Ex-FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, says he “will always be a president” as he await the next FIFA elections on Friday.
FIFA will elect a new president as the 79-year-old officially relinquishes office, with one of Gianni Infantino, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Jerome Champagne or Tokyo Sexwale taking over the reins.
Blatter, who had his original eight-year suspension for a disloyal payment to Michel Platini reduced to six years, feels his sentence should have been reduced even further, while insisting he is a “happy man”.
“Enough is enough,” Blatter told the New York Times. “I will always be a president.”
“Every day is a fiesta. I am a happy man. Sometimes sad, yes. But I am a happy man.”
“This ban of six years, eight years, 20 years – whatever it is, it will not be upheld by the tribunal [Court of Arbitration for Sport].
“In their ruling, they took out bribery and corruption – so what is left if there is no bribery and corruption? It’s not logical.
“I have also worked double than Platini – they should have given me four years’ reduction, not two. He is 60 and I am 80.”
Blatter again pleaded his innocence, and feels he was unfairly treated throughout the investigations in his corruption case.
“No man is a prophet in his own country,” he continued.
“The Swiss authorities here treated me like I was the last of the gangsters in the world.”
Blatter has not publicly backed any of the nominees who will take over his office as head of football’s world governing body.
