Despite reiterating his innocence in the ongoing Fifa corruption scandal, boss Sepp Blatter has admitted he will not leave his native Switzerland as he is afraid of being arrested.
The game’s governing body has come under storm recently, with an FBI-led investigation into allegations of bribery dating back to 1991 already having resulted in the arrest of 14 people.
In addition, Swiss authorities have launched a parallel inquiry into the Fifa votes that saw Russia and Qatar awarded the rights to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.
Blatter has not been charged with any wrongdoing, but nonetheless announced last month that he will stand down as Fifa president, – four days after being reelected to a fifth term in office.
However, Blatter has confessed that he was too scared of being taken into custody by American authorities to risk attending the final of the Women’s World Cup in Canada.
“Not because the Americans have anything concrete against me, but because [arresting me] would cause a public stir,” the 79-year-old told Welt am Sonntag when asked about his travel worries.
“Until everything has been cleared up, I am not going to take the risk of travelling.
“After the tsunami, I just need a bit of time to recover. Self-doubt is one of the biggest enemies of a leader, but I believe in what I am doing.
“It is not my intention to stand as a candidate again. But I am here to fight, not for myself, but for Fifa.
“Criticism doesn’t hurt me. What does hurt are the tirades of hatred. Envy has turned into hatred.
“I am afraid people want to destroy Fifa, which is mine. Everybody has fears – for example, of dying – but I have nothing to fear in view of my work at Fifa. I am not afraid.”
In Blatter’s absence, Fifa senior vice-president Issa Hayatou handed the trophy to the victorious USA team at the Women World Cup in Canada early Monday.
