João Havelange: “FIFA couldn't have hoped for a better competition”

Comments from Joao HAVELANGE from the Conference Room of the CIM, Tuesday 30 June

“FIFA couldn’t have hoped for a better competition: the standard of play achieved during this World Cup has been excellent. Football has taken great leaps forward during these last few years. I do regret that there has been so much arguing over the refereeing: every time that a team loses they look for a scapegoat and it is easy to level criticism at the referees, but people must remember that the referee has the final say in the matter and so we must respect his decisions. Speaking as President of FIFA, I am all for making refereeing at the highest level a professional concern.

I’ve heard a lot about fake tickets during this World Cup: it is not up to FIFA to legislate punishment in this matter, that is for the police and the law to decide upon, just as they do with forged banknotes. I recall that the Dutch made a lot of fuss to FIFA about fake tickets concerning the No.8 match BELGIUM-HOLLAND (played at SAINT-DENIS on 13 June), but on TV it was plain to see that the Stade de France was full of the colour orange. Even the CFO is not responsible since they sold tickets according to regulations using approved tourist offices as intermediaries. As a result, neither the CFO nor FIFA can intervene.

The World Cup is always a media show: 37 million people watch the matches from home, while FRANCE itself will have generated an extra 30% of tourism from the event alone. To finish, I can tell you that I am very pleased with what I have accomplished as head of FIFA. I haven’t been disappointed, and even if I had been, I would’ve known how to rise above it. After FRANCE 98 I will no longer be President of FIFA. At eighty two years old, what can a man do? Personally, I think that I will be very happy at home.”