Editing Sepp Blatter (section)

=== 2006 FIFA World Cup ===
In the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]], after [[Battle of Nuremberg (association football)|a controversial second-round match]] between Portugal and the Netherlands, which saw [[referee (association football)|referee]] [[Valentin Ivanov (footballer born 1961)|Valentin Ivanov]] issue a record 16 [[Yellow card (sport)|yellow cards]] and four [[Red card (sports)|red cards]], Blatter was said to have lambasted the officiating referee, and said that Ivanov should have given himself a yellow card for his poor performance as a referee.<ref>{{cite news |url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5116414.stm |title =Blatter criticizes referee Ivanov |publisher =BBC |date =26 June 2006 |access-date =26 June 2006 |archive-date =6 July 2006 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20060706031736/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5116414.stm |url-status =live }}</ref> He later said he regretted his words and promised to officially apologise to Ivanov.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news|title=World-Blatter regrets criticism of referee Ivanov|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=2006-07-04T114007Z_01_L04777073_RTRIDST_0_SPORT-SOCCER-WORLD-BLATTER-IVANOV.XML|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707190037/http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=2006-07-04T114007Z_01_L04777073_RTRIDST_0_SPORT-SOCCER-WORLD-BLATTER-IVANOV.XML|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 July 2006|work=Reuters|date=4 July 2006}}</ref> The apology was never given, and the referee was removed from further officiating.<ref name="Reuters" />
[[File:Sepp Blatter Nov 2013 Zurich.jpg|thumbnail|Blatter at [[Zürich Hauptbahnhof]] in November 2013]]