Blatter kicks out at FIFA 'destructors'

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has hit out at critics who he says want to destroy soccer's governing body.

Blatter's comments to unspecified critics were made to Asian soccer officials on Monday following widespread allegations by The Sunday Times of corrupt payments by their former leader Mohamed bin Hammam.

"I don't know what the reasoning is behind this but we must maintain unity," Blatter told the gathering of Asian Football Confederation members. "It is the best way to say to all the destructors in the world, they want to destroy not the game, but they want to destroy the institution."