Fifa presidential election - as it happened

Fifa ballot form
Fifa democracy in action. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Good morning and welcome to our live blog on the Fifa presidential election, writes Sean Ingle. Over the next 10 hours or so we will bring you the latest news and reaction from the final day of the Fifa congress, plus analysis and comment from our reporters David Conn and Matt Scott on the ground. Yesterday the Football Association proposed that the election be postponed, but few rallied round their tattered flag; Michel Platini declined to risk a last-minute challenge to Sepp Blatter, and Concacaf's acting president, Lisle Austin, first attempted to sack the whistleblower and Warner's chief accuser, Chuck Blazer, only for the confederation to issue a statement an hour later saying he had no authority to do so. So what will today bring? The unopposed election of Sepp Blatter, sure, but perhaps the odd moment of discomfort for Fifa along the way too.

8.45am: Sepp Blatter opens the final day of the 61st Fifa congress with his usual rambling platitudes and appeals to Fifa's 'family', and a nod, at least, to the choppy waters that Fifa have sailed through in recent days. "The Fifa ship must be brought back on the right route," says Blatter. "And I am the captain. And I can only do it with your help."

9.00am: Fifa's general secretary Jérôme Valcke, making his first public appearance since his claims that Qatar "bought" the 2022 World Cup were made public, takes a roll call of members at the congress. "Afghanistan: present; Albania: present ..." An hypnotic 10 minutes later he breaks the torpor by announcing, "The 208 member associations are all present, Mr President." Yes, even Libya. Cue applause from Fifa delegates.

9.10am: This from our reporter David Conn:

Live blog: Twitter

Swiss FA president is saying sports bodies are here because it is welcoming. Demonstrators outside say it's for tax breaks.

Not everyone outside is demonstrating, mind. This from Richard Conway of Sky Sports: "Page 3 girls from The Sun offering cash to FIFA members on arrival."

9.15am: FA chairman David Bernstein is called to the stage and makes a short - but direct speech - calling for a delay in the Fifa presidential election. "A lot of people have warned me I shouldn't be making this speech," he begins, "but Fifa is a democratic organisation" [cue no laughter at all]. Bernstein continues: "The election has turned into a one-horse race. Only with a contested election will the winner have...a proper, credible mandate. We are faced by an unsatisfactory situation & universal criticism from governments, sponsors, media and public." He is applauded by about three people as he leaves the stage. This doesn't bode well ...

9.25am: Now it's the turn of a delegate from Haiti, who makes a candy-floss sweet five-minute paean to Blatter. As does the head of the Congo FA, who makes also makes a direct criticism of the English FA: "He who accuses must provide evidence," he fumes. Has he been living on Mars in the past week? And there's more: "A single candidate sometimes proves that people are satisfied with that candidate," says the Congo FA man, to loud applause from the floor.

9.30am: And so the unquestioning support for Blatter continues. The man from Benin announces: "We must be proud to belong to Fifa. We must massively express our support to President Blatter. Please applaud!" Cue loud applause. This is what it must be like to be in a one-party state.

9.35am: Another delegate puts his boots into the English FA's rib cage. "Allegations - what a beautiful English word," scoffs the Cyprus FA delegate. "Someone stands up says a few things... without a single shred of truth."

9.40am: David Conn in Zurich sums up the mood:

Live blog: Twitter

Extraordinary series of attacks on English FA and support for Blatter election, which felt wholly orchestrated #fifa

9.46am: After a series of speeches condemning the FA, a vote is taken on its proposal to postpone Fifa's presidential election: 17 say yes, backing the FA, 172 no. The FA's proposal hasn't just been sunk - it's been torpedoed out of the water.

9.52am: Away from the floor, the head of the Germany FA, Theo Zwanziger, has called for Fifa to re-examine the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

There is a considerable degree of suspicion that one cannot simply sweep aside, and I must expect that awarding this World Cup under these conditions needs to be examined anew … If Fifa behaves the way people expect, that is by clearly taking action against this cancerous tumour of bribery, then there is no need for these concern. None of us could have imagined such a scandal. There is no end to the suspicions falling on members the Fifa executive. The task now is to shed light in a determined fashion, punish the guilty and develop mechanisms that prevent something like this from ever happening again.

Wise words, but does anyone seriously believe that it's going to happen?

9.55am: Meanwhile Mohamed Bin Hammam has written to Fifa to protest about his treatment at the hands of the organisation, claiming: "I was punished before I was found guilty."

9.57am: This from Ben Stokes via email:

Live blog: email

I think the Fifa live blog this morning is one of the most depressing things I've ever read. Each lackey, sycophant and lickspittle who steps up to speak makes me feel ever more bleak.

10.00am: Blatter is back on stage, and after a little bit of touchy-feely returns to his rambling ship metaphor from earlier. "I personally have had to face the public's anger," he insists. "But I am the captain weathering the storm!" There's more: "This has been a difficult period in Fifa's history, and I have admitted it readily. Not only is our pyramid shaking but our ship has taken water." So what's the solution? "This is the reason why we must put the ship back on course. We need a leader, someone who will accept his responsibility." No prizes for guessing who.

10.05am: Blatter takes a brief time out from allusions to ships to admit that Fifa needs reforming. He talks of "necessary" reforms and the need to take "radical decisions". And he announces a noticeable change in direction - there will be a vote which would mean that future World Cups will be selected by full Congress (208 people) not by the 24-member executive committee.

