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'Blatter has no vision'

Berlin - World football supremo Joseph Blatter has no vision and is harming the reputation of the ruling body FIFA, his challenger for the top job, Mohamed bin Hammam, said in an interview published on Saturday.

"Blatter is no longer in a position to defend the reputation of FIFA. On the contrary, the more he talks about FIFA, the more people join the opposition," Bin Hammam told Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily.

Asked which aims he believed Blatter still has, he said: "I see nothing. I also see zero in his ending term, not one vision for FIFA, nothing. Blatter is exhausted. Look at goalline technology: no new approach reaches FIFA. I no longer see any creativity with Blatter."

The Qatari Bin Hammam, 61, who heads the Asian Confederation, said last month that he will run against Blatter for FIFA president on June 1 at the FIFA congress.

Blatter, 75, has presided over FIFA since 1998 and the Swiss is now seeking a final four-year term.

FIFA has been bogged down over corruption allegations in connection with the election of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts. The choice of Russia and Qatar for those tournaments drew further criticism.

Bin Hammam has pledged more transparency and a new executive structure within FIFA as well the introduction of goalline technology if he is elected.

At first reluctant on the issue, Blatter said recently he expects goalline technology to be in place for the next World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

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