FIFA president Sepp Blatter has praised the four British associations at the FIFA Congress for the speed with which they replaced a vice-president who made controversial remarks about the African and Caribbean federations.
Blatter was speaking a day after Geoff Thompson of England became Britain’s vice-president on the executive committee in place of Scotland’s John McBeth.
McBeth, who had been nominated for the position in early February stood down down because of remarks he made to Scottish journalists last week in which he questioned the honesty and integrity of the African and Caribbean federations.
Blatter told delegates that the game faced four major evils: doping, corruption, cheating and racism – as well as the growing number of cases being taken to civil courts.
“Even today we have racism in football and in this context I would like to congratulate the courageous decision taken by the four British associations not to highlight a member who has recently attacked Caribbean and African nations in declarations which are totally negative and don’t correspond to our concept of football,” he said.
Read the thoughts of World Soccer editor Gavin Hamilton on Thompson’s appointment.
