Sepp Blatter: Christians new enemy of World Cup soccer

[...] It has been reported that just prior to the vote by the 22-man committee, Blatter (who does not cast a vote unless there is a tie) reminded his charges about “the evils” of the British media. A BBC show recently alleged widespread corruption in FIFA’s ranks.

The humiliating vote was a clear reprisal on Blatter’s part.

But in his reaction to English outrage, he may have overstepped.

It was one thing for him to tell the Swiss weekly magazine Weltwoche that England are “bad losers.” They are. They have every reason to be. But they still are.

It was another thing to cast this controversy in the divisive terms of race and religion.

“I really sense in some reactions a bit of arrogance of the western world of Christian background. Some simply can’t bear it if others get a chance for a change,” Blatter told the magazine in an issue that will be published Thursday.

For the record, Blatter is a western Christian. But his power-base within FIFA has always come from cliques within the developing world. Read more