访谈录 Interview 2007-06-23&06-25, 专访国际足联主席--展望下届世界杯

I am very satisfied, and that I was happy to come back now after one year. My last visit was in June, 2006. In, in the meantime, I have had sometimes impression that I have to take a, a big learn to shuffle 1 and to come down here and to, and to work.

You said earlier today that South Africa is generally on track, are there areas...what do you mean by generally? Are there areas they need to improve on?

Yeah, they're definitely, definitely. If they would be finished now, then they could lay down and, and sleep and smile. Now, they have to work, they have to work but they have good concepts. And I have seen today also the concept of transport. And I'm, I'm sure that they are doing their homework well. And that will be an absolutely successful World Cup. We stand behind (the) South Africa, despite the fact there have been some, some reports that there may be some problems here or there. There are problems, if you organize such a, such a big competition. But people are able to march the problems, identify the problems, and then to solve them.

You have made a lot personally to, to help South African, Africa get, get the 2010 World Cup. What does it mean to you personally?

Listen at this, I have to say it's a little bit my project for not saying my baby, because it will be a too big baby. But when I started to work for FIFA, it's now more than 32 years ago. I started my activity as a technical director of FIFA in Africa. And they have realized that football is more than kicking a ball, especially in Africa. I have seen what football can bring to the countries in Africa, to the continent. It is more than hope. It is, it is a way of life. It is, it is a school of life to bring football herein. So therefore, I had always the idea, one day, we have to reward African football and African footballers with the event which is the World Cup.

Are you hopeful that by 2010, you will have goal-line technology?

We will have goal-line technology. That they are definitely. But I am not so sure that the goal-line technology will add something to the, to the game, because the game must maintain its human faith. And the human faith is that the uncertainty 2 of the football. And from time to time, you can not see how is the ball entered or not entered. Do you remember the 1966 final between England and, and Germany. They are still speaking. Yeah, you are too young, yeah. But they are still, still speaking about goal or not goal. But if we have the environment with accurate, with accuracy, then we will use it definitely, not only for the World Cup, also for the Confederation's Cup. And the first one we could use it officially is in the World Club Championship. And perhaps of end, end of this year, in Japan.

May I question high altitude games? I know, I know, this is becoming a bit of controversy 3, especially in South America, and the ban on high altitude games. Was it not rash 4 to ban them because one country complained?

No, we are not banning the, the... I think the information was not well presented. There is a possibility to play football in high altitude if you have the adequate time for acclimatization. But if you don't have that, then it is said by, by doctors, the medical part, not by me. By the medical part, that if you play higher up than 2500, they're maybe six(2600) this doesn't matter. But if you play higher up and you have no time for acclimatization, it can have an impact on your health. And this is too, too a big problem. And we are only speaking about the qualification matches of the World Cup.