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World Cup: Sepp Blatter awards tournament 9.25 marks out of 10

Image: Sepp Blatter helps hand the World Cup to Germany captain Philipp Lahm

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has given the World Cup in Brazil 9.25 marks out of 10 at his post-tournament news briefing on Monday.

"We have improved on four years ago in South Africa," said Blatter, who awarded the 2010 World Cup 9 out of 10.

"We consulted all our computers and our Facebooks and decided on 9.25 out of 10 because perfection does not exist in football.

“This was my 10th World Cup and my fifth as president and what makes this so very, very special was the quality of the football and the intensity of the games.

"There was not one single match which didn't have this intensity. It's more than emotion and passion - it is a drama."

More from 2014 World Cup Final

Blatter did, however, criticise the way discrimination incidents were dealt with at World Cup matches.

There were reported incidents of fans chanting gay slurs, displaying far-right banners and wearing black face make-up which brought no disciplinary action.                 

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FIFA President Sepp Blatter's held his final news conference in Rio de Janeiro.

Blatter said: "I am not at all happy with the way we fought against racism."                  

He also revealed he spoke with Russia's President Vladimir Putin at Sunday's final between Germany and Argentina in Rio about making the issue a priority at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Blatter also gave his reaction to Uruguay striker Luis Suarez’s four-month ban from all football-related activity for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini.

He said: “As a footballer I feel that such a punishment it hurts, it hurts. But as the president of FIFA I have to accept the decisions that are taken by our independent committees.

“I do hope that this player will come back to football because on the pitch what he has shown so far before his elimination – I have seen his capacity technically and tactically and his smelling towards goals - I do hope he will be back.

“He is now in one of the greatest clubs in the world and I am sure he will have a good place there and he will confirm his position.” 

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