By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 29 – Sepp Blatter looked poised to win a fifth term as FIFA president today – but perhaps not with the landslide victory many have predicted.
After late-night lobbying by both candidates, Blatter was to go head to head with Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan at Zurich’s Hallenstadion but amid an air of almost tangible tension, there was growing speculation that the ballot could go into a second round.
Late Thursday night, UEFA president Michel Platini, whose confederation is the only one that is firmly behind Prince Ali, did his best to swing votes the Jordanian’s way as he met a string of non-European delegates.
There were also rumours (pushed out from European sources) as delegates arrived for the FIFA Congress that South America’s CONMEBOL confederation may not, after all, vote as a bloc for Blatter after the tumultuous corruption-plagued events of the past 72 hours. It was also rumoured that support from CONCACAF, shorn of its president Jeffrey Webb who was arrested on Wednesday, was starting to drift, particularly within its Caribbean members.
Recognising that his power base might be weakening on arguably the most important day of his 17-year-old reign, Blatter, who made a tub-thumbing speech to delegates when he officially opened the congress on Thursday, took the opportunity to send the same message to the 209 federations.
“The events of the last week have unleashed a storm,” said Blatter. “It was even questioned whether this congress would take place or whether the agenda might be changed.”
“Today I am appealing for unity and team spirit so that we can move forward together. It may not always be easy but for this reason we are here today to tackle the problems that have been created.”
“This may not be able to be done in a single day. It may take some time but we will do it with you, the member associations. You are the ambassadors for football and you have the power and the duty to change the face of Fifa. This is a power you cannot buy.”
Just as Blatter completed his opening remarks (his formal address was number eight on the agenda, with the election number 17), he had to call for security officials to intervene after two pro-Palestinian female protestors, dressed in black, somehow got into the arena carrying a national flag and shouting political slogans.
A startled Blatter urged officials to check access points before apologising to the scores of delegates from across the world as security staff pounced on the intruders and removed them.
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