10.09am: Blatter announces a second "reform", which involves making the Ethics Committee more professional and independent ... however there's a catch: the Committee members should be elected by Fifa's congress. Hmm. Blatter also suggests that a committee to examine Fifa's corporate governance will be set up to recommend changes - but, you've guessed it - it will be made up from people from Fifa. So far Blatter's "necessary" reforms seem about as radical as washing the car at the weekend.

10.16am: Blatter finishes his latest address by telling Congress: ""Football belongs to everyone and we are in charge. I have found my voice again. If you agree with me, say it!" Cue predictable, lingering, sycophantic applause.

10.26am: I've just been chatting to David Conn, on the ground in Zurich. This is his reaction to an illuminating last couple of hours at Fifa HQ:


Overnight we were wondering what sort of support the Football Association would get. What we didn't expect was the organised front against David Bernstein's comments from yesterday, or the ferocity of anger against England and the support for Sepp Blatter. The delegates seem to be living in a parallel world where the recent scandals have been invented by the English media. That isn't true: firstly, the allegations have been true; second, the main scandal has come from within Fifa itself - with the Bin Hamann/Jack Warner cash-for-votes bribes. The central theme of everything Sepp Blatter said in his address is that 'we most do it from within'. Everything is about maintaining independence from scrutiny and involvements by governments in making reforms. It's all about maintaining Fifa as a stand-alone body that, yes, serves football as Blatter makes out ... but also serves the interests of Fifa too.

10.39am: And so the attacks on the FA continue; this time it's Julio Grondona, the long-time head of the Argentina FA, throwing the punches: "It looks like England is always complaining so please I say will you leave the Fifa family alone!" he says to strong applause. "We always have attacks from England," he adds. "Their journalism is more busy lying than telling the truth." Extraordinary, gut-wrenching stuff.

Live blog: substitution

10.43am: That's it from me for now - thanks for all your comments and tweets. Over to my colleague Paul Doyle for the latest ...

10:48am: Hello, Paul Doyle here – Sean's gone off to sob quietly into a home-knit Luton Town scarf. He gave you the main points of Blatter's speech, notably that, as Blatter revealed in a France Football interview last week, the next World Cup hosts will be voted for by the Fifa Congress (208 people) and not the 24-man executive committee (although that committee will still draw up the shortlist). It makes you wonder what Blatter's election programme was going to be before he discovered this week, to his shock and dismay, that there may be skulduggery within the organisation that he has lead since 1998.
Tellingly, perhaps, the proposal about which Blatter got the most animated during his speech was right at the end of his rambling soliloquy when he tubthumped: "We must intensify communication to make people get good news about Fifa." Ah, more propaganda, that's the answer!
And on the subject of that France Football (FF) interview, one of his responses was also telling. Remember how he alluded to the sinister imperialist overtones of England's objection to the World Cup being given to Qatar, insinuating that some folks in the old world just wanted to continue hogging all the best gigs? When FF asked him (when Mohamed Bin Hammam was still in the running) whether it was right that Fifa always seems to be run by a European (all except one Fifa's president have been Europeans), the brave new world Swiss replied: "I think that reflects a certain fairness and justice. Because it must be said that the best football is played in Europe." How convenient. Then again, by that rationale, shouldn't the head of Fifa be Catalan?

Live blog: Twitter

10:56am: Lucky Matt Scott is sitting through this hagiography in Fifa HQ and has tweeted this highlight from the current drone at the lectern: "@diggermattscott: deputy gen sec Markus Kattner explains its 2010 key messages: "Fifa ensured transparency and compliance were achieved."

11am: Golly. That renowned devotee of transparency, Ken Bates, has called on the FA to withdraw from Fifa. "[Fifa] a self perpetuating private fiefdom and it should be abolished," thundered Bates.

11:01am: Even Blatter sounds bored as he introduces the next speaker, an auditor from KPMG. Hold on to your hats, folks ...

11:03am: The man from KPMG confirms that Fifa's finances are totally in order and that an internal regulation system exists. Phew!

11:11am: No confirmation yet as to which national associations supported England's call for today's election to be postponed but it seems that the lads from the Republic of Ireland's governing body were not among them. This from Balboa below the line: "RTE's football correspondent, Tony O'Donoghue, on Morning Ireland this morning (equivalent of the 'Today' show on BBC radio??) described how the FAI have decided to roll in behind the Blatter bandwagon. Apparently they feel, and Tony agrees, that the FA are being "politically naive". Jaysus lads, do you not think this is the time to grow a pair?"

11:18am: Here's a quick David Conn dispatch from Fifa HQ:

"Two main things to say regarding the repeated accusations this morning that the Fifa corruption scandals have been concocted by the English media. Nonsense. First, the cash-for-votes sting by the Sunday Times led to the suspension of two executive committee members by Fifa itself, so the organisation accepted there was serious wrongdoing. The next series of allegations against four exco members was made by Lord Triesman, a former FA chairman, not by the media. Finally, the most serious, the scandal of cash for presidential votes bribery allegations against Mohamed bin Hammam and Jack Warner, came from within Fifa, from Caribbean football associations and Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer. Fifa announced ethics committee proceedings against them - to the media - and have suspended them.

The most resonant responses to David Bernstein of the English FA, whose force is still just settling in here in the hall in Zurich, was the phrase: Allegation is a beautiful English word, and the attack on the English generally by Julio Grondona of Argentina, saying: "We always have attacks from England, mostly with lies!"

