Blatter's new disgrace

Crozier said: "From the point of view of the English FA I'd say that today was an absolute disgrace from start to finish.

" There was no attempt at transparency, in fact it was two hours of manipulation. The governing body of world football can only govern through trust. That trust is broken and cannot now be rebuilt.

"We believe the undemocratic way today's congress has been handled will have a negative effect on his election campaign.

"Fans, clubs, associations and football people across the world will want to know why they did not act when they understood the scale of the problem."

Blatter's opponents had hoped British FIFA vice-president David Will, who has been leading an internal investigation into FIFA's finances, would get the chance to address the conference.

Norway's Karen Espelund and Korean FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-Joon called on Blatter to let Will talk. At one stage Will, so incensed at the way events were unfolding, got out of his seat and angrily pleaded for an opportunity to speak.

He was refused and afterwards he said: "I'm bitterly disappointed and angry. I wanted the chance to give a balanced picture of FIFA's finances. He wouldn't give me the chance, it's as simple as that."

Blatter, though, denied he did anything wrong and added: "I explained the rules for the congress before we started. Everyone agreed then, so why did they protest at the end?" At the centre of today's meeting and tomorrow's election are a series of damning allegations against Blatter that he mismanaged FIFA's finances. He has promised £750,000 to each of the 204 member countries of FIFA.

Despite Blatter's denials and a 106-page report which states FIFA is in good shape, there are fears that he will not be able to meet the commitments following the collapse of marketing partner ISL and falling values in TV rights.

His own general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen has accused him of falsifying accounts and financial irregularities during his reign as president. Eleven members of FIFA's 24-man executive committee have asked a Swiss prosecutor to look into the affair.

These issues and Blatter's suspension of Will's investigation were expected to be aired today. But in the end Blatter's opponents were outmanoeuvred and he looks certain to return for a second term in tomorrow's election.

He has overwhelming support in Latin America, Australasia, North and Central America and the Caribbean where smaller, poorer football federations rely on his hand-outs.

Asia and Europe are split and whether Crozier's words will have any effect remains to be seen. Most Eastern European countries have already declared their support for Blatter, as have Wales.

But it is the African vote which will prove crucial. Hayatou says he has 90 per cent of the continent's 48 available votes. The real figure is probably much nearer 60 per cent and could be even lower. Hayatou's advisor Glen Kirton said: "It's sad for football that an issue which effects potentially seven billion people will be decided by the smaller countries which have a population of about 100million."