Blatter takes blame for MasterCard legal fight

As FIFA lost GBP 45 million in its legal tangle with MasterCard, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has taken the fall for the loss and the legal action.

FIFA announced in December that Jérôme Valcke, just appointed general secretary for FIFA, and three other marketing executives had been dismissed after a U.S. court accused them of 'repeated dishonesty' during sponsorship negotiations with MasterCard.

Blatter took the blame and absolved Valcke, saying the former head of FIFA's TV & marketing branch had not been dismissed, but only suspended.

"This is not the responsibility of Jérôme Valcke, this is the responsibility of the president of FIFA," Blatter said. "He was not sacked, he was suspended and he is still under contract with FIFA."

He also said the decision of a U.S. appeal court to vacate the original ruling worked a 'rehabilitation' of Valcke and the three other marketing executives.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.