Live blog: Twitter

11:24am: As the head of the Japanese FA holds forth on the importance of eradicating illegal sports betting and attendant perils, Matt Scott is still tweeting a gogo. "@diggermattscott In 2002 @seppblatter received huge criticism from the floor, not about corruption but because #Fifa was skint. Today, they love him. Telling."

11:28am: Here's PA's report on the denunciation of England by the head of the Argentinian FA, Julio Grondona.

We always have attacks from England which are mostly lies with the support of journalism which is more busy lying than telling the truth. This upsets and disturbs the FIFA family.
"To present such a project as David Bernstein presented is like shooting a penalty because it cannot be always from the same place that the insults and problems come from.
"I see it at every Congress. They have specific privileges with four countries having one vice-president. I don't know what our president has said.
"But we have seen the World Cup go around the world, to South America and Africa and it looks like this country does not like it.
"It looks like England is always complaining so please I say will you leave the FIFA family alone, and when you speak, speak with truth."
In an interview with a German press agency yesterday, Grondona called England "pirates" and added: "Yes, I voted for Qatar, because a vote for the US would be like a vote for England. And that is not possible. "But with the English bid I said: Let us be brief. If you give back the Falkland Islands, which belong to us, you will get my vote. They then became sad and left."

11:31am: Geoff Thompson has the floor now and his chosen subject is: the eligibility of players to play for clubs. "Over the last few years we have identified a number of negative trends that risk to threaten the future of football ... relating mainly to the failure to educate and train players ... in an increasingly global environment there can be a tendency to look for easy solutions."

Live blog: Twitter

11:33am: David Conn's reaction to Julio Grondona's outburst? "@david_conn: Fifa "family" parallel universe to believe the scandals are an English media invention. the family is in denial."

Live blog: comment

11:36am: Below the line, SnoopJohnD raises a pertinent question:
"How does opening up the World Cup bidding process to 208 voters from 24 help the situation? Surely that just means there are more people who may be susceptible to bribery? Also, those in positions to control bloc votes become even more desirable running mates. Jack Warner's 3 votes (out of 24) gave him control over 12.5%; under the new system he would have 35/208 and therefore 16.8% - thus making him even more powerful. Once this congress is completed and a suitable time has elapsed (maybe a month or 2), I fully expect Warner to resume his post as if nothing has happened."

Live blog: Twitter

11:38am: After prattling on about not very much, Geoff Thompson dutifully regains his seat, prompting Matt Scott to pointedly tweet: "@diggermattscott No mention from Geoff on Julio Grondona's vicious anti-English onslaught at #Fifa congress though. You don't get on in this world like that.."

Live blog: Twitter

11:40am: England looks a bit of a laughing stock when not even its former leader will stand up for the FA. David Conn is among those unimpressed. "@david_conn Geoff Thompson, 8 yrs FA chairman, just spoke. Not a single word about this morning's attacks on England. Looked like a #fifa timeserver>"

11:44am: By the way, for a reminder of what an upstanding guy Julio Grondona is, consider this report from David Hills.

11:49am: Speakers chunter on, disclosing nothing of interest. So let's see what's going on below the line ... how about this question, from WoodCaveatBegorrah:

Why aren't the figureheads of Football getting involved? Charlton, Beckenbauer, Beckham, Weah, Baresi - these guys are always available for a quote when they want something but when something like this comes along, no one steps up. All the top brass at Fifa coo whenever Beckham rocks up - maybe they'd react if he said 'BAD FIFA!'

Live blog: Twitter

11:50am: @changeFifa is launching a campaign to help players express their disapproval of Fifa. "We are asking players afraid to speak out against Blatter/Fifa to roll down their socks for this weekend's International matches in protest." Hands up who thinks that will work?

Live blog: Twitter

11:53am: Matt Scott has news of an imminent stand-up routine from the Fifa president: " @diggermattscott Tantalising teaser at #Fifa congress from @seppblatter: "I'll be back in the afternoon to talk about transparency."

Live blog: Twitter

11:57am: All doff your hats in gratitude to Matt Scott, who not only stayed awake during that last sermon but also remained sufficiently alert to note that: "@diggermattscott #Fifa received $1.1bn from the 2010 World Cup. Honduras's president Rafael Callejas is telling us that the clubs shared fully $40m of that."

Live blog: Twitter

12:01pm: Matt Scott underlines the significance of that last tweet of his: @diggermattscott That $40m is shared between 400 clubs. Which makes an average of $100k each. And #Fifa do not recognise just how fragile they are."

12:02am: That wild boar and salmon on a bed of foie gras and caramelised hummus with aubergine purée can't wait any longer: Jérôme Vacke steps in to announce it's time to adjourn for lunch. "We will be back here in one hour," he announces optimistically.

Live blog: Twitter

12:04pm: No swanky lunch for Matt Scott: with a homemade cheese sarnie in one hand and his laptop in the other, he continues tweeting on the theme of flawed Fifa's vulnerability to club power: "@diggermattscott And with every passing day, the moral authority of #Fifa is eroded, opening the door to a European closed-league project for the clubs."

12:20pm: Some people below the line have been castigating Michel Platini for not throwing his weight behind England's attempted putsch. Arkadiev, however, reckons the Frenchman is "playing a smarter game than many of the blowhards on this site give him credit for."

