FIFA's main man says the world will, for one month, forget its madness. Inas Mazhar reports from Zurich For two hours, FIFA President Joseph Blatter spoke to almost 40 journalists representing the continents. The reason behind inviting the media for an international round-table discussion in Zurich, FIFA's headquarters, was to answer questions concerning the World Cup, since Blatter had had no time to give interviews of any kind. TV transmission of the World Cup has caused speculation about whether the world will watch the games on regular TV or if subscription to rights holder channels were needed. Questions came up concerning the low-income bracket in the developing world being deprived from watching the most prestigious sporting event in the world. "The opening match, the two semi-finals and the final will be broadcast on free TV. Countries of the national teams taking part in the tournament will also have the chance to follow their team's matches. That's final and it's within the contract." Blatter also took the opportunity to announce that he was running for a new term as FIFA president. "I'm available to the football family as I'm ready for a new term in 2007. It's for the Congress to decide. We have a responsibility to society and I want to fulfill that. I want to ensure those who questioned my health that I'm in good shape. I've had a complete check-up and the results were satisfactory and my doctor promised me that I still have long years to live unless run over by a car... well, the doctor doesn't know that my father was run down by a car. So when it comes to elections next year, it will be the national associations that will decide." Blatter, who was accompanied by Communications and PR Director Markus Ziegler and Media Director Andreas Herren, said FIFA was working together with Germany's 2006 local organising committee over solving the problem of tickets. "Ticketing will remain a hot topic right up until 9 July . All the tickets will be sold. A short time ago, I had a conversation with Interior Minister Wolfgang Schöuble. He said: 'We have to consider whether it will be possible to maintain the strict security system right to the end. We have a problem with security and access controls, as we want to avoid bottlenecks.' "Security in Germany insist on this procedure. It is very difficult for each ticket holder to show a national ID or a passport in order to enter the stadium. You can't have total security. It will require a long time and will affect the flexibility of entering the stadiums. It could also create other problems to the organisers. "We still have three weeks to go and we are trying to negotiate with the security officials. "As for the participating teams, they have now committed to the FIFA deadline, having submitted their team lists on 15 May. FIFA approved them on 18 May. "In this edition of the World Cup, we have reserved the number 1 on the jerseys of only goalkeepers. However, we made one exception to an Argentinean striker who has been wearing No 1 for a long time. Blatter also discussed the problems of injury, in the wake of the Wayne Rooney incident. "While attending the final of the Champions League in France, I saw how players can be involved in some dangerous play and be injured and I felt how the national team head coaches could be worried or panic if one of their players is injured before the World Cup. Therefore, FIFA wanted to show its flexibility and we have decided to accept the replacement of any of the national team players in case of injury or sickness until 24 hours before the tournament kick-off. So let the coaches relax and just concentrate on their final preparations." Another matter was announcing the withdrawal of the Italian referee trio from the World Cup because of the involvement of referee De Santis in the Juventus club scandal, as well as two other members in the FIFA referees committee. Blatter admitted that if the referees had not withdrawn, FIFA would have been forced to drop them from the championship. "The Italian Federation took the initiative and it is a good initiative by them so we don't have to take the decisions against them. "We are not going to replace this trio. We have selected 23 trios and five substitutes. So, we'll work now with 22, which means that some referees will be allocated more matches. "Investigations are currently ongoing in Italy, so De Santis is to be considered innocent until a verdict is pronounced. We're in close contact with everyone involved, and we've been kept informed of developments." Fielding questions fluently in English, French, German and Spanish, Blatter said he was expecting the tournament to showcase outstanding football. Unlike Japan, when the teams were tired, this time they have the time to rest and train. "I expect tough matches because every team who will come to the pitch will want to win." Referees and refereeing at the World Cup continue to be a controversial issue. "Our intention was to field match officials who were all well acquainted with each another. Referees are there to ensure a good game and protect the players. That's why we tested all ahead of the World Cup. The lead referee was instructed to nominate three assistants, of whom two were obliged to pass tests. We ran physical and theory tests. We took a hard line. If two assistants fail to pass the tests, the whole team is in trouble." "The selected referees are the best in the world according to the technical and physical examinations which were held. I was there in the stadium and attended some of the tests. They have been working together in groups for almost a year now. They communicate with each other... I simply hope they'll abide by the expectations. "I will speak to all the referees when I meet them in Germany. Those who will not apply the instructions or make major mistakes will be punished, will be sent home. It's a message I am going to deliver to them." "We want strong referees who can foster and promote the game and we want referees who can protect the players as well. And when I mean protect the players, I mean protecting them from being seriously injured like to be tackled from behind, elbowing, diving, and simulation. These actions should be sanctioned by a red card." Blatter admitted that referees can't see everything. "And should they not, the disciplinary committee will intervene" Blatter said there was nothing wrong with selecting only two referees from Africa. "We had a huge window for referees to pass the examination. There were tests. Africa has the same quota as Asia. Latin America was an exception because of the high level of football in Mexico. However, Africa has a problem in refereeing. It is very difficult to have a strong trio coming from one country. We have to compose them. And being apart means they don't communicate well, don't work together and therefore, this problem affects the quality of refereeing in Africa. "FIFA is helping Africa in all fields, not only refereeing but in future. Part of our development programmes in the continent is refereeing. They must work in trios as a team." Because of his support for Africa, Blatter said that if he had to choose between watching a match that included the defending champions or another game where an African newcomer is taking part, Blatter said he would definitely watch the African team. "I would love to watch Angola, Togo, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. I would like to know how