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Havelange will leave FIFA coffers bulging
MARSEILLE, France (AP) -- Joao Havelange has been called a dictator and an autocrat. But leaving his successor at the helm of the FIFA world soccer federation $4 billion US to spend over the next decade might make him seem like an enlightened despot.His 24-year reign as FIFA president comes to an end with the World Cup final next July 12, but the Brazilian effectively started his farewell tour here, one day ahead of the draw for France 98.
And there was no missing the accomplishments of the 81-year-old soccer czar. He spelled them out himself, loud and clear.
"I will have the joy to leave my successor $4 billion to live on for the next 10 years," Havelange said. "I feel very happy about that."
And Havelange has drilled FIFA's executive committee into a smooth-running machine where dissent rarely leaves the meeting room or spills over into official releases.
Despite contentious issues like marketing and television rights featuring high on the agenda, typically, all decisions during Tuesday's meeting were unanimously approved by the 24 members of the executive committee.
"There was no vote because there was unanimity," FIFA secretary general Sepp Blatter said.
On Tuesday, the committee said it was satisfied with the marketing deal with FIFA's long-time partner, ISL Worldwide, for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, which represents $636 million. Further profit sharing will be in excess of that amount.
FIFA has worldwide television deals wrapped up totalling $930 million in 2002 to rise to $1.15 billion in 2006.
On top of that, Blatter announced a $85-million equipment and sponsorship deal with Adidas covering the next eight years.
With some 450 million people involved in the sport worldwide, Havelange said "soccer is the greatest employer in the world."
"FIFA will be able to live peacefully until 2010," said Blatter, sitting alongside Havelange at a press conference. "We thank the president for this."
Havelange also highlighted the expansion of the sport since he took over in 1974.
"We had two competitions then; the World Cup with 16 teams and the Olympic competition," he said. "Now we have 10 and the World Cup has 32 teams."
One huge question mark remains -- who will be in charge of the economic windfall when Havelange retires?
Havelange has long been feuding with Lennart Johansson, the Swedish head of the UEFA European federation and the only official candidate so far. Johansson has often said Havelange's style was too autocratic. Pele, Havelange's compatriot and soccer's greatest star, called him a "dictator" in August, capping several years of acrimonious relations.
Names of potential successors have come and gone, from German star Franz Beckenbauer to Michel Platini, the current head of the World Cup organizing committee and France's greatest player.
On Tuesday, Havelange threw his support behind Blatter, a Swiss, saying he would fully support him if he chose to declare himself candidate by the official April 7 deadline. The election by the FIFA congress is June 8.
"He would be a great president," Havelange said.
If Blatter would run and lose "I would be a sad man," he added.
Havelange's reign will come to an end when he hands over the World Cup to French President Jacques Chirac at the end of the July 12 final in the Stade de France before it is handed to the captain of the winning team.
"My mission will be over," he said.
Until then, the high and mighty will continue to call on him.
During Tuesday's press conference he was interrupted halfway through. It was Chirac himself on the line, looking for some World Cup wisdom.
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GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan