Sepp Blatter Confirms Intention to Stand for Fifth Term as FIFA President

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has confirmed he will stand for a fifth term in the prestigious role.

The 78-year-old, who was speaking during a public discussion with Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld in Zurich, said he will seek re-election in May 2015.

“I want to do it,” he said in Swiss newspaper Blick. “Because it is not over yet. My term might come to an end, but my mission is not finished.”

Blatter, who had first joined FIFA in 1975 and took over the presidency from Joao Havelange in 1998, had earlier indicated that he was ready to stand down when his current term ends but more recently said he could continue.

UEFA president Michel Platini, who had been thought the most likely candidate to succeed Blatter, has yet to announce whether he will put his name forward for next year’s elections but told Le Parisien last month he was confident he would be successful.

Blatter also played down fears that the tournament could be overshadowed by riots after the problems that occurred during the Confederations Cup in the country last year.

“Four years ago, ahead of the South Africa World Cup, everyone said that it’s going to be dangerous everywhere. Nothing happened,” Blatter said.

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