The head of soccer's international governing body has caused an uproar by suggesting women soccer players wear tighter shorts to bring more attention to their sport.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the women's game needed different sponsors from men's soccer and could attract these clients with the use of "more feminine uniforms."

Blatter made the comments during an interview with the Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick.

"Tighter shorts, for example," Blatter told SonntagsBlick. "In volleyball the women also wear other uniforms than the men. Pretty women are playing football today. Excuse me for saying that."

In the report, Blatter suggested women's soccer should try attracting fashion and cosmetics sponsors.

Several women's soccer players have shrugged off or lashed out at the FIFA president's comments.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about," English goalkeeper Pauline Cope told the Associated Press. "To say we should play football in hotpants is plain ridiculous. It's completely irresponsible for a man in a powerful position to make comments like this."

Canadian national team coach Even Pellerud said women's soccer is popular enough that it doesn't need to alter the players' uniforms to attract fans.

"It sounds like women's soccer is not popular which is the opposite of the truth," Pellerud told Canadian Press Friday.

"If FIFA or soccer nations are not able to sell that product...maybe there's another problem than how the players look."

It didn't take long for FIFA to comment on Blatter's remarks. Spokesman Andreas Herren said Blatter never mentioned the word "hotpants."

"The remarks were by no means meant to be offensive – not at all," said Herren.

"Whatever he said, it was more a general remark, 'Let's take a look at that.' But it's not the ultimate recipe to salvage the women's game because he went on to say women's football has established itself and it has a future."