Money flies around FIFA President Sepp Blatter

Date

2015

Description

Creator of the image: Arnd Wiegmann
Date of the image creation: 20 July 2015
Medium: Photograph
Person depicted: Sepp Blatter

This photograph depicts the 79-year-old Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, the International Federation of Associated Football, from 1998 to 2015. In response to FIFA corruption, a British comedian Lee Nelson walked onto stage at a FIFA press conference in Switzerland. While the panicky Blatter feebly called for security, the suited prankster dropped a large bundle of fake US dollar notes in front of the FIFA chief and announced to the media that ‘This is for North Korea 2026’. Just before he was removed by security, he threw another bundle of notes above Blatter, with this photograph being taken as they rained down on the rattled businessman. Blatter left the auditorium muttering ‘This has nothing to do with football’, and did not return for ten minutes as the staff cleaned up the fake money.

FIFA is a multi-billion dollar organization responsible for major soccer events, notably the World Cup. During Blatter’s presidency the organization was been rocked by a series of corruption scandals with, for example, several senior officials and sports-marketing executives being indicted by the US Department of Justice on charges including racketeering, wire-fraud and money laundering. One of these controversies involved allegations of vote-rigging and bribery associated with FIFA’s decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia, and the 2022 event to Qatar.

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