Nadal, Murray call for Blatter change

PARIS: Tennis superstars Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray waded into the great football corruption scandal Thursday, suggesting the game would be better served without FIFA chief Sepp Blatter’s iron grip on power.
Nadal, who is the nephew of former Spanish international Miguel Angel Nadal, believes that for Blatter to have been FIFA president since 1998 breeds an unhealthy environment in the sport.
“My thought is it is good to have combinations, in politics, in sport, in the world in general,” said Nadal at the French Open on Thursday.
“It’s good to have the right people in every place. It’s good to have people who know about what they are doing, in football, in tennis, in countries.
“I cannot say that if you are in the same place for a long time you will not be honest, but it’s true that history says that is easier to be honest if you are in shorter periods of time.
“You are there and you come back later. The alternating is good in every place of the world, I think.”
Blatter faces a re-election vote at the FIFA Congress in Zurich on Friday, having insisted on Thursday that would not resign despite growing calls for him to do so.