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ZURICH (AP)—It comes as perhaps no surprise that Sepp Blatter, after decades as the head of world football, has become immune to the threat of crisis.

Facing the biggest scandal in FIFA’s 107-year history, the Swiss bureaucrat plans to ride this one out, like he has so many before, and win a fourth presidential term on Wednesday.

“Crisis? What is a crisis?” he memorably asked on Monday at a packed FIFA news conference where he attempted to weather the storm of recent bribery allegations. “We are not in a crisis. We are only in some difficulties.”

But Blatter was clearly rattled. So often in control, displaying an enigmatic smile in the face of the toughest adversity, he lost his cool, scolding reporters not to treat his house “like a bazaar.”

He moved to leave the platform, hesitated, then returned. Refused to answer, then came back to answer.

It was the exception to the rule that highlights what an operator, schmoozer and diplomat Blatter has been ever since he started working for FIFA in 1975.

Behind closed doors, he has proved a ferocious force that has kept him at the helm of FIFA for 13 years and extended the boundaries of the World Cup to include South Africa last year and Qatar in 2022.

Blatter has made sure FIFA is overseeing a $4.19 billion budget in a four-year World Cup span and, under him, the world’s most popular sport has political clout on a par with the International Olympic Committee.

And a decade after the Olympic movement went through a cathartic bribery scandal linked to the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, much the same is happening at FIFA.

And this is where his remaining challenge lies. Blatter’s meeting with IOC President Jacques Rogge at the opening ceremony of the FIFA congress on Tuesday might have been a reminder of what is at stake—handle the crisis well and you survive, like the IOC did. Let it get further out of hand, and there is no knowing what will happen.

On the eve of his expected coronation, the bribery scandal threatens to turn Blatter’s legacy of a visionary who brought the World Cup for the first time to Africa with the successful staging of the 2010 World Cup into one of a lethargic leader who let the rot of corruption take over the world’s premier game.

In his long career, Blatter has often survived adversity, even thrived on it.

He reached the pinnacle of football, with a late entry into the 1998 race for the presidency, much to the displeasure of then-UEFA chief Lennart Johansson.

At the time, the key factor was winning endorsement of the English FA, which he did on his way to a stunning 110-80 win. Little wonder accusations of backstabbing and bribery went flying. It is the same English federation which called on him Tuesday to postpone the election and has said it will not vote for him.

In 17 years leading up his election, Blatter had already learned to deal with shifting alliances first as FIFA secretary general, then as CEO under Brazil’s Joao Havelange.

Even though the ongoing bribery scandal is bigger for FIFA itself, Blatter himself was in more trouble in 2002 when FIFA was on the verge of bankruptcy after the collapse of the ISL marketing company.

There was bitter infighting with secretary general Michel Zen-Ruffinen and several members of the executive committee. Blatter survived. Little wonder he has been called the Teflon man.

And a decade later, FIFA under Blatter made a $631 million profit in the four years leading up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, registering $202 million of that in the last year alone.

How does he survive at the top? Many credit his mastery of every detail of FIFA’s rules and machinery learned under his mentor Havelange.

The Brazilian, an imposing figure, physically exuded power and had a bullying, brooding style.

Blatter, a short, chubby man, has added charm and flattery to be just as effective in getting what he wants.

AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar contributed to this report.

Labels: Blatter, despite, extend, poised, reign, scandal

LIVERPOOL’S European adventure may have been on hold for two months but Kenny Dalglish’s wait for tomorrow night’s clash with Sparta Prague has been considerably longer.

Some 9,394 days after first being installed to the Anfield hot seat, Dalglish will finally take charge of the Reds in Europe when he leads them out in the Czech capital.

The ban on English clubs competing in continental competitions in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster ended Dalglish’s hopes of pitting his wits against Europe’s best after he took over from Joe Fagan in 1985.

Liverpool’s six-year absence imposed by UEFA meant Dalglish’s all-conquering side which dominated English football in the mid to late 80s – winning three league titles and the FA Cup twice – weren’t able to showcase their talents to a wider audience.

It was September 1991 – seven months after Dalglish had walked away from Anfield – before the Reds’ exile was ended and they graced Europe again in a low key UEFA Cup tie against Finnish minnows Kuusysi Lahti.

Dalglish had been denied the chance to replicate the kind of success he enjoyed on the continent with Liverpool during his playing days when he lifted the European Cup on three occasions.

Ian Rush formed a devastating strikeforce with Dalglish and played alongside ‘The King’ in the 1984 and 1985 European Cup finals.

And as Dalglish prepares to become the ninth Liverpool manager to take charge of the club in Europe tomorrow night and Rush says he will be desperate to make up for lost time.

“I’m sure Thursday night will be a special occasion for Kenny,” Rush said.

“It’s his first game in Europe as manager of Liverpool and he’s certainly had to wait a long time for it.

“As a player he achieved so much in Europe. To win the European Cup three times is a remarkable achievement and he was a key part of Liverpool’s domination.

“He was just very unlucky that when he was manager the first time around we were banned from Europe.

“I know he would have loved to have gone up against the likes of Milan and Barcelona, especially with the side we had back then.”

Labels: Again, Europe, Kenny, Liverpool, reign