Platini has a choice to position himself to win the presidency next time around and actually have the chance to change something or he can make a big noise and have exactly the same effect the FA are having now and destroy the chances of any reformer getting in any time soon

If FIFA is to reform it's not going to happen in the next 4 days but it'll take years of continual work. Ranting and raving about how unfair this all is and expecting change that we want to come about right now is just deluded. A good politician picks their battles - a bad politician promises too much and just postures. The problem with Fifa is a problem of governance that makes it a small p political problem and to solve it we need skilled politicians not gobshite populists.

12:26pm: Wonder if the German football authorities were among those who supported England? This PA report suggests they may have been:

"Fifa should re-examine Qatar's victory in the vote for the 2022 World Cup, according to the head of German football.
Theo Zwanziger, who joined Fifa's executive committee today, said there had been suspicions about the bid which needed looking at.
Zwanziger told German television station ZDF: "There is a considerable degree of suspicion that one cannot simply sweep aside, and I must expect that awarding this World Cup under these conditions needs to be examined anew.
"I first would like to comment on how that should be done when I know more about the facts. Like I said, I'm an outsider and was not [then] a member of the executive."
Claims were made in the British Parliament that Qatar had paid bribes for votes - bid leaders have strongly denied any wrongdoing.
In a separate case, two Fifa members - Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner - have been provisionally banned on bribery charges concerning the FIFA presidential election. Both deny the allegations.
Zwanziger added: "If Fifa behaves the way people expect, that is by clearly taking action against this cancerous tumour of bribery, then there is no need for these concerns.
"None of us could have imagined such a scandal. There is no end to the suspicions falling on members the Fifa executive.
"The task now is to shed light in a determined fashion, punish the guilty and develop mechanisms that prevent something like this from ever happening again."
Meanwhile, reports today claimed Bin Hammam was on course to win the presidential election against Blatter but was forced to pull out to protect the World Cup he helped secure for his country Qatar.
Bin Hammam has returned to Qatar after failing to have an appeal against his provisional ban heard in time to allow him to attend Fifa'S Congress today.
He said in a statement: "I am very sad and disappointed over what has happened in the last days. I will never accept how my name and my reputation have been damaged. I will fight for my rights. I thank all the people who have supported me during the last weeks and will support me further."

12.37pm:

Live blog: recap

Here's a recap of what has happened so far today:

• FA chief David Bernstein called on Fifa delegates to support a postponement of this afternoon's presidential election in order to give more time for a reforming candidate to emerge.

• Bernstein's speech met with a decidedly tepid response and the FA's motion was ultimately rejected by 178 votes to 17.

• Sepp Blatter took to the stage to deliver an impassioned speech in which he vowed to dispel the whiff of foul play that has enveloped Fifa during his reign.

• Among the measures that Blatter says will usher Fifa into a bright new era of transparency and love are: the introduction of a corporate governance and compliance body (staffed by Fifa folks) to run the rule over the organisation; and a change to the voting system for World Cup hosting rights, whereby hosts will be selected by the Fifa Congress (208 people) rather than the executive committee (24 men).

• The head of the Argentinian FA, Julio Grondona, viciously denounced the allegations of corruption emanating from England, accusing the English of spouting "lies" ... and revealing that he would never have supported an English World Cup bid unless the Falkland Islands were handed back to Argentina.

As for this afternoon, Blatter has tantalisingly revealed that he will hold forth further on his plans to bring more transparency to Fifa. And then there will be that nail-biting election.

12.54pm: FA Chairman, David Bernstein, now says:

"After hearing the speech from Sepp Blatter, we believe the calls we have made for greater transparency and better governance have been worthwhile.

"While we did not succeed in deferring the FIFA presidential election, it was positive to be joined by 16 other nations in supporting our democratic request for the vote to be delayed, while a further 17 nations abstaining clearly shows that we are not alone or isolated in our views in relation to the current situation FIFA finds itself in.

"We are confident The FA has played a significant role as a catalyst for change in the way World Cup hosts will be selected in the future, following the announcement that, moving forward, Congress will make this decision. This must be a more open transparent process.

"We welcome Mr Blatter's proposals for the creation of a committee to oversee the improvement of FIFA's governance arrangements. We are pleased that this committee will be answerable to Congress, however we wish to see the make-up of this committee include independent members, to ensure that appropriate solutions are identified using external benchmarks and expertise."

1.24pm: The Guardian's Helene Mulholland was at a Downing Street briefing this morning where the subject of Fifa came up. Asked about Blatter's appointment, the No10 spokesman said:

"Our view is that we need to see greater accountability and greater transparency of Fifa. That organisation needs to reform. We backed the FA in abstaining on the vote and we agree with the that Fifa should have suspended the presidential election until the investigations underway have been completed ... The important thing in all of this is that the public have confidence in Fifa and in order for that to happen, certainly in this country, we need Fifa to reform".

Asked about Prince William's role, the spokesman said lots of people had expressed views on Fifa. "He was also involved in the bid and clearly has an interest in this area. We agree with what's he's been saying which is that Fifa needs to reform and get its house in order."

1.28pm: The German-speakers amongst you might like to peruse this article from today's Süddeutsche Zeitung, spotted by Dave Morton.

1.35pm: It has been noted by various posters below the line that Fifa seems to be an exclusively male zone. Not so - and the Telegraph's Paul Kelso has this proof that women, too, have a role to play at Fifa. The FA, of course, has many influential women in senior management. Eh? Oh.

