Beleaguered FIFA boss Sepp Blatter has cancelled plans to visit New Zealand for this weekend’s Under-20 World Cup final in Auckland, world football’s governing body said Tuesday, June 16.
“Due to his current commitments in Zurich, the FIFA president (Blatter) will not be able to travel to New Zealand to attend the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup,” a spokeswoman said.
NZF chief Andy Martin said earlier this month that he hoped Blatter stayed away as his presence would turn the tournament final into a “sideshow”.
Blatter, who has been in charge of FIFA since 1998, has announced he will quit after the organisation was rocked by a series of widespread corruption allegations.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup final will take place on Saturday, featuring the winners of Wednesday’s semi-finals in which Brazil play Senegal and Serbia take on Mali.