FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has confimed his plan to run for a fifth term as FIFA president at the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester.
Blatter, who didn’t attend the Soccerex Global Convention opening ceremony due to FIFA commitments, addressed the stakeholders of international football via a video interview.
“You see a mission is never finished. And my mission is not finished. And I have told the FIFA Congress, I have told the congresses of the confederations,” the FIFA president stated. “Then I got through the last congress in Sao Paulo not only the impression but the support of the majority, a huge majority of national associations asking ‘Please go on, be our president also in future.'”
“Now I would make an official declaration definitely in September now when we have the executive committee. I will inform the executive committee. It’s a question of respect also to say then to the football family, ‘Yes I will be ready. I will be a candidate.'”
Asked about UEFA president Michel Platini’s decision not to stand for the FIFA presidency, Blatter said, “I was not surprised because in private conversations I have had with Michel Platini before during and after the World Cup he has confirmed he would not be a candidate… but there will be someone who will be your contender who will be contesting you. I have no other comment.”
“But for me it was not a surprise because he told me. And I think he is a reliable man when he is not only speaking colleague to colleague but friend to friend even if we are not always at the same idea in football by saying he would not stand.”