1.43pm: An observation posted below the line by hellomartin:

Er....nobody seemed to bat an eye-lid when Quatar was awarded Formula 1, and that was by a British organisation run by men about as focussed on their own pockets as you can get.

1.45pm: Franz Beckenbauer is now at the lectern, talking about changes to the actual game of football. He's chairing a task force set up to explore such. He begins by praising the impact on the game that banning the backpass has had and says that "we cannot promise we will have similar brainwaves". Der Kaiser also declares, as @diggermattscott notes, "The Fifa president wanted to set up a Football Task Force. When a president decides to do something it must be done."

Live blog: Twitter

1.51pm: Beckenbauer is talking about proposals to do away with extra-time at youth level, and also to allow senior teams to make a fourth substitution during extra-time. All to combat fatigue and injury. David Conn's tweet captures the reaction to these suggestions: "@david_conn Franz Beckenbauer is talking about football. Backpass rule, fouls. Sad how irrelevant and fiddling it seems in this context."

1.56pm: Beckenbauer is advocating the deployment of more match officials, which he says will come into force "in next year's Euro competition" and will make sure that offences such as Thierry Henry's infamous handball will no longer go undetected by the referee.

1.58pm: Beckenbauer is also rounding on the petulance and play-acting displayed by Real Madrid and Barcelona in their recent Champions League semi-final, saying "I would have sent all the players off". He says his task force will explore ways of eliminating such behaviour from the game at their next meeting.

2.02pm: According to @changefifa, the Norwegian FA was one of those who backed the English call for a postponement today's presidential elections.

2.05pm: Heeeeere's Sepp. And he wants to tell us exactly what he means by a "zero tolerance" approach to unethical behaviour ...

2.07pm: Blatter says "zero tolerance" must be upheld "on the field of play and outside the field of play ... it means nothing else than respect and fair play." He also says that Fifa has entered into a contract with Interpol to combat match-fixing and illegal betting. He says match-fixing is "a real danger" because "we will lose credibility directly to the fans because they will say it is all arranged." Indeed.

2.11pm: Here is a video report on Fifa delegates' rejection of England's appeal for a postponement today.

2.17pm: Blatter says he has been asked to show zero tolerance to breaches of ethics, and he hereby commits to doing so. There's the corporate governance and compliance committee that he intends to set up - which he says we may refer to as "the solution committee" - and he will also convene an extraordinary congress to discuss the matter further. "I have to repeat that zero tolerance is for everybody. For me, and for you." The "solution committee" will verify that "the corrections that we are bringing now enough. "This will be an internal committee but the person who will chair this committee can also experts from somewhere else to help. But this will be a Fifa committee, but it would not be very wise not to listen a little bit to the outside."

2.22pm: An interesting intervention from the head of the Danish FA, Allan Hansen, who asked to make an address on behalf of all the Scandinavian countries. He steps up and requests that Blatter commit to implementing an independent inquiry into the allegations of corruption. "It is beyond doubt that Fifa has been harmed over the last few weeks and months ... words are not enough, we must take actions to ensure zero tolerance. We recommend that you include in the reforms a strong independent inquiry given the instruments to investigate allegations of bribery. This is for two reasons: firstly, to ensure that accusations will be investigated in a proper and transparent manner. And secondly to ensure that colleagues and members being accused will get a fair and professional treatment. So Mr President, we entrust you to undertake the leading role to make the necessary steps and reforms. We are ready to take part on the work that has to be done and are ready to fight to maintain cohesion in the football family but we ask you to consider including a strong independent inquiry."

Blatter responds thus: "Naturally we are on the same track and this will be done."

2.29pm: The Spanish chairman of the Fifa legal committee, Ángel María Villar Llona, has just received a rapturous applause after denouncing criticisms of Fifa and acclaiming President Blatter. "The problem of some comments in the paper came from some people who may have lost in the World Cup elections," fumed Villar Llona. "Well, we have certain professionals in information who are protected by the sacred right of information but are attacking head-on the rights of others - mainly the football leaders. It's enough. They associated us with crimes we have not committed, they insult, they attack our freedom. It's enough." He then demands that Blatter's greatness be acknowledged: "Let's talk about the main issues ... for the last 12 years this gentleman [gestures towards Blatter] has done them. He is a great president and I respect him."

2.36pm: As if to retort to the Scandinavian call for an independent inquiry, Villar Llona scoffs at the notion of anyone from outside "the football family" helping to solve any problems Fifa may have. "You are fathers," he tells the delegates. "Would you let people from the outside into your family to sort out problems?"

Live blog: Twitter

"@diggermattscott Fifa ex-co's former Athletic Bilbao midfielder Villar Llona's rambling rant shows how calling on players to run #Fifa would be no panacea."

2.40pm: David Conn is at Fifa fHQ and here is his report on proceedings so far. Here's its compelling intro:

Overnight in damp, drizzly Zurich, the English press – or to give us our correct Fifa title, the lying, cheating, allegation-concocting English press – were wondering how much support the Football Association chairman, David Bernstein, would find for his arguments that the Fifa recoronation of president Sepp Blatter should be postponed. Not a lot, came the consensus ...

2.41pm: PA have confirmation that Wales and Northern Ireland decided against supporting England's call for the presidential election to be postponed.

