United Passions director Frédéric Auburtin has spoken out the pressure of working on his flop football drama, which Fifa wanted to call ‘Men of Legend’

It’s the biggest box office turkey of the year so far and currently boasts a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the jabs just keep on coming for Fifa’s failed football drama United Passions.

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The film’s director Frédéric Auburtin has said that his film is “a disaster” and he regrets his involvement. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he intended to make a combination of “Disney propaganda” and “a Costa Gavras/Michael Moore movie” but he struggled under the weight of Fifa.

“Now I’m seen as bad as the guy who brought Aids to Africa or the guy who caused the financial crisis,” he said. “My name is all over [this mess] and apparently I am a propaganda guy making films for corrupt people.”

The $30m film, financed mainly by the football governing body, suffered a disastrous opening in the US with just $918 in its first weekend. Its release, as Fifa found itself buried under controversy, was also marred by toxic reviews and star Tim Roth claiming it would be a role that will have his father “turning in his grave”.

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Aubertin claims the project was in trouble from an early stage after Fifa demanded the film be ready for release in summer 2014, giving him just four months to get a script ready. He claims the first treatment had a subplot about an investigation into corruption. “The image we had … and of course is very ironic today, was these flashing lights and sirens arriving at Fifa headquarters early in the morning,” he said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tim Roth as Sepp Blatter in a scene from United Passions Photograph: David Koskas/AP

The original title, as suggested by Fifa, was Men of Legend. “Can you imagine such a title?” he asked. “It’s nonsense. Then The Dreammakers. Come on.”

He also went on to say that he didn’t even know the film was being released in the US until a journalist told him. He is now keen on making a sequel about the recent Fifa controversy.

“I’m a victim of the game,” he said. “It’s a disaster, but that is not the point, I accepted the job. [But] I was not paid to be the Che Guevara of the sports business. Please don’t make me the guy responsible for the fact that Fifa is rotten.”