Sepp Blatter Net Worth: Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, born in Switzerland on March 10, 1936, is the eighth President of FIFA. He held this position from 1998 to 2015. Because of the FIFA corruption case that made headlines in 2015, he has been banned from all FIFA activities since then and will remain so until 2027.
Blatter was elected president at the 51st FIFA Congress on 8 June 1998, following Joo Havelange, who had led the organization since 1974. Blatter came to FIFA from a background in business, public relations, and sports administration. In 2002, 2007, 2011, and 2015, Blatter was re-elected. Blatter, like his predecessor Havelange, wanted to expand the participation of teams from Africa and Asia in major FIFA competitions in order to strengthen their influence in world football.
Allegations of wrongdoing and mishandling of funds have followed him relentlessly. Blatter’s tenure as president of FIFA coincided with a dramatic increase in World Cup profits, the demise of marketing firm International Sport and Leisure, and multiple claims of corruption in the bidding processes for the awarding of FIFA events. Let’s move below and find out all information about Sepp Blatter Net Worth.
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Sepp Blatter Net Worth
Sepp Blatter Net Worth: Retired Swiss football boss Joseph “Sepp” Blatter is worth $40 million. Famous for his six-year exile from FIFA following a corruption scandal, he served as the organization’s president from 1998 to 2015. Blatter assumed the leadership of FIFA for the first time in 1981 as general secretary, having previously worked in commerce and public relations. When Sepp was president, the FIFA World Cup had its best financial year ever.
Claims of bribery and money laundering against Blatter have been made. Sepp was also blamed for creating an unfair system for awarding the FIFA World Cup. Many countries were willing to go to any lengths to win the bid for hosting the World Cup, as the potential revenue is so high. Allegedly sensing the depths to which the bidders had sunk, Blatter corrupted the entire bidding process.
Sepp Blatter Early Life
Josef Blatter was given birth in the town of Visp, which is located in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. He initially received his education in Saint Maurice, and then in 1959, he graduated from the University of Lausanne with a degree in business and economics.
Blatter has had a lengthy and eventful career, holding positions such as head of public relations for the tourist board of his home canton and general secretary of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation, to name just two of his previous jobs. He was involved in the planning of the Olympic Games in both 1972 and 1976 while serving as the Director of Sports Timing and Relations for Longines S.A. He was also present at the games themselves.
Sepp Blatter Personal Life
Liliane Biner was Blatter’s first wife when the couple wed. Soon after the birth of their child, Corinne, the couple decided to end their relationship and get a divorce. Blatter wed Barbara Kaser in 1981; she was the daughter of Helmut Kaser, Blatter’s predecessor as secretary general of FIFA. Blatter became FIFA president in 1998.
Their union lasted for ten years before Barbara passed away as a result of complications following surgery. Blatter started dating Ilona Boguska, a Polish friend of his daughter Corinne, in 1995, and they remained together until 2002 when they broke up.
Blatter tied the knot for the third time on December 23, 2002, when he wed Graziella Bianca, a dolphin trainer whose daughter shared a close friendship with her. In 2004, they divorced, bringing an end to their marriage. He has been living with Linda Barras as part of a domestic partnership since the year 2014. Blatter was brought up in the Catholic faith.
Sepp Blatter’s Career
Blatter began his career in a variety of business roles, but he would go on to become one of the most influential personalities in sports. This formative period allowed Sepp to gain expertise in a variety of sectors, including public relations, tourism, and more. He actually got his start in sports not with soccer but with ice hockey.
He was a former general secretary for the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation. Moreover, he started his professional life as the Director of Sports Timing and Relations for the Swiss luxury wristwatch Longines S.A. He also contributed to the planning of the Olympic Games in 1972 and 1976.
Sepp joined FIFA in 1975 and served as technical director for the organization for the next six years. He was promoted to general secretary in 1981. Blatter was first elected FIFA president 17 years later. As of that moment on, Sepp had virtually no rivals for the FIFA presidency. Nevertheless, he was not always well-liked by his colleagues, and at the end of his term, only a minority of FIFA members backed him.
Blatter’s presidency was fraught with controversy even before it began. Sepp’s election was accused of being influenced by bribery, secret deals, and financial irregularities in 1998. A few months later, two prominent FIFA members claimed that Blatter had promised them each $100,000 to vote for him.
Blatter sought reelection as FIFA president in 2011. During this time, the FIFA ethics committee was looking into bribery charges against Sepp. Blatter ran unopposed in the 2011 election and easily won after a number of other potential candidates withdrew from the race. His decision not to delay the polls to allow additional candidates to enter the race drew swift criticism. Blatter responded by saying he wouldn’t seek reelection for a fifth term.
Sepp attempted to secure a record-tying fifth term as FIFA president in 2015. During this election cycle, he faced up against Prince Ali bin Hussein; however, neither of them managed to secure a majority of the popular vote. When Prince Ali eventually withdrew, Blatter was declared the winner.
A few days later, Sepp resigned under intense pressure from a corruption scandal that had been developing for years. Eventually, FIFA expelled him for good, and he spent the next eight years out of the organization (although this was later reduced to six years).
Sepp Blatter Controversy
Blatter was a divisive figure during his tenure as FIFA president for more than just the corruption charges that dogged him. Specifically, Sepp’s attitude toward racism drew widespread criticism. Throughout his career, he has made a number of controversial claims, including that people in Latin American countries celebrate extramarital affairs and that all it takes to end prejudice is for two people to shake hands. And after only 11 seconds of a minute-long period of silence commemorating Nelson Mandela’s passing, he broke it.
The “Battle of Nuremberg” refers to the chaos that ensued during a World Cup match between Portugal and Holland in 2006. The game (which resulted in 16 cautions and 4 ejections) lived up to its moniker as “organized violence” rather than a soccer competition. Blatter removed the referee from further action after he was controversially condemned for losing control of the game.
Blatter’s views on the inclusion of international players on professional teams have also been challenged. The number of non-native players on any given team would be capped at five under his suggested system. It’s mandatory that the remaining six players on the team are all from the same country as the club’s headquarters. He thought it would make national teams more formidable.
During his time in charge, Sepp also staunchly opposed the use of goal-line technology and video replay. Serious officiating mistakes occurred as a result, and the entire world saw them. Players who were absolutely offside were permitted to score, and goals that had crossed the line were disallowed. Towards the end of his administration, Blatter opened up to these technological innovations in response to rising pressure.
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