A sense of humor
- Thread starter Halldan1
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ZURICH — FIFA president Sepp Blatter was showered with paper money by a heckler before the start of a press conference on Monday announcing the end of the corrupt honcho’s term running global soccer.
British comedian Simon Brodkin, claiming to represent the “North Korea 2026″ World Cup bid, tossed a handful of dollar bills over Blatter.
The 79-year-old Swiss recoiled as the currency fluttered around him.
Once security guards had removed the protester, Blatter said he was delaying the start of the press conference. He returned around 10 minutes later to address the media.
FIFA announced it will hold a presidential election on Feb. 26, giving Blatter seven more months in power before leaving the scandal-tainted governing body.
The date was chosen by FIFA’s executive committee on Monday, after Blatter announced plans to resign four days following his re-election in May amid American and Swiss criminal investigations into corruption.
Comedian Simon Brodkin holds a fistful of singles in front of Blatter.
Photo: AFP/Getty Images
The 79-year-old Blatter, who first joined FIFA 40 years ago, has held onto the most world powerful job in world soccer since 1998.
FIFA’s 209 members, who elected Blatter to a fifth term in May, will return to Zurich next year to select a new president almost nine months after Blatter’s resignation statement.
Potential contenders include UEFA President Michel Platini and Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who lost to Blatter in May.
Former Brazil great Zico and Liberia football federation president Musa Bility have said they will seek the five nominations required by the Oct. 26 deadline.
Prince Ali on Monday joined World Cup sponsor Coca-Cola and former FIFA advisers Transparency International in calling for Blatter to be excluded from the process of shaping the organization’s future after a litany of scandals on his watch.
Prince Ali told The Associated Press that Blatter “cannot be permitted to plan his succession and manage this election process.”
“President Blatter’s resignation cannot be dragged out any longer. He must leave now,” Prince Ali, a FIFA vice president for four years until May, said in a statement to the AP.
With Reuters and AP
British comedian Simon Brodkin, claiming to represent the “North Korea 2026″ World Cup bid, tossed a handful of dollar bills over Blatter.
The 79-year-old Swiss recoiled as the currency fluttered around him.
Once security guards had removed the protester, Blatter said he was delaying the start of the press conference. He returned around 10 minutes later to address the media.
FIFA announced it will hold a presidential election on Feb. 26, giving Blatter seven more months in power before leaving the scandal-tainted governing body.
The date was chosen by FIFA’s executive committee on Monday, after Blatter announced plans to resign four days following his re-election in May amid American and Swiss criminal investigations into corruption.
Comedian Simon Brodkin holds a fistful of singles in front of Blatter.
Photo: AFP/Getty Images
The 79-year-old Blatter, who first joined FIFA 40 years ago, has held onto the most world powerful job in world soccer since 1998.
FIFA’s 209 members, who elected Blatter to a fifth term in May, will return to Zurich next year to select a new president almost nine months after Blatter’s resignation statement.
Potential contenders include UEFA President Michel Platini and Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who lost to Blatter in May.
Former Brazil great Zico and Liberia football federation president Musa Bility have said they will seek the five nominations required by the Oct. 26 deadline.
Prince Ali on Monday joined World Cup sponsor Coca-Cola and former FIFA advisers Transparency International in calling for Blatter to be excluded from the process of shaping the organization’s future after a litany of scandals on his watch.
Prince Ali told The Associated Press that Blatter “cannot be permitted to plan his succession and manage this election process.”
“President Blatter’s resignation cannot be dragged out any longer. He must leave now,” Prince Ali, a FIFA vice president for four years until May, said in a statement to the AP.
With Reuters and AP
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