Blatter congratulates Germany and return to one-country hosting in 2024

Michel Platini_and_Sepp_Blatter_03-09-12

September 28 – Sepp Blatter took advantage of the vote to hand Germany Euro 2024 to take a further pop against his old nemesis Michel Platini.

In congratulating Germany on social media, the former FIFA president repeated his criticism of his ex-UEFA counterpart for turning Euro 2020 into a pan-European affair in 12 different cities.

“Euro 2024 in Germany: It’s good that UEFA is returning to its original format – and not disperse the event (as in 2020) across the continent,” wrote Blatter. “Germany as host country guarantees a tournament at the highest level of infrastructure and logistics.”

Back in 2013, Blatter first attacked Platini’s unprecedented pet project for ripping the “heart and soul” out of the tournament.

In an interview with German sports publication Kicker, Blatter revealed a similar idea had been proposed to him for the 2010 World Cup by former Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, but he discarded it as “unthinkable”, with South Africa granted sole hosting rights.

Shortly afterwards, Platini retorted: “At UEFA, all our major projects, such as Euro 2020 or financial fair play, are the fruit of extensive dialogue and a collective decision taken by all those involved. I am not sure that this is how (former Libyan leader) Colonel Gaddafi did things.”

Both Blatter and Platini have, of course, since been banned over the now-infamous “disloyal payment” from one to the other back in 2011.

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