FIFA president Sepp Blatter was accused of turning soccer’s governing body into his own private organisation on Monday in another attack by his vice-presidents.South Korea’s Chung Mong-Joon, speaking two days before Blatter faces Cameroon’s Issa Hayatou in the election for FIFA president, blamed Blatter’s failure to consult his executive committee for leading FIFA down the path towards financial ruin.Hayatou, meanwhile, promised transparency if he won and said that FIFA was fighting for its own survival."President Blatter has overstepped his authority, he has acted without the knowledge of the executive committee and doled out personal favours at FIFA’s expense," said Chung."He has reduced the unique organisation FIFA to a private organisation, Blatter’s organisation," he added. "For the first time in 100 years of FIFA history, our organisation’s prestige and status is very badly damaged.""Blatter made important decisions without proper consultations with us (the executive committee). If he had consulted with FIFA members on important financial issues, I don’t think we would have these kinds of problems today. "I am really convinced that the current crisis occurred because we did not know what was going on."Italy’s Antonio Matarrese continued the attack by calling on Blatter to reinstate the internal audit committee which he suspended in March."It is very clear indeed that Mr Blatter is trying to hang on to the FIFA presidency thinking he is immune from prosecution and he is mistaken," Matarrese said,"How can we continue to have confidence in someone who has committed financial irregularities? We need to rebuild FIFA, we need a new FIFA based on the values of democracy, solidarity and transparency. "The finances and morals of our organisation are at an all-time low. We who are part of the FIFA family are wondering where we can go from here."Although Blatter is expected to win Wednesday’s showdown, Hayatou and his supporters said they were still optimistic. Sweden’s Lennart Johansson, the UEFA president, beaten by Blatter in 1998, said: "I’m quite convinced that this will be a very tough competition. Mr Hayatou’s chances are as good as Mr Blatter’s." Hayatou said he expected wide support from his own continent.Blatter has consistently denied wrong-doing during his four years in charge and told a news conference in Seoul on Sunday: "I am confident that in the 27 years I have been in FIFA, I have not committed anything which shall go to court or which a court should consider as an offence which should go into criminal law." (Reuters)
