Defiant Blatter hits back at critics after FIFA re-election

Sepp Blatter has turned on his critics following his re-election as head of football’s world governing body for a fifth term.

FIFA’s president denounced what he called a “hate” campaign against him emanating from Europe’s body UEFA.

And he questioned the timing of arrests of leading football officials in Zurich during the week.

At a news conference on Saturday morning he responded to the corruption investigations.

US authorities are examining allegations of bribery and other crimes worth tens of millions of euros.

In a separate criminal inquiry, Swiss authorities are looking into the bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

“I assume the responsibility,” Blatter said this morning, “to put the FIFA ship back into calmer waters and in the end bring about a calm and joyful situation with FIFA robust and beautiful.”

Blatter also suggested the arrests of seven top officials in Switzerland this week were an attempt to interfere with FIFA’s congress.

Something “didn’t smell rig