they made it to the finals in Africa. I've seen Tunisia before and know the team very well. Having four newcomers from Africa means that FIFA is doing good work in the continent and it feels good to taste the fruit of your work." He also spoke about plans for Africa to be introduced at the World Cup, on 7 July, just before the final. "This project will show solidarity in football in terms of fighting poverty, the infrastructure and medical aspects. Several foundations are joining FIFA as partners in this project including the Nelson Mandela Foundation. In the future, we'll take the same project in other parts of the world as well." Blatter also announced that all participants at the World Cup in Germany -- referees, players, coaches, officials, delegates and LOC members -- will sign or have signed a document promoting fair play, rejecting racism and doping, and declaring that he or she and family members are not in any way whatsoever involved in gambling. Blatter said FIFA had taken serious action against racism and discrimination in general. "At the World Cup, it will be applied but only in the field players, coaches and referees. It will be difficult to apply it to the public because in Germany, the public will be cosmopolitan. "The disciplinary committee will introduce sanctions against racism and discrimination. If someone is identified, three or six points can be deducted from a team for a repeat offence. This is going to be implemented from 1 July but it will also be applied at the World Cup. "We had a meeting in Paris, we discussed how a group of people could put us in a trap. We have to tread extremely carefully in this matter. The spectators won't be assigned to specific areas of the ground at the World Cup, so we can only punish racist activities which take place on the field of play, ie the things we can control, the players and the coaching staff, etc. "We'll start all our matches with banners appealing for anti-racism, anti-discrimination and fair play. These are going to be our main slogans in Germany 2006." "However, if chants and racist taunts continue in the stands, I don't know what we are going to do with our society. I hope it won't go that far because we want the World Cup to be a wonderful window of respect and fair play. Blatter asked of the press, "I would like to ask you your help in a very important matter, prostitution. Is it a FIFA matter or is it a matter for society? I don't know if FIFA has the right to allow or ban it. I'm asking your help. We are not the protectors of the morals of society. We only protect our game. We can't intervene in the moral approach. This problem is very old and it will remain so. FIFA has been receiving many letters and calls, from organisations and even European parliaments. Is it our right or our duty to stop them? Blatter had no answer as the auditorium room went silent. "So, if you can't answer me, then I'll know that you agree with me that I'm facing a difficult situation." Blatter also spoke about a recent book published by Andrew Jennings, Revenge Foul. "The book is not good for football, to bring up stories which are finished. The book is revenge and I would give the author a red card. "We have here worked in FIFA for years, since I became president in 1998, building FIFA and doing lots of positive achievements and are respected for it." Other topics included social responsibility. Nearly 250 million people the world over are directly involved in football, as players, coaches, referees, and officials. "Every single one has four or five family members or friends. The worldwide movement that is football thus encompasses more than a billion people, one-sixth of the global population. "That means football has a responsibility to society, and we have to take it seriously. That's why FIFA has established a special "Social Responsibility" department. At the Congress in Munich, the Ethics and Fair Play Committee will be re-constituted as the Committee for "Social Responsibility and Fair Play". Ethical matters will be dealt with in a new, independent ethics Committee. On the issue of ownership of clubs Blatter said; "This is a difficult topic which we're examining on an ongoing basis in our "For the Good of the Game" task force. You notice the existence of an international group, based for example in the British Virgin Islands or Gibraltar, listed as part-owner of a club, and that's difficult. FIFA has a regulation prohibiting multiple ownership of clubs. It's another subject we'll be talking about in the Congress." On the 2014 World Cup, Blatter said, "The Executive Committee will decide on the host nation for the 2014 World Cup in 2008. The committee adopted a resolution in favour of rotation, and established that the 2010 World Cup would be in Africa and the 2014 tournament in South America. "Every CONMEBOL member has said he would like Brazil to host the tournament. Brazil are candidates, but the country must fulfill the requirements in the mandatory regulations. We'll closely examine their candidacy with the help of this list. We are not in favour of joint hosting, provided we have a single candidate which fulfills the requirements." On the Charleroi club controversy, in which Belgian side Charleroi brought a court case against FIFA after one of its players returned injured from an international friendly for Morocco last year, Blatter said the G14 was rejected in Charleroi. "The judge threw out the case. The judge referred the decision over releasing the player to the Court of Justice in Luxembourg. That will take another two years. "But there is a solution at hand. The most important thing is insurance for the players. The players must be insured for international call-ups by the clubs. The associations need to supervise that. We've established an insurance fund for the 2006 World Cup, to cover the eventuality of players sustaining serious injuries at the tournament. Clubs will be compensated in such cases." FIFA Communications Director Markus Siegler spoke about individual player commitments to specific media during the World Cup. "A player is permitted to have contracts but he must work together with all sectors of the media. If we observe that a player doesn't fulfill the requirements, we'll intervene. It's important that no exclusivity develops." Blatter answered every question except who he thought would win the cup. "Brazil is a very strong team. Everyone wants to beat Brazil. Football is unpredictable. Results can be changed in the last minute and sometimes in a 94th minute like in 1974. The Brazilians have to watch out because they are targeted by all teams and they are looked upon by their opponents as the team to be beaten. So it's going to be tough." Blatter said he was pleased with Germany's readiness to host the 19th edition of the World Cup and said that apart from the ticket problem, "everything was okay and the world will enjoy watching an outstanding and spectacular event. "We must pay a huge compliment to the Germans. Everything has been achieved in Germany: the stadiums, the logistics, the telecommunications, is simply superb. We can have a wonderful and entertaining World Cup. "Never ever has a game or a tournament attracted the world's public attention and the media as the World Cup," Blatter said. "It's only three weeks to go for the World Cup. It will finally start and the world will have the chance to watch the best 32 national teams who have made it to the final."
