Exclusive: Blatter - "I need four more years to complete my mission"

By Duncan Mackay in Paris

March 23 – Sepp Blatter has claimed that he needs four more years as FIFA President to finish his “mission”, which involves using football as a force for good in society and helping develop the sport in the less wealthy countries around the world.

The Swiss, who has been at the head of FIFA since 1998, promised at the UEFA Congress here yesterday that he would step down in 2015 if he is re-elected for a fourth time this summer.

“It’s a very easy decision to explain,” he exclusively told insideworldfootball after making his announcement.

“There is a moment when you come to the end of the mission you have.

“I have realised I have just passed 75 years [on March 10] and I think if the Congress will give me the four years to come I will be 79 and that’s enough.

“I know that the years do not exactly indicate the age of somebody.

“But this would be the right time.

“This will be the time to also see what kind of heritage can be left to FIFA and who can take over that.”

Blatter refuses to discuss the decision of Mohamed Bin Hammam, formerly one of his closest allies, to stand against him in the election in Zurich on June 1 and claims that he will release a statement on April 1, the day after nominations for the Presidency close.

But his decision to make his pledge to step down in four years time in front of Europe’s 53 national Associations was clearly aimed at trying to win the support of UEFA President Michel Platini, who could make his own run for the top position in world football in 2015.

Under Blatter, football has become even bigger, the World Cup has expanded and the sport has never been richer, at least in Europe, although it has been laced with controversy.

He claims he is not seeking any personal credit.

“If they recognise that football has done something then that is enough, they do not need to recognise the person who is at the helm of football,” said Blatter.

“But if they have not realised what football has achieved so far then something is wrong in the family of football.”

Blatter’s “mission” is as wide-ranging as it is ambitious and one that he has been preaching around the world, including on a recent trip to South East Asia.

“If I have this four years they will be really focussed on the implementation of the football in the social culture aspect of our lives,” he told insideworldfootball.

“It means more than just developing the game but bringing the values of football – which is respect, discipline, fair play, fighting play – into society.

“That is why we need to work with the Governmental authorities and also, on the side, the educational authorities and the health ministries.

“We need also to recognise the educational element of football and to bring it into school level.

“In all the countries I have been travelling I am always insisting that we have to bring football and school together.

“This is what we are doing with the Centres of Hope in Africa where we have football alongside school and medical care.

“This is the mission I would like to implement.

“The development of football has been done such a lot that, in every corner of the world, football is played.

“With the big competitions – and the small competitions – we provide emotion, passion to the population.

“So now we need to give them something a little more in-depth.

“That is the mission.

“It is not new.

“It’s a mission I have been speaking about at the Congresses where I have been speaking – but I need the four years.”

With each of FIFA’s 208 countries having one vote each, Blatter’s message is unashamedly directed at the poorer members of the world governing body.

“I’m not speaking about the rich European countries,” he said.

“I am speaking about the 190 countries in the world that need a lot of help.

“We have the resources.”

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