Joseph Blatter (AFP Photo/Jewel Samad)
FIFA boss defends Ronaldo bid
Published 13 June, 2009, 13:40
FIFA President Joseph Blatter has taken exactly the opposite view of his UEFA counterpart, Michel Platini, once again.
Platini had stated that Cristiano Ronaldo's world transfer record from Manchester United to Real Madrid for around $130 million was excessive but Blatter's view is a little different.
“But a football player, you see him every week, twice, he is there, he is a star, he has been built as a star. And the money he is getting, it is the money between the clubs. The clubs, they say, this is the value for my club. So I think, ok, you can say it's too much, but you have to put it in the relativity of what is worth nowadays, the football in our society and what is worth other qualities in culture,” Blatter said, defending the bid.
“So what is 80 million pounds now? What that means – that means that there is still a demand to have a star,” Blatter added.
Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg on Friday ahead of the Confederations Cup, Blatter also said that he was impressed with the progress of the construction of stadiums ahead of next year's World Cup in South Africa.
“We are happy about what has been realized. We are happy what will be realized for the end of this year. You know that one of the big stadiums has been opened already in the Nelson Mandela Bay and the four stadiums we are going to use now for the Confederations Cup, they are at the top,” Blatter said, before adding:
“We have no problems to the constructions of the stadiums, and here I can make the first compliment to the organizers.”
The Confederations Cup – the event to be held in South Africa from June 14 to June 28 – is seen as a big test event for the country ahead of their hosting of the World Cup next year. The trophy will be contested by: South Africa – 2010 FIFA World Cup host; the United States – 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup winner; Italy – 2006 FIFA World Cup winner; Brazil – Copa América 2007 winner; Iraq – 2007 AFC Asian Cup winner; Egypt – 2008 African Cup of Nations winner; Spain – UEFA Euro 2008 winner, and New Zealand – 2008 OFC Nations Cup winner.
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