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Football Association general secretary Alex Horne 'surprised' by level of criticism after failed attempt to delay Fifa election
Jun 1, 2011 9:56:00 PM
British football's governing body, as well as the media, came under fire but Sepp Blatter insists there is no ill feeling after his re-election for a fourth term
General secretary Alex Horne has revealed that he was "surprised" by the level of criticism levelled at the FA after they unsuccessfully petitioned to postpone the Fifa presidential election in Zurich on Wednesday.The FA, as well as the British media came, under fire from a number of Fifa committee members, with Julio Grondona of Argentina and Spain’s Angel Villar-Llona voicing their disapproval.
"I was a bit surprised, but once a couple of people had got up and said it they poured more vitriol on to us,” Horne admitted.
"I was certainly surprised that Grondona and Villa Llona went on, rambling about politicians and journalists."
Sepp Blatter promised reforms to world football’s governing body after his appointment for a fourth term as Fifa president, and Horne insisted the FA’s actions put pressure on him to do so.
"I think he's been pressured to go as far as he has over the ethics commission and the solutions committee partly because of what we have done," he added.
Blatter himself stressed that he had no ill feelings following the FA’s criticism, but did admit that he was surprised by their attempt to delay the election.
"This was a surprising start to the Congress. The number one national association in Fifa - the FA founded the game in 1863 - have the right to be called the FA, Football Association. They should be an example, so that was a surprise,” he said.
"I had heard about it, and Uefa made a special meeting trying to convince them. I thought this problem would be solved so was surprised when they tried to change the agenda of the Congress and not make elections.
"I'm the president of all the associations and will work with all of them. There's no bad feeling with any of the associations that didn't vote for me. I'm the president of Fifa, and with 186 votes I'm proud. Don't worry about the English."
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