Blatter's re-election shows how sick FIFA is: Luis Figo

Luis Figo, who backed out of the FIFA presidential race on 21 May, citing that the ’electoral process is anything but an election’, has hit back at football’s governing body after Sepp Blatter was re-elected on Friday despite the storm of controversies in the run up to the FIFA Congress in Zurich.

Blatter was chosen for a fifth term as president after Prince Ali backed out of the race after the first round of voting — in which neither of the candidate received the required 2/3rd majority vote. Blatter however, received 133 votes to Ali’s 73 — and the latter conceded the race before the start of the second round (in which the candidate with most votes wins).

Here is Figo’s statement on Facebook after Blatter’s re-election:

This vote has only served to endorse the election of a man who can’t remain in charge of world football. Instead of what Mr. Blatter said, the happenings of last Wednesday were not bad for football: they were bad for FIFA and for all the responsible that lead the organization until now. Football is not guilty but is the governing body’s leaders, who should regulate it, that have no integrity or honesty.

There’s no way someone can lead FIFA ignoring the most elementary rules of transparency, legality and democracy. These rules were not reunited as I denounced and, later, as I found out.

Mr. Blatter knew and was aware of the acts of corruption, influence and racketeering or, if he did not know – as he says – it’s because he has no skills to lead FIFA. There is no other way to analyse the problem.

Facing these facts, Mr. Blatter, the principal responsible by FIFA has reached this point, being reelected, that shows exactly how the organisation is sick.

Today was another dark day in Zurich. FIFA has lost, but above everything, football has lost and everyone who truly cares about it has lost too.

Mr. Blatter had a very cynical reaction when he said that he couldn’t control everyone. It offends everyone’s intelligence. These persons, whom Mr. Blatter has promoted through years, turned, with him, FIFA in to a decadent organisation.

If Mr. Blatter were minimally concerned about football, he would have given up the reelection. If he has minimal decency, he will resign in the next few days.

I regret nothing. I fought, I persisted, I made an effort for the regeneration of this organization that has to change course. We live in an emergency situation and football is the damaged party on this.

I’ve denounced what I directly lived. I would do it again. And I remain available to help FIFA rebuild after this.