Sepp Blatter Hunkers Down Like A Dog Before A Winter Blizzard, Cancels New Zealand Trip For U-20 World Cup Final

FIFA boss Sepp Blatter has cancelled plans to visit New Zealand for this weekend's Under-20 World Cup final in Auckland, football's world governing body says. ©AFP/File Valeriano Di Domenico

Business Insider reports FIFA boss Sepp Blatter has cancelled plans to visit New Zealand for this weekend's Under-20 World Cup final in Auckland, football's world governing body said Tuesday. "Due to his current commitments in Zurich, the FIFA president (Blatter) will not be able to travel to New Zealand to attend the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup," a spokeswoman said.

The Swiss supremo would likely have received a cool reception had he made the long trip, after New Zealand Football (NZF) defected from the Blatter camp and voted against him in last month's presidential election. NZF chief Andy Martin said earlier this month that he hoped Blatter stayed away as his presence would turn the tournament final into a "sideshow".

Blatter, who has been in charge of FIFA since 1998, has announced he will quit after the organization was engulfed by a series of widespread corruption allegations.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup final will take place on Saturday, featuring the winners of Wednesday's semi-finals in which Brazil play Senegal and Serbia take on Mali.

Stuff.nz reports embattled FIFA president Sepp Blatter will be a no show at Saturday's U-20 World Cup final in Auckland.

The Swiss football boss had initially been expected to make the trek to New Zealand from Europe for the tournament final. 

But after his organization was engulfed in a massive corruption scandal in late May it appears more pressing issues in his backyard will take precedence.

"Due to his current commitments in Zurich, the FIFA president [Blatter] will not be able to travel to New Zealand to attend the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup," a FIFA spokeswoman told AFP.

Blatter has been at the helm of FIFA since 1998 and has said he intends to stand down in the wake of a scandal which has rocked the footballing world.

Serbia take on Mali while Brazil play Senegal in the under-20 semifinals on Wednesday with the winners to square off in Saturday's decider at North Harbour Stadium.