Wales and Northern Ireland both chose not to support England's failed attempt to stop Sepp Blatter being re-elected unopposed, it can be disclosed.
The Football Association's move at the Fifa Congress to have the presidential election postponed was defeated by 172 votes to 17.
The Scottish FA did get behind FA chairman David Bernstein's proposal to stop the election going ahead with only one candidate - in fact they were the only association to do so publicly.
Most other associations voted to stick with Blatter, including the Football Association of Wales and Irish FA. It has not escaped attention either that in December Bernstein himself was the only candidate recommended to the FA board to be the new chairman.
Jonathan Ford, FAW chief executive, questioned whether trying to "rail-road" the cancellation of the election through the Congress was the correct approach.
Ford told Press Association Sport: "In an ideal world you would always have more than one candidate but it has happened many, many times before.
"It happened with Michel Platini in the Uefa presidential election earlier this year, it happened with Blatter last time four years ago.
"The process is really, really clear and arguably we have seen the level of support for one individual today.
"People are confusing two matters here. Many people are agreed that there needs to be a greater level of transparency and good governance.
"The question is whether trying to rail-road the postponement of the presidential election is the right way forward."
The Irish FA refused to comment but it is known they did not back the FA either.
Bernstein made a pitch for support at a meeting of the heads of the 53 European countries who make up Uefa early this morning.
Uefa president Platini spoke briefly to the meeting but only an introduction and did not speak against or for Bernstein, and according to delegates there it was obvious then that support for the FA was lukewarm.
The attack on the FA in the Fifa Congress afterwards by Argentina's Fifa vice-president Julio Grondona has set some alarm bells ringing when he singled out the home nations' special privileges.
Grondona said: "They have specific privileges with four countries having one vice-president.
"It looks like England is always complaining so please I say will you leave the Fifa family alone, and when you speak, speak with truth."
One home nations' official said: "That was not very helpful to say the least."

2.46pm: Fifa are currently using an electronic system to conduct voting on a slew of legalistic procedural tweaks. The breakdown of the 208 votes cast is available within about two seconds. See, Fifa, you can do technology when you want to ...

2.57pm: Noticeable that since today's talkathon kicked off at 9am there has been not a single mention of Jack Warner or Mohamed Bin Hamman, even though both members of the Fifa nomenklatura have been suspended by Fifa itself, not lying English pressdogs.

Live blog: Twitter

2.59pm: Gavin Hamilton, editor of World Soccer, has one thing to say to Villar Llona. "@WorldSoccerEd Great to be lectured on transparency by Spain's Villar Llona. One question: what was your share of the $32m paid to the ExCo in 2010?"

3.08pm: Here, at last, comes the election for the next president of Fifa. The candidates are Sepp Blatter and ... no one else. Blatter receives gentle applause as he announces he will leave the room while votes are cast in a secret ballot. Before departing he offers the following guidance to voters: "It is a question of trust and confidence." Word is results will be available in about 10 minutes.

3.14pm: Lots of chit-chat among the delegates as we await the verdict. Who will the winner be? The complete lack of suspense is as excruciating ...

3.17pm: As you wait to find out the size of Blatter's victory, perhaps you would like to find out more about the Fijian delegate who excoriated Fifa critics this morning. The BBC's Matt Slater recommends reading this article.

3.21pm: Oh. It seems the voting was not taking place during that 10-minute delay. Each delegate will shortly be invited, one at a time, to go to a booth and submit his secret vote. Before that, Jérôme Vacke feels the need to remind delegates that if the number of votes cast exceeds the number of ballots distributed, the election will be declared null and void and a second one shall be required. Off we go, then, first up is Afghanistan, followed by Albania ...

3.25pm: Ooops. It seems that the delegate from American Samoa is not present. On, then, to Andorra ...

3.26pm: Quorum news: at least "50% plus one" of the 208 delegates must cast their votes for this election to be valid.

3.30pm: One down, 25 to go: here comes B. Anyone want to guess which country comes first? Shucks, I'll just tell you: it's Bahrain. Yep, it's as predictable as the outcome of the vote.

3.36pm: So far no one has refused to go to the voting booth (unless American Samoa were not, in fact, absent). But that is not to say that the delegates have not gone in and registered their protest by simply doodling on their ballot paper ...

3.39pm: The Canadian voter waves towards the cameras and smiles excitedly as he enters the booth. What, exactly, is he expecting to happen in there?

3.46pm: Sigh. We are only at Denmark. This is perhaps the least exciting world tour ever. Can't the voters at least go up to the booths in national dress or while doing cart-wheels or something? All we have is an interminable trail of elderly men in suits.

3.49pm: Here come the delegate from brave England! Look at that dignified gait! That principled expression! That utterly irrelevant vote!

3.51pm: Hey, the man from Estonia seems to have heeded our call at 3.46! He strides up to the booth in what looks like a sleeveless bear-fur number, his lush heavy-metal mane flowing in the air-conditioned arena. He really should have a searing guitar solo soundtrack.

4.01pm: Here comes the Republic of Ireland. Will the man from the FAI make it to the booth without bungling? A nation holds it breath ...

4.07pm: Here comes Liberia. Word is that they will not vote for Blatter. How times change: once upon time Liberia was awarded that country's highest honour - The Humane Order of African Redemption. By Charles Taylor, no less.

4.13pm: Above is a new photograph, which accurately conveys the suspense of this occasion. We're at Montserrat, by the way ...

4.18pm: Norway and Oman are next in line. Might those initials be portentous for Blatter? NO.

4.21pm: We're at Portugal. Not long to go now until Zimbabwe. Speaking of which, dismay at this.

