Blatter replies

Cameroon's Issa Hayatou is trying to oust Sepp Blatter as Fifa president. Why does Blatter think he deserves a second term?

BBC Sport Online's Ben Williams went to Zurich to put your questions to the most powerful man in world football.

You can hear Ben Williams' interview with Sepp Blatter on Inside Track at 1645GMT on Friday April 5.

Click here to listen to "Inside Track"

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You promised the World Cup would go to Africa in 2006 - you failed in that obligation. Why should Africa vote for you now?

Farouk Sa'eed, Nigeria

First of all, I did not promise that the World Cup would go to Africa. What I promised was that I would work to make sure that the World Cup shall go to Africa. And I tried very hard, but Africa finally lost the vote in a democratic way 12 to 11, because there was one abstention.

The World Cup in 2010 will definitely be in Africa

Blatter on the 2010 World Cup hosts

But after this vote, I have worked very hard to make a change in Fifa regulations, by saying that the World Cup should be in rotation, and this has been accepted by the executive committee and the congress, and the World Cup in 2010 will definitely be in Africa.

So therefore the promise I have made is to work on the World Cup, because it is not my prerogative to make a decision alone, otherwise the World Cup would have been there in 2006.

We have a democratic system. But I have to say that not one single vote from the eight Europeans went to Africa. If just one had voted, or even abstained, then the World Cup in 2006 would have gone to Africa.

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Other than the Goal project and the World Cup in 2010, what other things can we look forward to as Africans if you win?

Erick Obed Mwanza

There are already 29 Goal projects completed or being implemented, and six others are in the planning stage. That means that of the 52 associations in Africa, 35 are already in the Goal project. And the Goal project will be developed.

It is not a one day thing. It's the construction of sports centres, playing fields, and it will go on. But what is more important is that we want to protect African players together with the National Associations.

The associations have to register the players when they are very young, because we want to protect them, not just from being transferred before the age of 18, but also to give them general insurance against injuries suffered in football. Nowadays, not just in Africa, it does not exist.

But I am saying now that we want to take care of the health of players. If injuries aren't treated properly, then players can be handicapped for life. This insurance policy is my project for the next four years, and should begin in 12 to 18 months.

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Issa Hayatou has a good track record running Caf, and there seems to be no reason why he shouldn't do the same with Fifa. What is Mr. Blatter's view?

Dudley Nylander, Sierra Leone

I have lost many matches, but I have won more matches

Blatter on the election

The Presidency of Fifa is open every four years, and he has decided, along with the associations who are supporting him, to stand. And he has a good record in Africa. But I would kindly ask Dudley to look at my record around the world. Because I've worked for 27 years in the development of Football.

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What did you feel when you heard Issa Hayatou was going to stand against you, after what you have done for African football?

Theophilus Cyril Udoh, Nigeria

He has the right to do so, and my first reaction was "welcome to the race". I am a footballer and in football there is competition. I am used to it. I have lost many matches, but I have won more matches.

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Was there any bribery involved when you were voted into office four years ago, as Somalia's Farah Addo suggests?

Samuel Kayondo, Uganda

Listen, I can answer Samuel with a clean conscience. I was not involved in any bribery, and have never been in all my life, and I would never do so.

Issa Hayatou is the man standing against Blatter

Farah Addo has brought up a story from four years ago, in which a court in Zurich has totally cleared me. Now Fifa's disciplinary committee is investigating why Mr. Addo is making such accusations. One day Mr. Addo will have to show some evidence for these allegations.

For the time being, we have just received from the man who had the right to vote in the '98 election for Somalia, Mr. Hersey, and he gave an official statement that he has never been approached with money, and that he was free to vote for whoever he wanted.

And this clarifies the situation. This is not corruption, it is defamation. People should be careful saying such things when they have no evidence.

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In view of the immense contributions you have given to Africa, why do you think the bribery allegations are coming from Africa?

Amoade L., USA

It is a nonsense.

They should try to promote their candidate, not diminish the work a man has done with Fifa since 1975 when I was a development officer. I have been at the head of development for 27 years. I have always said that football is more about hope and education than the big game. Football is the school of life.

