As if Sepp Blatter needed more controversy to drag his name through the mud, the former FIFA president has now been accused of sexual harassment. However, it did not take long for the 81-year-old to respond to the allegations.
The claim came from US goalkeeper Hope Solo. The two-time Olympic gold medalist stated that the incident occurred during the 2013 Ballon d’Or gala where she was invited to give out the women’s world player award, which Abby Wambach won.
According to the 36-year-old, Blatter “grabbed her a**” shortly before the two were due on stage. The shot-stopper insists she was left “in shock” by the actions of the former head of world football’s governing body.
“I was in shock and completely thrown off,” Solo told the Guardian.
“I had to quickly pull myself together to present my team-mate with the biggest award of her career and celebrate with her in that moment, so I completely shifted my focus to Abby.”
The 2015 World Cup winner did appear shaken, as she stuttered with her words while announcing the winner. Blatter’s camp, however, has denied the allegations, with representatives labeling the claim as “ridiculous”.
This is just the latest controversy to rock the disgraced Swiss’ career. Blatter, who has long been accused of corruption, was forced to resign as FIFA president after being found guilty of accepting improper payment. He was then slapped with an eight-year football ban, which was later reduced to six upon appeal.