4.26pm: Slovakia and Slovenia on the way towards the booths. Nearly there, folks. Ish.

4.29pm: David Conn puts things in perspective, as ever:

As Fifa works through the voting countries towards the formality of Sepp Blatter's restoration for four more years, the realisation is sinking in about how successful his campaign has been. Mohamed bin Hammam, the challenger, was taken bodily out of the contest after seven whistleblowers allegedly testified to being offered cash in return for voting for the Qatari. David Bernstein's call for a postponement was angrily rejected amid all that anti-English and anti-media rhetoric.

Blatter promises "zero tolerance" of corruption and a strengthened ethics committee, but his proposals are still vague. His abiding theme in four days here has been that the Fifa "family" must do everything "from within," and brook no interference from any government.

In Switzerland Fifa enjoys the historic tax exemption accorded to once-amateur sports governing bodies, even though it now makes $4.2bn (2007-10) from selling the TV and commercial rights to the World Cup. Despite a small, committed demonstration against that by young socialists and greens this morning, Fifa's impermeability is set to remain, under Blatter for four more years.

4.38pm: Into the booth goes the delegate from the Turks and Caicos Islands. Wonder whether Matt Green used his influence to support England's protest?

4.41pm: Wales and Yemen waiting outside the booths, ready to cast their votes. The Welsh didn't support a postponement but will they go so far as to vote for Blatter?

4.44pm: Right, voting in one of the world's most pointless elections has just concluded. The votes will be counted and then, unless somebody slipped some sort of mind-altering substance into the delegates' lunch, the only candidate will be acclaimed as the winner. And we can all look forward to four more years of Blatterocracy.

4.49pm: Fifa announce that 203 ballot papers were deposited in the urns, meaning five didn't make it. No quips about the FAI managing to bungle it, after all, please.

4.55pm: Solemn expressions on the faces of the five men sorting through the ballot papers. Then a short but earnest verbal exchange between two of them. What can it all mean? The teases.

5.01pm: We have movement on the floor. An announcement appears imminent ...

5.03pm: Anglophile Julio Grondona announces the result: 186 of the 203 vote cast were for Blatter. Cue triumphant music. And four more years of Blatter, who returns to the arena clutching a bouquet of flowers and dispensing hugs and kisses to all and sundry. It's enough to bring a tear to your eye. Many tears, actually.

5.08pm: Blatter reacts to his triumph:

"Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, blah blah blah ... I thank you for your trust. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And together we will have four years, provided the Lord gives me life, the energy and the strength to continue on our path and do to our job. I'm happy that we were able to bring today into Fifa this solidarity, this unity, that enables us, with sufficient courage and a positive standpoint, to move forward … we are going to put Fifa's ship back on the right course, in clear, transparent waters. We will need some time, we cannot do it from one day to the next, but our pyramid is intact because the foundation is solid, just as solid as our game. I would simply like to tell you that I am touched and honoured and I thank you. But at the same time this is a challenge for me, and I accept it. Let's go together. Something marvellous has happened today."

5.10pm: Oddly, the head of the Estonia FA asks to say a few words. He blathers a bit about how nice it was to see such a fine display of football unity today. Most of all, though, he got a chance to show off the rugged troubadour look he seems eager to take to the world, faux bear-fur sleeveless jacket and all. A suitably farcical end to proceedings, you might say.

Live blog: Twitter

5.18pm: Hold on! Proceedings didn't quite conclude with the man from Estonia. "@david_conn Former English FA chairman Geoff Thompson, after a day of attacks on England, accepts a hug, pennant, and thanks #fifa for its "friendship"

5.21pm: The new members of the executive committee are now being welcomed into the brotherhood, including Northern Ireland's Jim Boyce, who is introduced as, amongst other things, "a former entrance manager". What is an entrance manager? A bouncer? "Congratulations, Mr President, on your re-election," he blurts. Oh, I see.

5.25pm: So, Blatter won with 186 votes out of 203 cast. Let's see if he can do better on this.

5.35pm: Apparently Blatter, once he finishes blowing kisses to his adoring crowd, will shortly give a press conference. Matt Scott and David Conn will be there for the Guardian, hoping to put to him the questions that none of the delegates managed to today. Stay tuned for updates, if and when we get them.

Live blog: Twitter

5.38pm: How long will Blatter spend at the press conference? It's anyone's guess, but according to Sky Sports News' Richard Conway, he may have other engagements. "@richard_conway Valcke: there is a party after Congress! We putting on buses. (seriously)"

5.56pm: Confirming the forebodings that our own Matt Scott warned about earlier relating to a possible schism between clubs and Fifa, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the European Club Association chairman, has called for a complete overhaul of how Fifa is governed, according to PA:

Rummenigge called for the immediate introduction of "democratic and transparent structures and procedures" and claimed clubs would demand involvement in FIFA decisions which affected them.
Rummenigge, the Bayern Munich chief executive, said: "The recent happenings have once more proven that FIFA needs a change in its whole structure. As chairman of the European Club Association, I request FIFA to immediately introduce democratic and transparent structures and procedures.
"European clubs will no longer accept that they do not participate in the decision-making when it comes to club related matters.
"We will closely follow FIFA's development in this respect in the future and take appropriate measures, if there is no improvement."

MBM substitution

6.06pm: Good evening all, it's Barry Glendenning here for a while as we wait for Teflon Sepp to stage his press conference. An interesting comment from below the line from poster Nockeakma ...

