JOIN USFIFA President Sepp Blatter believes Luis Suarez’s biting offence was “definitely not fair” though he won’t say the player’s name.
“It is not fair what he has done,” Blatter said in a video interview on FIFA’s website.In his only scheduled media commitment during the World Cup, Blatter said it was not for him to comment on the severity of Suarez’s punishment for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.
In the seven-minute interview, Blatter briefly touched on the biggest controversy of the tournament. Suarez’s nine-match, four-month ban was “taken by a panel of seven judges” on FIFA’s disciplinary committee, Blatter says.
“Obviously they have taken into consideration the antecedents of this player,” Blatter said.
Suarez previously was banned for seven and 10 matches in the Netherlands and England, respectively. Meanwhile, Blatter expressed thanks to the public in Brazil for a largely peaceful World Cup.
One year ago, widespread street demonstrations marred the Confederations Cup as millions of Brazilians protested government corruption and poor public services. Public spending on the World Cup also fuelled frustrations.
“The population of Brazil is now in the game,” Blatter said. “They are more in the game than in the streets. They are more in the fan fests than the demonstrations.”
Blatter praised the “attacking spirit” of the teams in Brazil, four years after he complained about the poor entertainment of the last World Cup in South Africa. “In the first matches of the first round, everyone wanted to win and not to not lose,” he said. “The football was exceptional.”
He said some European teams were punished for attacking too late in the game.“One of them is Italy. They are out because they waited and waited,” Blatter said. “You can’t wait, you have to score.”