Nassau, Bahamas - The president of football's controlling body FIFA, Joseph Blatter, on Wednesday made an impassioned plea for the safety and security of football fans.

In a speech made at the FIFA congress in the Bahamas, Blatter called on officials not to cage football fans like prisoners and wild animals behind fences in overcrowded stadiums.

Blatter reminded the delegates that since 1964 more than 1,300 football fans died in international games played in overcrowded stadiums.

Earlier this year more than 20 fans died at a World Cup qualifier between the Ivory Coast and Malawi.

FIFA also said that last year it managed to generate a profit of 184 million dollars, after expenses of 773 million dollars were taken off the income of 957 million dollars.

Although the profit was 13 per cent below what was projected, no money was lost through shares.

The congress overwhelmingly approved the budget for 2010. It sees expenses of 1.1 billion dollars, of which more than half is for operative costs during next year's World Cup, which will be held in South Africa from June 11 to July 11.(dpa)