Blatter blows whistle on FIFA criticism by anti-graft advisers

Blatter defended world soccer's ruling body, saying that a reform drive underway was working and restoring FIFA's credibility. He used a news conference to renew FIFA's call for world soccer to fight match-fixing and illegal betting, and said FIFA would seek to protect players who reported attempts to fix games.

“We are not corrupt or a mafia organization” he said. “It is always a question of perception and the question of reality. We are in a good mood and in a good moment and I am sure that we will be able to succeed.”

Blatter also insisted that there was no opposition to reform within FIFA — despite claims to the contrary last week by Mark Pieth, who is leading an expert panel of anti-corruption advisers.

Pieth had told a sports governance conference that “older” FIFA elected officials were resisting the reform proposals which Blatter invited his group to propose after bribery and vote-buying allegations damaged the game's governing body.

Blatter said he met Pieth's panel on Thursday and corrected remarks made by the Swiss law professor. He also revealed that several of his colleagues had objected to Pieth's comments when they discussed his reform mission on Friday.

“They were not happy about some declarations made by this independent committee or other officials involved there,” the FIFA president told reporters, adding: “There is no opposition in the FIFA executive committee towards the reform process.”

Blatter and his 25-member board met over two days at the same time as Pieth's advisory panel gathered elsewhere in FIFA's home city of Zurich.

The group, composed of senior anti-corruption and legal experts working alongside delegates from FIFA sponsors and stakeholders, submitted a first round of proposals in March to Blatter's ruling committee. Those led to FIFA's 209 member nations approving a limited slate of changes, including a revamped two-chamber ethics court to prosecute and judge corruption cases.

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