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Blatter: Games too confusing
Athens - FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised the Olympic Games as being too big and too confusing and suggested some of the indoor sports could be transferred to the winter Games.
In an interview with German radio, Blatter said he was also disappointed at the lack of atmosphere and poor spectator levels at the Olympic football tournament.
"Twenty-eight sports are simply too much. The mother can't find her children anymore," he told ARD radio.
"Swimming is from 1 500 metres to 50 metres, shooting from 10 metres. Perhaps darts will also be added."
The head of football's world governing body said he had already recommended that some of the indoor sports be moved to the winter Games to make the summer programme compacter.
However the International Olympic Committee had rejected the idea.
"They said to me that the winter Games is all about snow and ice. But they will see in two years in Turin - there is no snow there," Blatter said.
The FIFA boss said the organisation committee was to blame for the poor crowd levels at the Olympic football tournament. Ticket prices of 90 euros for the women's final and 140 euros for the men's final were too high.
"What did the organisation committee do to see that the stadiums were full?" he asked.
Blatter said none of the Greek euphoria at the national football team's triumph at Euro 2004 had spilled over into the Olympic competition.
"I am angry with the Greeks who did not even really support their own Olympic football team," he said.
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