FIFA president Sepp Blatter insists there is ‘modern slavery in football,‘ but claims his likening of Cristiano Ronaldo to a slave has been distorted by the media.
“I have never said that Ronaldo is a slave," Blatter claimed today while talking to in Hanoi on a trip to Vietnam.
"But I said slavery with young people, youngsters that European clubs are trying to get 13, 14 and 15 years old boys and bring them to the big clubs. This is in my expression, this is modern slavery.
"I have never mentioned that for Ronaldo," he said.
"But the press ... they have distorted it. Ronaldo is not a slave."
Blatter was rationalising remarks he made last month when he urged Manchester United to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford if he wants to join Real Madrid.
The Swiss administrator said then it was not right for United to hold him against his will, even though Ronaldo is under contract to the Red Devils.
"We should also protect the player and if the player wants to play somewhere else, then a solution should be found," Blatter said in that interview. "Because if he stays in a club where he does not feel comfortable to play then it’s not good for the player and for the club ... I’m always in favour to protect the player and if the player, he wants to leave, let him leave. In football there is too much modern slavery."
It was those contentious comments caused widespread criticism and ridicule to be heaped on Blatter‘s head. Manchester United understandably did not find his remarks helpful. They continue to insist that Ronaldo will not be leaving for Madrid until he has at least honoured his current lucrative contract, though Madrid continue to harbour public ambitions of signing him.
Blatter added to the debate today by saying that Ronaldo and the two clubs will find a solution.
"They will solve this problem," he said "We have nothing to say, Fifa is not going to intervene, let it be as it is now." That suggested he had learned his lesson after wading in previously with his opinion.
Blatter was on a one-day trip to Vietnam to inaugurate the first phase of a Fifa-funded centre to train talented young footballers, reports Associated Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment