It has been confirmed that FIFA President Sepp Blatter will not be present at the Women’s World Cup final on July 5. According to Blatter’s US-based lawyer, Richard Cullen, his absence is due to ‘personal reasons’.
Blatter, who is due to step down from his FIFA post sometime between December 2015 and March 2016, has presented the trophy at every World Cup since he became president in 1998.
He had initially talked about how he was looking forward to travelling to Canada for the latter parts of the tournament but now this does not seem to be the case.
The 79-year-old has been embroiled in controversy and several of his associates at FIFA have been charged with corruption. While Blatter himself has not been accused of any wrongdoing, his time in charge of football’s governing body has been questioned.
This is what his lawyer had to say about the president’s forthcoming absence in Vancouver:
“He’s not going to go to the finals in Canada.
“He has informed the organisers of that and cited personal reasons.”
The final on Sunday will be contested between the USA and the winners of the Japan v England semi-final being played on Wednesday.
Holders Japan are looking to retain the trophy while USA are seeking their first World Cup triumph since 1999. England have already surpassed expectations, reaching the furthest point in the tournament in their history.
