South Korean billionaire Chung Mong-joon has said he plans to run for the FIFA presidency when the election is held in February 2016.
Although Chung’s official announcement to run will not come until next week, he has wasted no time calling out his competition, specifically Michel Platini.
[ RELATED: Platini to run for FIFA presidency ]
One of the most legendary players of all-time, Platini currently serves as the president of UEFA and is widely considered the favorite to succeed Blatter as the head of FIFA.
However, Chung believes Platini may not be the best choice, calling the Frenchman a “product of the current system” and saying fresh blood is needed to regroup the organization.Platini is good for football, but whether he can be a good FIFA president? I don’t think so. He is a product of the current FIFA system. There are several questions we can have whether Platini can symbolize a new era for FIFA or whether he is simply a protégé of Blatter.
President Blatter is like a cannibal eating his parents and then crying he’s an orphan. He tries to blame everybody except himself.
It is time that FIFA had a non-European leadership. FIFA became a closed organization for President Blatter, his associates and his cronies and I want to change that.
I’ll try to have more transparency and development. I’ll try to eliminate corruption. If I get elected, my job is not to enjoy the luxury of the office. My job is to change it.”
This is not the first time a competitor has questioned Platini, as both Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan and Liberian FA chief Musa Bility have said Platini would be bad for FIFA.
Chung is a former FIFA vice president who also spent time as the leader of the South Korean soccer association. If elected as FIFA president, Chung stated he would only serve for a single, four-year term.
