Joseph (Sepp) Blatter: Biography

The name of Joseph Blatter, who headed FIFA for many years, even in May-June 2015, even people very far from sports. The whole world has started talking about him, and the reason for that, as usual, was a scandal. What else, besides figuring in international disassembly, is this person's personality remarkable?

Childhood and the youth of the future president of FIFA

Joseph (Sepp) Blatter was born shortly before the outbreak of World War II in one of the most reliable and prosperous countries in Europe. The birthday of the son of an auto mechanic and his wife from the Swiss town of Visp (which was at that time a commune) fell on March 10, 1936.

The boy's parents had nothing to do with the sport, but Blatter's love of football appeared quite early.

The hobby entered the life of Josef during his studies. Which, by the way, was first held in one of the local schools, and then in the schools of Sion and St. Moritz. At the age of twelve, the boy became a member of one of the amateur football clubs and played for him for 23 years - until 1971.

But, most likely, Joseph Sepp Blatter in his youth did not think that football would be the basis of his career. Because after school he chose the University of Lausanne, where he mastered jurisprudence. The study was successful, and already in 1956 young Zepp Blatter became the happy owner of the diploma. Which, however, to the full extent it was used and was not ...

The first steps of a career in the sports field

Immediately after graduation from the university, Blatter was admitted to the Association of Sports Journalists. And three years later he took a job at the Tourist Board of the Canton of Valais, where he heads the public relations department. In this position, Sepp Blatter spent five years of his life (from 59th to 64th), and then plunged into sports with his head and no longer "emerged."

The first serious step on the ladder of sports career for Blatter was his work in the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation, started in the 64th year. Here he debuted as a manager, fulfilling the duties of the Secretary General.

From 1970 to 1975, the future president of FIFA was a member of the Board of Directors of the football club Xamax (Switzerland).

As an employee of one of Swiss watch companies, Sepp Blatter actively participated in preparations for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and 1976 in Montreal, which gave him invaluable experience and became a springboard for the following achievements.

By the way, there is information that it was Blatter who judged the scandalous match between the basketball teams of the USSR and the USA in 1972 (held in the framework of the Munich Summer Olympic Games). Sports fans remember that the judge then insisted on three underserved seconds. And it was they who determined the fate of the match, allowing Soviet basketball players to win.

The conquest of FIFA's top

In 1975, Blatter first opened the doors of the International Football Federation. And immediately received the post of technical director of FIFA. And in 1981 "jumped" even higher, becoming Secretary General of this prestigious organization. And it was that until 1998.

In 98th, the next (51st already in the count) FIFA congress in Paris took place, during which Joseph Blatter was elected the new president of the federation. In this post, he replaced the Brazilian Joao Havelange, beating in the election campaign of Swede Lennart Johannson, who at that time headed the UEFA.

In the presidential chair FIFA Sepp Blatter spent 17 years - until the summer of 2015.

Historical solutions

Sepp Blatter, whose biography is inextricably linked with the International Football Federation, has done a lot in almost 40 years of work in it. And even went down in history as the author of important innovations.

So, for example, while still in the position of technical director, Blatter began to implement serious educational programs in the football field and laid the foundations for holding world championships among players whose age does not exceed twenty and seventeen years. Also with his light hand in the world began to host the mini-football championships among women.

When Josef Blatter was president of FIFA, the world championship was held for the first time in the history of football in two countries. This happened in 2002, and the hosts hosting the competition were then South Korea and Japan.

The Swiss has always been against serious transformations of football rules. In particular, he did not support the implementation of video replay. But it was this man who introduced the system of automatic fixing of the goal, which was tested during the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil.

Scandals

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has repeatedly appeared in the center of high-profile scandals of a different nature.

So, practically at the very beginning of Blatter's presidency - in 2001 - his name was confused in the scandal connected with bankruptcy of one of the companies that was a partner of the federation.

In 2010, the head of FIFA unsuccessfully joked about the World Cup in Qatar and the fans, homosexuals, who, they say, will have to give up this country from sex. After the wave of perturbations that swept the world, Blatter had to apologize and make excuses. He said that he did not want to offend gays, and from the authorities of Qatar with his taboo on non-traditional orientation intends to demand tolerance.

And after only a year - in 2011 - a new scandal erupted, now connected with money. Everything happened on the eve of the next election of the president of FIFA, and the rival of Sepp Blatter, Mohammed bin Hammam, accused him of involvement in corruption schemes. The plan did not work. The rival remained out of work, and the Swiss was re-elected for a new term.

But the most, perhaps, loudest was the conflict of 2015, when a certain circle of people had doubts about the legitimacy of choosing Russia and Qatar for the role of host countries of the 2018 and 2022 World Championships. respectively. The main initiators of the proceedings were the Americans.

They accused the top of FIFA (in particular, Blatter's deputies) in the long-term corruption policy and the dishonesty of the schemes in choosing the venue for the championships. More than a dozen members of the federation were arrested. And all this - again on the eve of the election for the presidency of FIFA.

As a result, the special commission of the International Football Federation conducted an investigation and found no declared violations regarding Russia and Qatar. And 80-year-old Sepp Blatter still won elections - his rival Ali bin Al-Hussein unexpectedly withdrew his candidacy at the last moment.

Elections took place on May 29, and on June 2 the re-elected president resigned ... And two days later, the Americans brought charges against him personally.

Sepp Blatter about the United States and claims to his person prefers not to speak out. The only thing I allowed myself was to express bewilderment and shock over the accusations.

Blatter Awards

But not only scandals "grew" on the labor field of Blatter. In his piggy bank - a lot of awards from different countries of the world, as well as international level. The main order is, of course, the Olympic Order. And besides him - the orders and crosses of France, Venezuela, Djibouti, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, South Africa, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Catalonia and Ukraine.

Personal life

In his personal life Sepp Blatter was far from being as constant as in his work. He has three marriages and three divorces. The first wife has a daughter. And the second wife was younger than Joseph for 41 years!