Live blog: comment

6.10pm: "For the first time in the 32 years of my life, I am deeply ashamed to be German," writes, poster nockeakma. clearly absolving himself from all blame for David Hasselhoff's popularity in his neck of the woods. "The behaviour of the German DFB-officials is absolutely unacceptable. Got no answer from the DFB after complaining and asking them to stop their support for Blatter, but at least I got a few lines back from "adidas" after threatening to boycot their products if they dont put more pressure on this band of criminals:

Hello Mr. XYZ
We appreciate that you are sharing your opinion on this topic with us. adidas enjoys a long-term, close and successful partnership with FIFA that we are looking forward to continue. adidas will be an Official Sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Having said that, the negative tenor of the public debate around FIFA at the moment is neither good for football nor for FIFA and its partners.
Best regards,
adidas AG
Corporate Communication

Live blog: Twitter

6.13pm: Meanwhile on Twitter, the @SwissRamble has started his own version of a Where's Wally competition in a bid to pass the time. @SwissRamble: "Sitting among an 'enthralled' FIFA congress, our old friend, former Swiss referee Urs Meier.

If it's that big-boned chap snoozing with his arm around the empty chair, you'd have to say Urs has let himself go ...

6.23pm: All is quiet on the Fifa front; too damned quiet. Either the UK's crack team of proper journalists: David Conn, Matt Scott, Paul Kelso, Swiss Ramble et al have met a suspicious and grisly end, or else it's buffet time. Am feeling a bit peckish myself at the moment and as bad and all as Fifa are, I can think of nothing I'd like to do more at this exact moment than stuff my face at one of their groaning spreads.

Live blog: Twitter

6.27pm: Tony Evans, football editor at The Times adds his two cents on Twitter. "@tonyevanstimes: The FA is no White Knight battling evil Blatter. FA's been part of Fifa problem for decades. If we want to clean up game, start at home." True dat.

Live blog: Twitter

6.31pm: I can report that mild-mannered Proper Journalist David Conn is alive and well in Zurich. "@davidconn: Waiting for Sepp B victory press conference in Zurich. The cat got the cream again.... #fifa"

6.49pm: There is quite literally nothing of Fifa-related interest on Twitter or the news wires at the moment. Everyone seems to be biding their time, waiting for Sepp's victory address. C'mon Sepp, some of us have deadlines to attend to and homes to go to.

6.52pm: From the news wires - a bit of a reverse-ferret by the SFA, or am I getting cynical in my old age?

The Scottish Football Association have been encouraged by moves towards a more transparent form of governance within FIFA despite failing in their aim of postponing the world governing body's presidential election.

The SFA had publicly backed calls from their counterparts in England to delay today's unopposed re-election of Sepp Blatter after his only rival, Mohamed Bin Hammam, withdrew on Sunday hours before he was provisionally banned on bribery charges. The SFA wanted the election postponed until other allegations of corruption among senior FIFA officials were investigated but the motion was defeated by 172-17 votes, with 17 member countries abstaining.

However, SFA chief executive Stewart Regan felt their stance had helped to secure positive changes, which were announced after Blatter was voted in for another four years by 186 associations. In a statement, Regan said: "The Scottish FA is encouraged by the promise of a more transparent and inclusive approach to future governance made by FIFA at its Congress in Zurich today.

"While we accept and understand that the FIFA statutes allowed for the election of a single presidential candidate, our request for a postponement was made primarily to enable a line to be drawn under the speculation and accusations that clouded the Congress and undermined the election process.

"Having requested a wholly independent Ethics Committee, we are pleased that, as a first step, the chairman of the committee will in future be elected by the Congress, along with the appointment of designated independent individuals to the committee.

"We are also in agreement with the promise that a Solutions Committee be formed to examine corporate governance and recommend changes. Moreover, we are satisfied with the announcement on the major change to how World Cup host nations will be chosen.

"In the interests of openness and transparency, and also to protect the integrity of the Executive Committee members, the decision to alter the selection process to a vote from all 208 member associations, rather than the 24-man ExCo, is a positive step."

Regan, whose major overhaul of the SFA's disciplinary procedures and committee systems will be voted on by clubs next week, added: "We must all now work hard together to improve the image and reputation of the world game, which has been damaged by the recent events.

"Indeed, at next Tuesday's AGM, the Scottish FA will have its own opportunity to approve the most radical changes in its 138-year history."

Live blog: Twitter

6.59pm: On Twitter, star Guardian columnist Charlie Brooker has lunged in two-footed ... with a profanity! "@charltonbrooker: Sepp Blatter is a Day Today kind of name, no? That observation aside, I find it amusing to imagine Sepp Blatter is actually called Ernie Cunt."

Live blog: Twitter

7.05pm: If only Charlie Brooker had taken an interest in the Fifa debate about four hours ago. "@charltonbrooker: I know nothing about football, but hereby challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA leadership. YOUR MOVE, BLATTER."

7.27pm: With the radio silence from Zurich over the last hour proving deafening, we're going to wrap up today's live blog. Thanks for your time, emails and contributions - if Sepp Blatter does deign to give his presidential address, we'll have more on the site later. For the time being, all you need to know is that amid much fawning, kow-towing and forelock-tuggery, Sepp has been re-elected for another term, unopposed, after winning with 186 votes out of 203 cast. Quite where the other 17 went is anyone's guess, considering the comical state of the ballot paper in the photograph above.

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