Maldini blasts Blatter
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ByEurosport
Published 06/09/2006 at 16:50 GMT
Paolo Maldini has hit out at FIFA president Sepp Blatter for what he claims is an anti-Italian bias within world football's governing body. The Azzurri's record cap-winner said Blatter was wrong to turn down the chance to hand the World Cup to Fabio Canna
FOOTBALL 2005-2006 Serie A Milan Maldini
Image credit: Imago
Instead, Blatter let UEFA boss Lennart Johansson present football's greatest prize at the climax of a tournament organised by UEFA's biggest rivals.
He believes FIFA's alleged antipathy towards Italy has been exacerbated by the recent calciopoli scandal that saw Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina found guilty on match-fixing charges.
"What really bothered me was the way FIFA treated us in Berlin," Maldini told Panorama magazine.
"Blatter didn't want to award us and said this has been a scandal which our federation didn't react to.
"I have never seen anything like it. What is even worse is that Blatter keeps expressing very harsh comments about Italian football.
"Now I understand why we never won as much as we deserved to in the past. It's mainly a political issue."
Despite his countless trophies with AC Milan, he never won a major tournament in 126 appearances for his country during a parking career that encompassed four World Cups, including a defeat to Brazil on penalties in the 1994 final.
Maldini also put the boot into former domestic and international rival and UEFA presidential candidate Michel Platini.
The Juventus and France legend is standing against Johansson to head Europe's governing organisation, but Maldini said Platini could no longer speak his mind.
"Michel Platini has always been considered a person who always says what he thinks. Now he's really bounded to what others think and say.
"I never like him when he talks."
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