June 2 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has re-iterated that he will only stand for re-election if he gets a strong enough feeling that this is the wish of the majority of the 209-strong membership at the organisation’s forthcoming congress.
Blatter, who originally said he would step down, has made it clear on numerous occasions in recent weeks that he would like to carry on and put his name forward to serve a fifth term when the presidential election takes place in late May next year.
But he insists he still needs to make sure this is what the membership wants before confirming his plans.
In an interview on FIFA’s website, Blatter stated that ”a mission is never finished.”
”I am available to go on with this mission,” said Blatter, who became FIFA’s leader in 1998. ”It is to the congress to act, to say yes or no.”
The deadline for candidates to declare is January and symbolically Blatter would be 79 on election day.
“I’m not a candidate for the time being because the candidature is not yet open,” said Blatter. “I will announce it to the Congress that I am available but it’s to the congress to say Yes or No. I’m not going there to say: ‘I’m yours!’ No.
“But, in this context, we must have the unity of FIFA and if the unity is going well with the same person then they may express it during this Congress.”
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