UEFA rage against Blatter "witch-hunt" claims

UEFA president Lennart Johansson has been angered by the recent blast from Sepp Blatter as their feud at the top of the world game continues to fester.

Johansson was responding to magazine claims by Blatter last week in 'Kicker' that he was being hounded for his involvement with the ISMM/ISL company which has now gone bankrupt after nearly twenty years as FIFA's marketing partner.

"I, along with other European members of the FIFA Executive Committee, have been somewhat shocked and disappointed with the public statements of the FIFA president."

"His attacks on the UEFA CEO are totally unacceptable and unwarranted," says Johasson.

"The issues and questions that have been raised in relation to FIFA reflect the real concerns of myself, the UEFA Executive Committee and European members of the FIFA Executive Committee."

"It is wrong to try and deflect attention away from these serious matters by means of personal attack."

The press release comes with the following header which could set up even more bitter confrontations at next month's FIFA congress. Johansson is described in the press release as "today hitting back at suggestions made by the FIFA president that UEFA is conducting some form of witch-hunt against him."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter denied underestimating the losses suffered by the group in the wake of the bankruptcy of its marketing partner ISL last week and took time to criticise UEFA chief executive and by extension Johansson himself.

"FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter stresses that both the FIFA Finance Committee and the FIFA Executive Committee (including seven European representatives) have approved these figures," a statement released to the press today read.

"If any questions remain unanswered, FIFA will not debate them in public, but during the next meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee, to be held in Buenos Aires on July 5th 2001."

Blatter was questioned by the 24 executive committee on Wednesday in Zurich ISL's bankruptcy with UEFA chief executive Gerhard Aigner saying in an interview on German radio today that Blatter's estimated £40 million loss figure may be wrong.

"The calculations up until now want to blur some things. I think the figures are higher than announced so far," Aigner said.

"One can also get into difficulties with a lot of money. Because of this one must work in a budgetary way, lead a budget, carefully manage finances and carry out good controls. That has not been the case up until now," said Aigner.

UEFA are planning a vote of no-confidence in Blatter over the collapse of ISL but may still call off their hopes of ousting Blatter after a cool response from African and Asian delegates to their plans.

A five hour UEFA Executive Committee last Monday saw president Lennart Johansson calling for Blatter to provide an explanation on all issues relating to the bankruptcy of ISL and the cancellation of the World Club championship in July which UEFA member Spain was due to host.

Johansson was surprisingly beaten for the FIFA presidency by Swiss watch-maker turned marketing executive Blatter and the two men have a long-standing feud.

Their animosity is a regular feature of the political world which surrounds football and erupted over plans by the EU to reform the transfer market in Europe which Blatter okayed without UEFA's agreement.

Johansson can call for a vote of no confidence in Blatter at the FIFA Extraordinary Congress on July 7th in Buenos Aires

UEFA lobbied hard in meetings on Tuesday ahead of the executive's meeting on Wednesday with delegates from Africa and Asia to cut away Blatter's remaining support. But that seems to have failed unless a plot to oust Blatter next month in Buenos Aires was formulated.

The Asian and African delegates have adopted a wait and see policy over Blatter's future and are naturally resistant to a UEFA-dominated FIFA presidency. Blatter relies on their distrust of the European power base for his support and he is using it again to his advantage. It could yet provide his escape route from the ISL crisis.

But Johansson is clearly in no mood to see Blatter escalate his feud with UEFA by slamming the organisation and its leaders in the press when UEFA are bank-rolling the world game and stand to lose £12 million themselves in the collapse of ISMM/ISL.