FIFA holds talks over Blatter’s future

ZURICH — FIFA president Sepp Blatter may yet reverse his decision to seek a fifth term as head of football’s world governing body.

A report by the BBC revealed that private discussions between senior FIFA officials and Blatter over his future had been held amid increasing concerns over its future leadership and direction ahead of the Jan 29 deadline for candidates to declare their interest in running for football’s top job.

A source told the BBC that Blatter had grown “weary” of the politicking and scandals that had engulfed the Zurich-based body, particularly over the bidding processes that saw Russia and Qatar named as hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively, amid allegations of corruption.

However, Blatter has not indicated whether he will reconsider his decision to run for a fifth term in office.

“We will see on Feb 1 who are the candidates for the election,” he told the BBC. “Probably, you will see my name there because I’ve been asked by a lot of national associations to do so. But let me pass Christmas or, let’s say, the fiestas at the end of the year and give me then the opportunity to say, ‘Yes I will be present.’”

So far, only former FIFA deputy secretary-general Jerome Champagne has declared his candidacy to run for the presidency at the election in May. To be elected as FIFA president, one must attain at least 50 per cent of the vote of the body’s 209 member associations, along with one additional vote.

Blatter, who has helmed FIFA since succeeding Joao Havelange in 1998, has had a hugely controversial tenure in office. Last week, Michael Garcia resigned as independent chairman of the FIFA ethics committee’s investigatory chamber, after his appeal against FIFA judge Hans-Joachim Eckert’s 42-page summation of his 430-page report, which he had described as “materially incomplete” and which contains “erroneous representations”, was rejected. Garcia also said FIFA lacked “leadership”.

However, last week, FIFA agreed that the report would be fully disclosed, although Blatter insisted there was no justification for Russia and Qatar to be stripped of their hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. AGENCIES