FIFA's Blatter Insists: "I Am Clean"

By Christian Radnedge

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has insisted he is "clean" of any wrongdoing despite the scandal that has engulfed world football this summer, in an interview with the BBC this week.

Blatter, who has confirmed that he will no longer be president of world football's governing body following an extraordinary elective congress in February, maintained his innocence in the face of widespread criticism and criminal investigations into allegations of corruption connected with FIFA.

The Swiss has been in charge of FIFA since 1998 but announced he was to lay down his mandate as president in June, having been re-elected for a fifth term in office just days before.

"I did it because I wanted to protect FIFA," he said. "I can protect myself. I am strong enough.

"I know what I have done, what I have not done, I have my conscience and I know I'm an honest man. I am clean".

FIFA's partners met last week to discuss the fallout from the US department of justice investigation into corruption in world football which resulted in several arrests being made of officials in Zurich.

Swiss authorities have since launched an investigation into the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting rights, awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Blatter recently confirmed the set up of a task-force to lead reform of FIFA. The body will be chaired by Francois Carrard, the former director-general of the International Olympic Committee who was instrumental in implementing reform of the Olympics body following the 2002 Salt Lake scandal.