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Gordon Taylor says Sepp Blatter's FIFA position is untenable

Gordon Taylor
Image: Gordon Taylor: Does not think Blatter can stay in his FIFA post in current climate

Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor does not think Sepp Blatter can see out his term as FIFA president despite the Swiss being re-elected for a historic fifth time.

Blatter saw off the challenge from Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan after a week which saw seven FIFA officials arrested and 18 people connected to football indicted on corruption charges by the US justice department.

He won the first round by 133 votes to 73 and, after Prince Ali decided to withdraw ahead of the second round, the 79-year-old returned to the FIFA helm for another four years.

The outcome of the first-round vote meant Prince Ali succeeded in preventing Blatter from winning a two-thirds majority, but the 39-year-old pulled out of the contest rather than force a second round of voting.

His supporters had been keen to get past the 70-vote mark as that would be seen to have delivered a bloody nose to Blatter and force him to rethink his position as head of world football's governing body.

Taylor told Sky Sports News HQ: "I would be amazed if things could be turned round so that he could stay in office because, at the end of the day, when you're in charge of an organisation you can't ignore what's going on and say you didn't know anything about it.

"If he didn't know anything about what was going on, then clearly he should have done. The game is too big to fall down in front of any individual. The game belongs to the whole world and from that point of view it's got to be put right."

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PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor believes increasing tension will occur between clubs and owners if the 2022 World Cup is staged in November and December.

Taylor also felt that the integrity of FIFA had been damaged permanently by the international arrests and charges that overshadowed the conference in Zurich.

He said: "We have no divine right to be the major spectator sport or participant sport. They're custodians of the game for everybody and the way it's been run is just not good enough and the integrity of the game just isn't there."

Recently-appointed Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport John Whittingdale was simiarly disappointed in the result of the election.

In a statement, he said: "It's incredibly disappointing that when presented with overwhelming demands for change, many FIFA members still opted for the status quo - for a president who's overseen an organisation tainted with accusations of corruption..a system designed to support the incumbent has returned a predictable result, but with its authority severely diminished.

"The investigations taking place make it clear that FIFA needs to change, and change now.

"I hope the voices calling for this change within the football community can be successful and do not continue to find their efforts blocked and frustrated by vested interests.

"The Government will do everything in its power to help, and lend additional weight to their arguments."

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