(31 May 2002)
May 31, 2002
1. Sepp Blatter (FIFA president) at Shilla Hotel walking past hurriedly, saying they will decide at 1100
2. Exterior Hyatt Hotel
3. Issa Hayatou, African Football Confederation Chief in lobby, refusing to comment
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Lennart Johansson, President UEFA
''It was a really good atmosphere and all decisions were taken unanimously - and that is important. Perhaps this is a really good start for a reunion of the whole family which we were ordered to seek, which the Congress told us to do so."
5. Wide of FIFA daily briefing
6. Cutaway journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Keith Cooper, FIFA Media Director
''It has been agreed by the Executive Committee and the General-Secretary that their contractual relationship will terminate on the fourth of July. But the General-Secretary will stay in charge of the organisation of the World Cup, that this was a mutual agreement to mutual satisfaction and those parties concerned have agreed to Julio Grondona's (Senior FIFA Vice-President) request to withdraw the case pending against the President with immediate effect."
May 29, 2002
8. Michel Zen-Ruffinen on podium of FIFA 53rd Ordinary Congress
9. Sepp Blatter being congratulated on victory after vote at Congress
STORYLINE:
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has consolidated his power by securing the resignation of the organisation's general secretary, Michel Zen-Ruffinen, once the football World Cup is over.
Planned legal action against Mr. Blatter in the Swiss courts has also been dropped.
The announcement in Seoul was tinged with inevitability once football's world governing body re-elected Sepp Blatter as President by a landslide at its 53rd Ordinary Congress two days ago.
Zen Ruffinen, a former referee, had turned whistleblower against his boss and one time friend, accusing him of serious financial misdemeanors.
It was the morning of the long knives for Michel Zen Ruffinen. It was mutually agreed that his contract would end on July 4, four days after the end of the World Cup final. In the meantime, he will remain in charge of the running of the event.
His former boss and mentor, Sepp Blatter, will have taken great pleasure in ridding himself of such a debilitating thorn in his side.
Blatter had been furious with Zen-Ruffinen's outspoken criticism of his dictatorial management style and FIFA's precarious financial position.
Lennart Johansson, the President of UEFA, said the Executive Committee meeting at the Hyatt Hotel,where the decision was taken, was conducted in a good atmosphere. The decision was then announced at FIFA's daily briefing.
Zen-Ruffinen, a lawyer and former international referee, circulated a 30-page document to FIFA's executive committee earlier this month detailing allegations of corruption involving Blatter. He accused his boss of making unauthorised payments and other financial misconduct.
The former General Secretary had the backing of no less than five FIFA Vice-Presidents, including the failed presidential challenger Issa Hayatou, the head of the African Football Federation and Lennart Johansson, the President of UEFA.
However, he didn't have the backing of the FIFA Congress at large. They overwhelmingly voted to give Mr. Blatter another four years in office and thereby handed Zen-Ruffinen his FIFA death warrant.
The former referee turned international whisteblower will now be left to pursue other interests.
One of world sport's bloodiest altercations - at executive level - is over, for now.
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