FIFA president Sepp Blatter has hinted he may challenge for another term at the head of world football’s governing body, insisting he “will not abandon this boat” until affairs are in order.
Blatter, 77, was elected president of FIFA in 1998 and has previously suggested he will not stand for re-election when his current term finishes in 2015.
After attending a congress with officials from CONCACAF – the governing body in North and Central America and the Caribbean region – Blatter claimed there are still significant changes to make, including balancing global finances, and he has committed to ensuring they are rectified before stepping down.
“Absolutely, but it will take more time than just to go to the congress and say ‘applaud’,” Blatter said. “It will take more time, because it (means) going in depth, and then I will not just leave the boat by saying ‘good bye’. Some day we have to go home but I will not abandon this boat.”
One of the most prominent issues in world football at present is match-fixing, with Blatter admitting eliminating that from the game is a priority.
He also suggested an overhaul of FIFA’s Executive Committee to ensure a more accurate representation of all countries and regions.
“We are not over with our reform because we have a first part, we have all the dangers that are in football like match-fixing and so on but we also have to have a look at the political organisation of FIFA,” Blatter said.
“It means (asking) if the re-partition of the members in the Executive Committee is still according to nowadays (current) football. Also – and this is the demand of all the confederations – they would have a better access to the World Cup because Europe and South America, they have two-thirds of the seats (on the current committee).” [Soccernet]
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