investment in South Africa, and it will leave a wonderful infrastructure, not only in terms of transport, but also with telecoms and different hotels and parks.”
Meanwhile, Blatter revealed that a delegation from the Irish FA had asked him to consider allowing Ireland to be the 33rd team at the World Cup next year after the controversy over Thierry Henry’s handball in the play-off against France.
He appeared to rule out that possibility but did launch a scathing attack on “cheats” ruining football.
“The highest crime in football is touching the ball with the hand but the bigger impact on the game is diving and trying to cheat the referee,” he said. “How can we tell youngsters that football is the school of life when there is cheating and lack of respect for referees?
“The lesson must come from the top and we must appeal to the players, coaches and the rest of the football family for more discipline and respect.”
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