What a difference a week makes. Seven days ago I was defending Sepp Blatter following the poppy row, this week the FIFA president again made the headlines for making the staggering admission that football does not have a problem with on-field racism, and any incidents should be settled by a handshake.

Blatter was talking to CNN anchorman Pedro Pinto, when he said:

“There is no racism [on the field], but maybe there is a word or gesture that is not correct.

“The one affected by this should say this is a game and shake hands.”

Blatter’s comments were met with an angry response causing the 75-year-old to later claim that his comments had been misunderstood.

“I would like to make it very clear, I am committed to the fight against racism and any type of discrimination in football and in society,” read Blatter’s statement.

“I have been personally leading this battle against racism in football, which Fifa has been fighting through campaigns such as Say No to Racism.

 ”My comments have been misunderstood. What I wanted to express is that, as football players, during a match, you have ‘battles’ with your opponents, and sometimes things are done which are wrong. 

“But, normally, at the end of the match, you apologise to your opponent if you had a confrontation during the match, you shake hands, and when the game is over, it is over.

”Having said that, I want to stress again that I do not want to diminish the dimension of the problem of racism in society and in sport. 

”I am committed to fighting this plague and kicking it out of football.”

He also said on Al Jazeera:

”During a match you may say something to someone who’s not looking exactly like you, but at end of match it’s forgotten.”

Forgotten, forgotten by who exactly?

SUAREZ CHARGE & TERRY INVESTIGATION

Blatter’s comments wouldn’t have been taken well even on the best of days, but he chose to make them on the same day the FA charged Liverpool striker Luis Suarez for making alleged racist comments towards Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

The Uruguyan international strongly denies the accusations and Liverpool have openly said that they will support Suarez and that striker will plead ‘not guilty’ to the FA charge when he returns from international duty and that they expect him to request a hearing.

Suarez’s charge also comes on the back of John Terry’s involvement in a police investigation after a member of the public claimed the England captain racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in a match at Loftus Road in October, a claim Terry categorically denies.

After hearing Blatter’s comments, Anton’s brother, Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, said via Twitter:

“Tell me I have just read Sepp Blatter’s comments on racism in football wrong….if not then I am astonished.

“I feel stupid for thinking that football was taking a leading role against racism…..it seems it was just on mute for a while.

”Just for clarity if a player abuses a referee, does a shake of the hand after the game wipe the slate clean??”

Ferdinand even tweeted Blatter’s Twitter account directly, saying:

“@SeppBlatter your comments on racism are so condescending its almost laughable. If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok?”

Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong tweeted:

“If Blatter ever comes to Arsenal, I am gonna Frimpong him!”

Mr Blatter, you have been warned.

A SIMPLE GAFFE OR JUST PLAIN IGNORANCE

This wouldn’t be the first time Blatter has been in the news for his controversial comments. Last year, he remarked that gay fans thinking of going to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, should “refrain from sexual activity”.

Blatter seems to be fast emerging as football’s answer to Prince Philip with his offensive and stereotypical views. The difference, however, is that Blatter is at the very top of a football food chain where the buck stops with him. These comments are more than just harmless gaffes that can be put down to a doddery old man, who has simply passed his sell-by-date.

Whether Blatter really has underestimated the problem of racism in football remains to be seen, but worryingly his comments do suggest that he has an almost blasé attitude to racism and that it’s ok to make racist remarks in the heat of a match as long as you offer a hand at the final whistle.

CNN interviewer, Pedro Pinto admitted afterwards he thought Blatter was naive but the question really is whether the leader of world football should really know better than to make these sort of ignorant remarks, particularly considering his huge unpopularity and the constant calls for him to step down from his privileged position.

What Blatter has done is given those who want him out yet more ammunition but it still remains to be seen for exactly how much longer the FIFA president can hold onto his position, and I expect it will be a case of the Swiss being pushed rather than jumping down from his lofty ranking.

In short, is it acceptable to allow players to racially abuse each other on the pitch providing they shake hands at the end of the game?

Of course not, what sort of message would that send out to kids all over the world?

If racism could be solved by a simple handshake then why have we been campaigning against it all this time? Blatter’s comments make a mockery of all the years of exceptional hard work that have gone into the many anti-racism campaigns like ‘Kick It Out’ to improve the game and make the football pitch and terraces a better place to be.

Maybe it is time for that doddery old man to step down.