Search icon

Sport

10th Sep 2015

Advert telling Sepp Blatter to “f**k off” is cleared by watchdog

Simon Lloyd

It’s safe to say that Mr. Sepp Blatter is not everyone’s cup of tea.

But in the build up to the Fifa presidential elections, bookmaker Paddy Power received complaints about one of their adverts which bluntly told Blatter to “just f**k off already,” when it appeared in the national press.

Now the Advertising Standards Authority has dismissed complaints about it, suggesting that in its light-hearted context it was unlikely to cause offense to readers.

‘The ad was intended to be a lighthearted comment on the ongoing allegations of corruption within Fifa, and in particular the controversy surrounding Sepp Blatter’s tenure as Fifa president.

In that context, we considered the use of “f**k” was unlikely to cause offence to readers.’

Paddy Power explained that the advert reflected the overwhelming sentiment from within football that Blatter should resign.

8569-13d5izz