FIFA pres warns against buying of big clubs

FIFA president Joseph Blatter has called for a stop to millionaires buying more football clubs. “We have to be careful with those who want to use football and not serve football,” Blatter said in a press conference in Madrid. “We are working conscientiously to know how transferences are made,” the FIFA president said. “We have identified a system which, if we do not stop it, is going to hurt our football. There are many unidentified non-transparent owners, with headquarters in the British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, Great Cayman,” he said, as quoted by DPA.

Blatter warned of “investors” and their effect particularly on English football. “Investors come from Iran, Russia, the US, Georgia ... And now we have seen that the president of the Icelandic federation has bought a club, West Ham. Clubs can be a political platform, we have the example of Italy. We have to be careful with those who want to use football and not serve football,” he insisted.

According to Blatter, FIFA has already taken on board a “representative of Brazilian police,” since they observed that Portugal is the main gate of entry to Europe for Brazilian footballers. “And we observe that Argentines enter more through Spain, maybe due to a language question,” Blatter indicated.