Sepp Blatter on arrival in Calcutta on Saturday. Picture by Gautam Bose

Calcutta: “My dear friends, it is with great emotion that I’ve been received in Calcutta, the city of football in India. I thank Calcutta. We’ll meet tomorrow at the football stadium and we’ll play football. Football for all… and all for football,” was what Fifa president Joseph Sepp Blatter had to say after landing in the city on Saturday evening.

Blatter was addressing a grand welcome function in Baguiati where he was offered a garland made of 1400 roses by state sports minister Subhas Chakraborty. The stage was football-shaped. Blatter patiently sat through the 15-minute function that included a dance performance by a local troupe.

He was offered traditional dhoti, punjabi and rosogolla by Rajarhat and Gopalpur Muncipality chairman Tapas Chatterjee. Blatter was accompanied by AIFF president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and IFA secretary Subrata Dutta among others.

At the airport, after his special chartered flight touched down at 8.55 pm, Blatter was given a traditional garland-and-tilak welcome, with the sound of conch shells filling the air.

Blatter’s India itinerary will begin officially at 10 am on Sunday when he visits the Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting clubs.

Blatter will watch NFL derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal at Salt Lake Stadium from 5 pm. Later he is scheduled to address media before meeting ex-Olympians and Arjuna awardees in a banquet in the evening.

Itinerary

Sunday

Maidan tour

10am: Mohun Bagan Club visit

10.10: East Bengal Club visit

10.20: Garlanding of Goshto Pal statue

10.40: Mohammedan Sporting Club visit

10.50: Back to hotel

Derby match

4pm: To leave for stadium

4.15: Reception at Park Circus by Mohammedan Sporting

4.45: Arrival at Salt Lake Stadium

4.50: Go around the stadium in an open jeep; introduction to players and coaches of both the teams

5: Mohun Bagan-East Bengal match kick-off time

5.45 (half-time): To watch a drill by nursery boys

6.40: To leave for hotel

Interactive session

7.30: Press meet at hotel

8.30: To meet ex-Olympians, Arjuna awardees at a banquet at Grand Oberoi

Monday

8am: To eave for airport

9: Departure to New Delhi

FIFA CHIEF’S BACKGROUNDER

Born on March 10, 1936 in Wallis, Switzerland

Mother tongue — German

Was an active amateur footballer from 1948 to 1971

Did a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Economics from Lausanne University

Had a long and varied career before joining Fifa in 1975, working with the Switzerland Tourist Board and Swiss Ice Hockey Federation

Was Fifa Technical Director from 1975 to 1981 and General Secretary from 1981 to 1998

Succeeded Joao Havelange of Brazil as the eighth Fifa president on June 8, 1998

Was re-elected in 2002, defeating Issa Hayatou, but only after his candidacy had been marked by rumours of financial irregularities, backroom dealings and bribery accusations

Halted an internal investigation after then-General Secretary Michael Zen-Ruffinen drew up a dossier outlining allegations of financial mismanagement within Fifa. Had Zen-Ruffinen removed from office just before the 2002 World Cup

Earned the wrath of women footballers for saying that they should wear tighter shorts

Introduced Silver Goal system replacing Golden Goal

Abolished automatic qualification rule for defending champions in the World Cup

Introduced various rules to uphold high moral standard of the game

Criticised during the 2006 World Cup for (a) his absence at podium events and (b) openly commenting against standard of supervision and saying Australia should have won against Italy

Likely to be re-elected unopposed on May 31, 2007, though only 66 of 207 Fifa members have nominated him