Sepp Blatter hopes to strip Joao Havelange of honorary title

By Jack Prescott, Rugby Editor | 15 July 2012

Blatter hopes to strip Havelange of honorary title

FIFA president Sepp Blatter backs calls to strip Joao Havelange of his honorary presidency with the organisation after being found guilty of accepting bribes.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has backed calls to strip Joao Havelange of his honorary presidency within the organisation after he was found guilty of accepting bribes.

Ex-FIFA chief Havelange and former executive committee member Ricardo Teixeira, who was also Havelange's former son-in-law, received millions of pounds in kickbacks from collapsed marketing company ISL in the 1990s, according to Swiss court documents published last week.

"He is a multi-millionaire. That he received bribes beggars belief for me. He does not need it," Blatter told SonntagsBlick.

"I will suggest to the committee that the issue be dealt with at our next congress.

"He has got to go. He cannot remain honorary president after these events."

Blatter was revealed in the report to have known about the payments but did nothing about them at the time.

Teixeira stepped down from his position in the organisation before he could face internal punishment while Havelange resigned from his post in the International Olympic Committee in December after 48 years.