Blatter will stand

PARIS. — Sepp Blatter will stand for re-election as Fifa president next year, he confirmed yesterday.
The 78-year-old Swiss, who was first elected in 1998, confirmed his candidature for a fifth term as president in a recorded interview transmitted to delegates at the Soccerex Global Convention.
“You see a mission is never finished. And my mission is not finished,” he said.
“Then I got (from) the last (Fifa) 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 (to stand) . . . 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.” Last month Michel Platini ended speculation about his bid for the presidency when he said he would not stand for election — instead he will seek another term as the president of European soccer’s ruling body, Uefa.

The only other declared candidate is the former Fifa deputy secretary general Jerome Champagne, although the candidacy deadline is not until January next year.
Before the World Cup started in Brazil in June, five of Fifa’s six confederations — the exception being Uefa — gave Blatter their support to continue as president and it is almost inconceivable that he will not be re-elected when voting takes place at the Fifa Congress in Zurich next June. — Soccernet.