Bin Hammam: Blatter is a dictator

Banned ex-FIFA executive Mohammed Bin Hammam has likened president Sepp Blatter to a dictator executing his rivals.

Qatari Bin Hammam, formerly president of the Asian Football Confederation, was suspended from FIFA in May after being accused of corruption.

He received a life ban from the FIFA ethics committee on Saturday after being deemed to have bribed Caribbean Football Union officials in an attempt to secure their support in the June presidential elections.

The 62-year-old refutes the charges laid against him, claiming they are part of a conspiracy instigated by Blatter to protect his position as head of the organisation.

“This is actually the act of the dictators, and you have witnessed through history the dictators, when they think this or that person is a prominent one to replace him, the first thing they do is execute him,” Bin Hammam told Sky News.

“And they try to fabricate any allegation against him, to jail him or something like that. So I mean usually – I don’t know whether Mr Blatter considers himself a leader or not – but the leader doesn’t revenge.”

When asked about the claims he gave CFU officials envelopes containing US$40,000 at a meeting in May, Bin Hammam strenuously denied the allegations.

“No, I am telling you I have nothing to do with that,” he said.

But he insisted it was not unusual for FIFA executives to give and receive gifts.

“This is a normal, normal, normal practice,” he said.

“I’m telling you again I did not give any cash gifts to anybody but these are normal.”

“This watch is a gift,” he added, pointing to his wrist.

“It depends about the tradition of the people.”

“There are some traditions and maybe you are not familiar with (them) where you are coming from.”