You didn’t think Mr. Blatter was going to walk away, did you?
After previously stating he did not intend to run as a candidate for FIFA President in 2015, Sepp Blatter has told a Swiss newspaper that he intends to stay in the job he has held since 1998.
Blatter, 78, has become a focal point for complaints about world soccer’s governing body in recent years but has extremely thick skin and is determined to carry on his work in the face of many challenges ahead.
Speaking to Blick, Blatter said the following: “I’m a candidate again. My mandate has ended but my mission is not finished.”
So, with tensions building between UEFA president Michel Platini and current FIFA president Blatter, it is now clear for all to see that next year’s election may well be a two-horse race between the duo. However earlier on this year Jerome Champagne stated his intention to run for president in the next elections and CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb has also been mooted as a possible successor. In 2011 Blatter ran unopposed as the head man in world soccer, so more competition this time around well be healthy for the good of the game.
Many believe Blatter should step down now and not be the man in charge of the global game into his 80s. Right now there has been no official response to the reports from Blatter himself, as the future of FIFA continues to hang in the balance with two controversial World Cups coming up in Russia and Qatar.
FIFA needs a strong leader as those tournaments will push organizers and the governing body to its limit. Is Blatter the right man, once again, to handle the pressure?