FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Friday he is campaigning for reelection based on his 40 years infootball‘s governing body and he would not release a manifesto.
The 79-year-old Swiss officials faces three challengers in an election to be held on May 28-29 at a congress in Zurich. While favourite to win, Blatter refused to say what he would do if returned for a fifth term.
“My manifesto is the work I have done in the last years at FIFA. I am now 40 years in FIFA. I am 17 years the president of FIFA, this is my manifesto,” he told a press conference.
Pressed about his intentions, the FIFA leader said: “I am the FIFA president until May 29, until the last item on the Congress agenda, which is called the election of the president.
“I have been asked by national associations in all the six confederations to be a candidate, they put me as a candidate. But I am still the FIFA president, I am not campaigning. I am doing my job as FIFA president and I will do until the last day of my mandate.”
Blatter has turned down offers of a televised debate with his rivals, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, a FIFA vice-president from Jordan, Dutch football federation president Michael van Praag and former Portugal international Luis Figo.
But all four will speak at the UEFA European confederation congress in Vienna on Monday and Tuesday.
Blatter’s rivals say that FIFA needs a radical change of direction following multiple controversies over the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
The FIFA president has said he needs a fifth term to “finish my mission” at the world body which on Friday announced revenues over the past year of $5.7 billion and a cash reserve of $1.52 billion. – Agence France-Presse
