Sepp Blatter continues to spark controversy as FIFA president. (AP)

Controversial FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he “deeply regretted” his “unfortunate words” when he said that racist abuse does not exist on the soccer field and that any incidents could be settled by a postgame handshake. Now he says he is calling for “zero tolerance,” with guilty players being thrown out of the game.

“I am sorry and I regret that my statements earlier this week have resulted in an unfortunate situation and has taken this dimension. I am committed to the fight against racism and I have no doubt about that,” Blatter said.

“When you have done something which was not totally correct, I can only say I am sorry for all those people affected by my declarations,” he added. “It hurts and I am still hurting because I couldn’t envisage such a reaction.”

However, the 75-year-old Blatter resisted calls for him to resign for his latest controversy.

“I cannot resign,” he told the BBC. “Why should I resign? When you are faced with a problem you have to solve the problem. And to go out and to leave the organization, this would be unfair, this would be totally unfair and is not compatible with my fighting spirit, my character, my energy, my commitment.”

Among those who criticized Blatter for his comments was David Beckham, who is preparing for the MLS championship game with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“The comments were appalling. A lot people have said that,” Beckham said. “I don’t think that the comments were very good for this game.”

Added Beckham: “It can’t be swept under the carpet. It can’t be sorted out with a handshake. That’s not the way of the world and that’s not how racism should be treated. … Racism is something we want to keep out of sport but also life in general.”

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