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In view of what's happened to Fifa over the past four years, why do you think you could run it any better if you get another term?

Mike Walker, UK

We think, and those that love the game agree, that the in the past four years there have been many projects realised for the good of the game.

Starting with the international coordinated calendar, then the rotation of the World Cup, new transfer regulations and the protection of young players until the age of 18, rewarding clubs that continue the education of players until they are 23.

Then we have implemented the Goal project, we have started a Football Committee, where former players, coaches and referees are invited to give more voice to the people in the field of play.

We have also ensured that the Fifa family comes together to exchange ideas every year. So I think we have achieved a lot. And if anybody thinks that it is not enough, then we will do more in the next four years.

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During your tenure as Fifa president, the organisation has been hit with many problems - this is the media's representation anyway. Are they being fair? Please set the record straight.

Mike Serieys, France

I think we are dealing with people who do not know how to lose

Blatter on his bad press

The reporting is being dominated by the bad losers of the last election. But they should have reacted as such then, when the election was over.

But now, four years later, they came and tried to destabilise the office of the Fifa president. I think that is not correct or fair. I think we are dealing with people who do not know how to lose.

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How does Fifa justify giving Africa fewer representatives in the World Cup than Europe when Caf has more members than Uefa? Is this democracy in action?

Kwabena Oppong, England

Democracy in action is where we are at the Under-17 World championships, when all the continents have the same quota, that is three representatives from each, and one from Oceania.

It is practically the same at Under-20 level, where all the continents have four, except Europe, which has six. It is the same at the Olympic games, where Africa has four and Europe has four.

Blatter (l) did not want the 2006 World Cup to go to Germany

So at that level the chances are the same for everybody, and as we have seen the last two gold medals have gone to Africa.

But the World Cup is our number one event, and it must be a valid one from a sporting point of view since it generates the money which we distribute to the national associations and confederations.

That's one million dollars every four years to each association and 10 million to each confederation, and using 60 million for the Goal project.

But after the World Cup 2002 we will sit down and look at the results and see how the different slots will be distributed at the 2006 World Cup. Africa has five good teams and they are well armed to perform well at the World Cup.

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I have been very disappointed with the continued introduction of additional World Cup places for "lesser" nations, at the expense, primarily, of Europe. Surely the competition should be a competition between the world's best teams.

David Usher, USA

It is the part of democracy also to offer access to the World Cup to all continents, and it would not be correct to make it just for the strongest teams. Otherwise we could do without qualifiers and just select the best teams for the World Cup from the Fifa rankings.

We must have geographical distribution and also give access to those that have never been in the World Cup so they can show that they have progressed, that the gap is narrowing and that there are no more weak teams.

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Why do your policies appear to be anti-European?

Adam Dale, UK

I am not anti-European. I am the president of the whole football family. Definitely, Fifa needs Uefa and European football to promote the working possibilities that African, Asian and South American players can come to the big clubs in Europe. This is one of the strengths of football.

But I still think we should look into the distribution of the World Cup slots. Europe has 15 of the 32 slots in 2002, that's nearly half.

We have already taken the decision that the winner of the World Cup will not be automatically qualified next time. But this is not against Europe. I don't know why the Uefa President Lennart Johannson is voting against me. Last year he said he was backing me, and he hasn't told me why he has changed his mind.

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Why does Fifa continue to preach that football unites people around the world, rich or poor, but then gives the World Cup to a country which is prepared to charge £130 for a ticket? Along with selling the TV rights to the highest bidder would seem to encourage exclusivity.

Ray Evans, UK

The TV rights are sold at the market price. The money enables us to give money to every national association, so we try to get as much as possible so we can distribute it. I agree that the ticket prices are very high. And we will make an amendment to that for the next World Cup.

If you sell it too cheap then nobody will pay attention

Blatter on why ticket prices for the World Cup are expensive

In Asia, for Korea and Japan, the national associations take all the revenue from the tickets sales. They have made the ticket price high not just because they want to make money, but they say that in Japan it is the tradition. If you have a triple-A event, which the World Cup definitely is, then if you sell it too cheap then nobody will pay attention.

