— There are attempts to squeeze more and more out of the lemon – for example a World Cup play-off with 48 teams or now with a Club World Cup that must be seen as direct competition to the Champions League, says Blatter and continues:
– Fifa is encroaching here on something that is not actually their business, club football.
The 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada will be the first 48-nation tournament. Something that meets Infantino’s election promise of a bigger and more inclusive World Cup. 32 teams participated in this year’s championship in Qatar.
Earlier this month, Infantino aired plans to introduce a men’s club World Cup, with 32 teams, from 2025.
Blatter announced in June 2015 that he would resign early as FIFA president. This as a result of an extensive corruption investigation. He has long denied crime – which he also does in the interview with Die Zeit – and says that he has never received money that he did not earn.
— I really always tried to serve football. If I hurt it by doing that, I’m sorry, he says.
Infantino succeeded Blatter in 2016. Both men are from Switzerland.
Blatter states to Die Zeit that he has “no relationship with Infantino” and that the current president “behaved disrespectfully because he has refused to have contact with me since the election”.
— He only communicates with me through lawyers, adds Blatter.