Fan-fests around world prove this has been special – Blatter

The head of world football's governing body also claimed prior to last night's final he was not surprised by the poor showing by African countries.

The 74-year-old believes the decision by Ivory Coast and Nigeria to change coaches just months before the tournament made it very tough for them to make an impact.

"You cannot manage a national team when you coach two or three months before the competition and this has happened in two of the associations, Ivory Coast and Nigeria," said Blatter.

"Therefore, it would have been a miracle if they went through."

Refereeing mistakes have been highlighted at the tournament, most notably when Frank Lampard's shot in the quarter-final defeat to Germany clearly crossed the line but a goal was not given.

"We are bound by the best referees we have," said Blatter. "We tried to get them on top but, naturally, referees are human beings and they commit errors like everybody."

On the empty seats, Blatter added: "Empty seats, yes – but not empty stadia. Don't forget 95 per cent of all tickets have been sold.

"Not everybody came to the stadia. If you have seen in some of the stadia empty seats it came from hospitality, and we know hospitality does not work as we have expected because there is not the same enthusiasm as there has been for hospitality seats in other World Cups."

Blatter also claimed fans had embraced the vuvuzela, which has divided opinion.

"We've survived the vuvuzelas, everybody has survived the vuvuzelas," he said. "I don't think we can just take them away."

Blatter said it was not possible to judge this World Cup in comparison to others, but described it as "special".

He said: "It was a World Cup on a new continent with a new culture and, therefore, it must be analysed on different levels, but if you look at the enthusiasm in Africa and also the repercussion in the world, if you look to the television audiences around the world, if you look to the fan-fests everywhere in the world then I have to say it was a special World Cup.

"All these fan-fests were not only because it was football but specifically because it comes from Africa. I cannot make a ranking of the World Cup but it was a very attractive World Cup and for me it was also a very emotional World Cup."

Ghana's coach Milovan Rajevac refused to condemn Luis Suarez for his handball immediately after the match that saw the Africans denied a historic semi-final appearance.

That stance has changed somewhat with the Serbian ranting in a Bulgarian newspaper: "He's not a hero, he's a trivial cheat. What 'hand of God' (Suarez's description of the act)? It was the hand of the devil."