England ´bad losers´, says Blatter

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has labelled England as ‘bad losers’ following their failed 2018 World Cup bid.

The chief of global football’s governing body also rejected allegations of corruption against FIFA after Russia and Qatar won hosting rights to football’s showpiece event in 2018 and 2022 respectively.

“To be honest, I was surprised by all the English complaining after the defeat. England, of all people, the motherland of fairplay ideas,” Blatter told Swiss magazine Weltwoche.

“Now some of them are showing themselves to be bad losers. You can’t come afterwards and say so and so promised to vote for England.”

“There is no systematic corruption in FIFA. That is nonsense. We are financially clean and clear.”

Labelled as one of the favourites to win hosting rights before last Thursday’s vote, England managed just two out of a possible 22 votes from FIFA’s executive committee, leading to widespread criticism of the governing body from the British media.

Blatter furthered his criticism to those who were bitter about Qatar being awarded hosting rights for the 2022 tournament.

“I really sense in some reactions a bit of the arrogance of the western world of Christian background. Some simply can’t bear it if others get a chance for a change,” Blatter said.

“What can be wrong if we start football in regions where this sport demonstrates a potential which goes far beyond sport?”