Johansson attacks Blatter

Johansson and Blatter in happier times

Uefa president Lenart Johansson has warned Europe's footballing nations they face a bleak future if his Fifa counterpart Sepp Blatter is re-elected.

Blatter is hoping to win a second four-year term in office - but Johansson believes another victory could see the European game marginalised.

Blatter faces competition from Cameroon's Issa Hayatou and Johansson has written to all 51 Uefa member associations hoping to swing support behind the new challenger.

Mr Blatter has adopted an increasingly hostile and confrontational approach to Europe

Uefa president Lenart Johansson

"I have worked hard to ensure that Europe plays a proper role within Fifa," the Daily Mail newspaper quotes Johansson as saying.

"However, it is my duty to inform you that this has become increasingly difficult due to the behaviour and actions of the current president.

"Mr Blatter has adopted an increasingly hostile and confrontational approach to Europe and provoked conflicts which are neither necessary nor in the best interests of Fifa.

"For me, this cannot go on, and yet Mr Blatter's actions and words have suggested more confrontation and further efforts to undermine Europe's position in world football."

Johansson is not the first to question Blatter's integrity in the build-up to next week's vote in Seoul.

Blatter unilaterally suspended the audit committee probing the state of the world governing body's finances following the collapse of marketing partner ISL.

Johansson lost to Blatter in the 1998 elections

Fifa general-secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen accused Blatter of acting only to cover up financial impropriety for which he believes the president is responsible.

Johansson has also accused Blatter of misusing the `Goal' programme, set up to fund developing football countries.

Johansson said: "The president has turned the programmes into a political weapon in order to ensure support for his ambitions.

"He declared that he wants to be judged on his track record. We should all be prepared to do exactly that and to be aware of what a further term of office might bring."

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Johansson's 14 gripes listed in his letter to Uefa's member associations:

That Fifa wants fewer teams for Europe in the World Cup finals

Blatter wants to reduce Europe's eight representatives on the 24-man Fifa committee

Blatter wants to end Britain's automatic right to a vice-presidency position

Blatter wants a World Cup every two years to "eliminate" the European Football Championship

The Fifa Confederations Cup remains problematic and is a loss-making exercise for Fifa

The Fifa Club World Championship is unmarketable

That Blatter has acted as as an executive president and has split Fifa into two

Blatter runs Fifa as his private property

Blatter gains personal political advantages through the distribution of money from the goal assistance project

Blatter could have overspent on the budget by some £378m

Deals with ISL and Kirch-Media have left Fifa dangerously exposed financially

New transfer regulations to be implemented have been ignored by Fifa

Blatter wants to weaken the role of Confederations within Fifa

Allegations made against certain members of the Fifa executive are being ignored by Blatter