Where this was said
Blatter Falls — and Holds Court Above Zurich
At 37:10 · chapter starts 36:35
The indictments made Blatter's position untenable. Every candidate vying to replace him promised transformation; the Jenga tower had finally collapsed. Blatter stepped down as president. But Joshua Robinson had been pursuing him for an interview from the moment the arrests began, and finally, after Blatter's December resignation, a contact called: 'The president will see you tomorrow morning.' Robinson put on a tie and jacket and drove up to a quiet hotel in the hills above Zurich — a very different lobby from the Baur au Lac — where Blatter was ready to hold court. For two hours, in French, Blatter was thoroughly charming and not even slightly contrite. His explanation: the DOJ investigation was a conspiracy, driven by U.S. frustration at losing the World Cup hosting bid. The corruption around him was a few bad apples. As for the DOJ: 'Why are they looking at us? They have no business here.' A FIFA spokesperson, meanwhile, issued a statement that the 2015 scandal had transformed FIFA from a toxic organisation to a respected and trusted sports governing body.
After stepping down, Sepp Blatter met Joshua Robinson for a two-hour French-language interview in a hotel above Zurich. He was unbelievably charming and not remotely contrite — insisting the DOJ investigation was a U.S. conspiracy over losing the World Cup hosting bid.