They have adopted the same prices in Korea. I agree that it is very expensive for travelling fans. The pricing policy was agreed by the Fifa organising committee, which is chaired by Lennart Johannsen, and which has many European members. No-one objected. But I agree, it is very expensive, and I had the same reaction when I visited African countries last week. They say it is too expensive.

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Will Fifa introduce video replays so referees can make better decisions?

Meir Gilady, Israel

No. Football must be keep its human face, and its human errors. As soon as we use technology to decide what is wrong and what is right, then football would lose its emotion and passion, and it would not be the game of the people.

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How do you check that the money you give to FA's and through the Goal project is properly spent?

Varlee Kamara, Liberia

In the Goal project, it is monitored closely. With the one million dollars we give to FA's, we cannot control everybody at the same time. But we have picked at random 30 associations and our auditors KPMG go in and make the controls. In Africa, we haven't had too many problems. There was one problem with one association, and others have had warnings, so we do control. There is no way we can just give the money away.

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Isn't it time that Fifa put a limit of the number of foreign players a club is allowed to use?

Noel Marshall, England

This is an item that is on my agenda. But it is something that needs to be discussed with national associations and clubs.

Chelsea oppose Blatter's plans to limit the number of foreign nationals

The origin of a club was the same city, then it became the same region. But now, it's not even the same country. So my approach, and I have support from other people in Europe, and even presidents of clubs, is that in any club at least six nationals must be on the pitch at any one time.

That means players who could wear that country's jersey. This is a project for the future. There is some disagreement from clubs in the Premiership, particularly one in London which fields no Englishmen and plays at Stamford Bridge.

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What is Fifa doing to stop the exodus of players from Africa, and to help those who take up citizenship abroad to play for their country of origin?

Seltue Karweaye, Liberia

The exodus of players can only be stopped if associations in Africa register their players and license them when they start to play at the age of eight or nine. Otherwise there is no control. And then, new regulations will only allow players to leave at the age of 18. This means they will get to know their country, and they participate in their local leagues, which will give the leagues more strength.

Now the nationality. At the moment, if you are 16, if you go to, for instance France, Belgium or here in Switzerland, it s easy to get double nationality. You play for the national team age 16, then the next year you are dropped because other players come along.

So the proposal now, and this will be discussed by the executive committee, is to bring up the age limit to 18 years. So at 18 years, the player has to make the choice. At 18 you are considered an adult, so it is time to make the choice.

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In Rugby, only the captain is allowed to question the referee. Why doesn't Fifa adopt the same rule?

Clive Cooke, UK

We have to describe exactly what the role of the captain is. Originally, the captains used to agree which rules they would play by for each game. Ideally perhaps, the captain should be the only contact person with the referee.

But football is a game of contact, not just physical, but also human, so what's wrong with them talking together. We don't want people charging at the referee, but he has the liberty to give players a yellow card.

The referees should stop the players, but I don't want them to be like the police. There's so much emotion in this game, so as long as there is no violence, let it go.

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The World Club Championship and the World Cup every two years are policies that haven't been particularly well received. Are you going to stick to them and what other big ideas do you have in the pipeline?

Anthony Jeory, England

The idea of the World Cup every two years hasn't been well received by the organisers of the big club competitions, because it will take away some of their revenue and economic power.

There is only a certain amount of money for football in the world. But for the time being, until 2010, everything is organised. So for now I have put this idea in the safe and I have lost the numbers of the combination.

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Who do you tip win the World cup?

Nick Palmieri, England

So far in the World Cup we have had many surprises, but never a miracle

Sepp Blatter

Listen, if I give a tip the people will say that everything has already been arranged. So I can only say the winner will be the winner of the final.

So far in football we have had many surprises, but never in the World Cup a miracle. So let's wait and see if the first time that the World Cup is out of the Americas and out of Europe, in an Asian environment, we get a miracle. If not, then you will see the same big teams amongst the last eight. It's a fact.