Sport | Football
Football is a victim of own popularity, Blatter says
- AP
- Published: 00:00 February 12, 2012
Libreville, Gabon: Football has become a victim of its own popularity as shown by the swathe of match-fixing scandals in the past year, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Friday.
Speaking after attending the Confederation of African Football's general assembly, the head of world football suggested the problem was becoming an increasingly widespread worry for FIFA.
"[Match-fixing] is not a regional phenomenon. This has to be stopped," Blatter said. "We will talk about it at our FIFA Congress [in May]." Blatter said the head of the international police organisation, Interpol, would attend the congress in Budapest, Hungary, as the world football body continues to struggle to get to grips with match-fixing.
Earlier this week, the South African Football Association convinced FIFA to give priority to investigating allegations that international matches in the country leading up to the last World Cup in 2010 were fixed.
Africa's reputation is already battered by a scandal in neighbouring Zimbabwe, where more than 80 players have been suspended for alleged involvement in match-fixing.
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