LIFE AND TIMES OF FALLEN BLATTER
1975
Blatter joins Fifa, initially as technical director.
1981
Blatter is appointed general secretary of Fifa – a position he held until 1998.
8 June 1998
Blatter is elected as Fifa President on 8 June 1998, succeeding Joao Havelange at the 51st Congress.
2002 election
Blatter’s candidacy is marked with rumours of financial irregularities and backroom dealings – culminating with direct accusations of bribery with claims that the Somali Football Federation and Confederation of African Football were both offered $100,000 to vote for Blatter in 1998.
2004
Blatter is labelled sexist after saying that women footballers should play in “tighter shorts”. These were his actual words: “Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball. They could, for example, have tighter shorts... Female players are pretty, if you excuse me for saying so, and they already have some different rules to men - such as playing with a lighter ball.”
2006 World Cup
Blatter lambasts referee Valentin Ivanov for issuing 16 yellow cards and four red cards during Portugual’s second-round clash with Holland. Blatter said the ref should’ve given himself a yellow card for his performance. He offered to apologise for his outspoken words, but never did so.
July 2008
Blatter said of Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer saga from Manchester United to Real Madrid: “I think in football, there’s too much modern slavery, in transferring players or buying players here and there, and putting them somewhere.”
February 2010
Blatter said of John Terry’s alleged affair with a Chelsea team-mate’s wife. “Listen, this is a special approach in the Anglo-Saxon countries. If this had happened in let’s say Latin countries then I think he would have been applauded.”
Awarding of 2018 World Cup – December 2010 Blatter calls England “bad losers” after losing out to Russia in their bid to stage the 2018 World Cup after receiving just two votes.
Awarding of 2022 World Cup
Blatter reveals Qatar will stage the 2022 World Cup. Due to the searing conditions, question marks are immediately raised over the players’ and fans’ wellbeing.
2011 Fifa presidential election
Blatter’s main rival to steal his crown, Mohammed bin Hammam withdraws from the presidential race just before the vote over allegations he offered $40,000 in bribes to Caribbean delegates in return for supporting his campaign. The Fifa ethics committee investigating bribery claims against Bin Hammam and Concacaf president Jack Warner announce Blatter will not face an investigation into claims he knew of the bribery and did nothing about it. With there being no other nominations, Blatter runs opposed and is re-elected for a fourth term.
2013 Fifa Ethics Committee Investigation
On 29 April, 2013 Fifa’s Ethics Committee concludes its investigation into allegations of illegal payments to Fifa officials from the organisation’s former marketing partner ISL which went bankrupt in 2001 and publishes its report. Blatter is cleared of any misconduct but his predecessor Joao Havelange resigns as Fifa’s honorary president over his part in the scandal.
27 May 2015
Fourteen Fifa exeutives and officials are arrested over “rampant and systemic” corruption allegations in the lead up to the 65th Fifa Congress in Zurich. Blatter is not one of those arrested, but there are numerous calls for him to quit, including from Uefa president Michel Platini.
29 May 2015
Blatter goes ahead with the presidential election and wins a fifth consecutive term. Blatter received 133 votes to his opponent Prince Ali bin Hussein’s 73. Prince Ali withdraws before a second round of voting is called. He says in his winning speech that the Fifa committee needs “ladies” and ends by chanting “Let’s go, Fifa”.
2 June 2015
Fifa abruptly calls a press conference where Blatter announces his resignation with an extraordinary congress scheduled “as soon as possible” to elect his successor.
25 September 2015
Swiss prosecutors open criminal proceedings against Blatter. The Swiss attorney general’s office issues a statement saying Blatter is suspected of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal he signed with former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner in 2005.