On Friday 4 September 2009, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter held a working meeting with Swiss Federal Councillor and sports minister Ueli Maurer at Home of FIFA in Zurich. The main topics discussed at the meeting were efforts to combat violence in sport and security at sports events in Switzerland. Afterwards, Maurer spoke briefly to FIFA.com.

FIFA.com: Ueli Maurer, what brings you to Home of FIFA today?
Ueli Maurer: I was delighted to accept the invitation, because football is the most important form of sport. In fact, it's much more than merely a sport, because it's a bond between nations. Obviously, I'm delighted the world governing body is based here in Switzerland. Joseph S. Blatter is an outstanding representative of the nation and football. I consider it important to nurture this contact, and it's a pleasure to do so.

What have you been discussing with the FIFA President?
We spoke about sport in general, because we're both sports fans, and about the role of politics in relation to sport. We fundamentally agree that politicians shouldn't intervene in sport, but should step in when sport requires support or backing. But sport is in itself such a wonderful thing, we should free it from politics as far as we can.

September 5 to 9 are the official FIFA Fair Play Days. How important is fair play in your opinion?
I think it's very important to discuss fair play and adopt it as a slogan, because sports themselves and the clubs must appeal to the entire fan community to show fairness, not merely in stadiums, but in every area of a sport. The principle should be extended beyond sport too: Fair play and fairness are important attributes in politics and society as a whole, but are not always adhered to.

On Saturday, Switzerland meet Greece in a vital FIFA World Cup qualifier. Are you confident of a Swiss victory?
That's obviously what I'm hoping for, but I'm always a little concerned beforehand, because our media tend to overestimate our potential. We're simply not one of the best teams in the world. We may be on the fringe of the elite, but we're not a genuine top team. We frequently overrate our chances. However, I'm convinced we can beat Greece.

Are you happy with the progress made by the sport in Switzerland, and with your youth development programmes?
I can judge that as a father. My children have been playing football for 20 years, and I'm deeply impressed by how much it's improved. The resources devoted to young people, especially in football, are much, much better nowadays. The coaches are very well trained. I think we're following the right course. We've made genuine progress, because the focus is on the youngsters per se, supporting them not just in terms of sporting prowess, but also as people and characters. It's a hugely positive development, which we're basically seeing throughout the world of sport in Switzerland.